Overwatch players discover “crazy potential” of Cassidy’s new ‘Air Roll’ ability

Brad Norton
Overwatch McCree gameplay

Cassidy is more agile than ever in Overwatch as the latest update enabled a new ‘Air Roll’ mechanic that’s already being abused to create some next-level highlights.

After a false start on January 6, the first Overwatch balance update in 155 days finally arrived. Six heroes were tweaked in unique ways with most receiving some hefty buffs.

While certain changes brought joy to the community, others led to heavy criticism as players deemed new mechanics to be “broken.”

With more hands-on time over the past few days, Cassidy has now come into the spotlight. Although the ability to now “roll while in the air” may seem minor, new discoveries have revealed just how “crazy” this change really is.

On paper, the new buff adds a little extra mobility to the gunslinger without fundamentally changing his kit. In practice, however, it opens up an entirely new playstyle for the previously grounded hero.

Now, Cassidy can ready high ground vantage points without an assist from any other hero. Just by triggering the Combat Roll at the right time and rolling up ramped surfaces, the DPS can flow through any given map better than ever.

Whether you’re fleeing a fight on Nepal or getting into a unique flank position on Oasis, there’s now “crazy potential” for the hero to reshape the meta, as MagicMarv showcased on YouTube.

No spot appears out of reach for Cassidy now. If you can see it, there’s a good chance you can roll your way to it thanks to the latest balance update.

overwatch cole cassidy new blood skin on temple of anubis
Cassidy is now one of the more agile DPS heroes in Overwatch.

It also turns out the new Air Roll mechanic even works to bounce Cassidy off his teammates. Yet another new discovery following the January 6 update.

If there are no boxes or rails to boost off, you can call on a teammate to help. With the right setup, you can effortlessly glide towards the high ground.

“That poor Torb just got used as a footstool,” as one player put it.

With an entirely new feature to master, it’s only a matter of time before we see how Cassidy sticks in the Overwatch meta. Some crafty Air Roll Deadeyes could just flip the typical team fight on its head.

If things get too out of hand, however, rest assured Blizzard is ready to step in. “We knew some of these changes would drive a lot of conversation,” devs admitted after a wave of backlash. So we’ll have to wait and see if things are reeled back in over the coming days.

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About The Author

Brad Norton is the Australian Managing Editor at Dexerto. He graduated from Swinburne University with a Bachelor’s degree in journalism and has been working full-time in the field for the past six years at the likes of Gamurs Group and now Dexerto. He loves all things single-player gaming (with Uncharted a personal favorite) but has a history on the competitive side having previously run Oceanic esports org Mindfreak. You can contact Brad at brad.norton@dexerto.com