Hanzo in Overwatch is still a playable hero, but his story and gameplay changed a lot over time. Lore-wise, he’s the exiled Shimada archer trying to redeem himself after being forced into the tragic conflict with Genji, and gameplay-wise he was notably reworked in 2018, when Scatter Arrow was replaced by Storm Arrows and he got a more mobile kit.

Quick Scoop

If you mean “what happened to him?” in the fan/community sense, Hanzo has gone through a long period of balance changes, reworks, and occasional controversy over whether he feels too strong, too random, or just frustrating to play against. In 2023, he was even temporarily removed from some Overwatch 2 modes because of a bug, but he was later restored.

What changed

  • Lore: Hanzo killed Genji under clan pressure, later learned Genji survived, and now wanders in self-imposed exile seeking redemption.
  • Gameplay: Blizzard reworked him in 2018, most famously removing Scatter Arrow and adding Storm Arrows and Lunge.
  • Community perception: Players still debate his balance and role, especially because his arrows can feel very punishing in the right hands.

In one line

So, nothing “bad” happened to Hanzo as a character — he’s still in the game — but he has been heavily reworked, periodically nerfed or buffed, and remains one of Overwatch’s most discussed heroes.

If you want, I can also give you:

  • Hanzo’s full lore story ,
  • what his current Overwatch 2 kit does , or
  • a simple timeline of Hanzo changes.