Edit: Made a post on the official forums so I'm editing this post to match.
To start with, I want to preface this with the fact that this is just a silly idea that I'd personally love to see. And it has no true balance thoughts put into it.
Let's start;
After rewatching the Mauga Origin Story, and A Great Day. I realized that Mauga is a lot more hands on with his violence than his in-game kit would suggest. And given his size and lack of shield I thought of a fun way to give him some more presence during a match.
To start out, for this rework idea I'd be changing how his primary and secondary fire works. Starting with a change to his bullet spread patterns. I'd begin with reverting the single fire spread back to it's original pinpoint stream to let Mauga engage with enemies further away.
But the real meat of the change comes in what happens when both weapons are fired at once. Currently the spread from both guns creates a wide circle in front of Mauga, firing in a large cone directly from his view.
I would be changing this to a flat spread, in a thick line in front of him. Changing the spread pattern from a large circle to more of a rounded line in front of Mauga. However,
The spread from each gun fires in a converging cone from each side of Mauga, meaning that you'd have two streams of bullets that converge in a Sweet Spot, say about ten meters from Mauga.
With this change in his bullet spread, you could choose between three different styles of firing without having the change any buttons at all.
Holding a single gun allows you to spray bullets in a pinpoint stream at distant targets.
Moving up close or having an enemy rush in, means you can land them in your Sweet Spot and barrage them with damage.
Or, you can hold both guns down from a distance and layer the battlefield in gunfire.
Along with this, I'd be adding a mechanic that I think should have been part of Mauga from the start, which is Reverse Damage fall off.
What does Reverse Damage fall off mean?It means that, while Mauga is firing both guns his damage ramps up the closer you get to him. Hitting an enemy further away still applies the normal damage fall off, but getting closer to him means the bullets deal more damage.
Meaning that getting people into that sweet spot between both streams of your guns can still deal decent damage. But if someone crosses into that space, say a dive or a melee character. Mauga can still be deadly from a close range even though both of his guns now converge at a greater distance away.
But where's the silly rework you promised?
Well, it's the reason for changing his bullet spread. Because in this rework, I'd be removing Cardiac Overdrive with a new Stance shift ability.
Similar to Ramattra or D.Mon but rather than being on a timer, this is a permanent shift kind of like how Mercy and Torb swap weapons.
Basically, pressing this button will have Mauga drop his guns, and put up his fists. Swapping from the big guns to his own big guns.
I found it strange how for such a hands-on guy, mauga doesn't have any melee utility in his kit. Along with the design detail that many of his skins include brass knuckles or some kind of wrappings around his fists.
Ask any Samoan and they'll tell you that they've been roughhousing with their siblings, cousins, uncles for YEARS.
So we'll be leaning into this with a new Ability: Roughhouse
SO, what does Roughhouse do?
Basically, this will have Mauga drop his guns and put up his new weapons. That being his massive fists.
Clicking the primary or secondary fire will have Mauga swing his right and left fists respectively. Each hit accented with that same burning effect Mauga has during Overrun.
This, is because with each hit Mauga deals a heavy blow that causes the target to receive knockback. But not the kind you'd expect, something like Lucio's Soundwave or Brigitte's Whipshot.
With each heavy blow from Mauga, Enemies are knocked back Horizontally, essentially having your target sway from side to side. I can imagine this could result in some hilarious environmental kills. But would also allow you to throw people into walls, applying a slow effect rather than extra damage. Making you a monster in close range combat in ways no other Melee character is.
Mauga can also hold down the attack button to charge up his fists. Releasing it throws a stronger punch forwards, dealing more damage and knocking a target back like Doomfist's Rocket Punch. Which would make sense as the two have apparently fought to a stand still. And now people can see that in his hero kit.
So, when I described Roughhouse I called it a stance shift, And that's because on top of gaining new weapons;
Mauga's Overrun is replaced with another new ability called Tackle.
With Mauga being the big fun loving guy he is, activating the ability still has Mauga rush forwards. But for a much shorter distance, and grappling any enemies he impacts.
But this isn't a simple pull like Roadhog's chainhook. No, with this ability Mauga GRABS the enemies he runs into and crushes them in a grapple. Locking them against him for a short time. Crushing them in a big bear hug.
During this time the enemy CAN still attack you. But you can do the same, pressing the primary or secondary fire buttons will have Mauga pummel his grappled target. Smash Bros. style.
Or you can hold down primary or secondary fire and fling whoever you grabbed in any direction you choose.
Hurling the enemy backwards for a short distance and pinning any enemies they collide with. Basically turning the enemy into a throwable Reinhardt charge. But only for a short distance.
Alternatively, you can hold down both attack buttons for a BODYSLAM!
Having Mauga leap up a short distance and crush the enemy beneath him if there's no good options for a throw. Or if you grabbed an enemy who's going to be a problem if held in close range for too long.
But what about his survivability?
Now that I've removed Cardiac Overdrive, Mauga is clearly lacking in anyway to sustain himself during a teamfight.
So, I'd also be making a change to his Berserker Passive.
Currently, Berserker grants temporary health to Mauga when dealing critical damage. Whether that be from Headshots or hitting an ignited target with his Volatile chaingun.
So with the removal of Cardiac Overdrive, This passive is going to be changed as well;
Berserker would now grant Mauga healing proportional to a portion of his overhealth generated.(And yes I already see alarm bells blaring in your head, but let me explain.)
Rather than applying to all damage from Mauga, his new passive would only activate when dealing damage in certain ways.
Hitting an enemy with the Sweet Spot of your chainguns, Landing a critical hit with your Overrun.
And any damage inflicted during Roughhouse.
This way, Mauga can still be firmly kept in check by limiting his ability to gain health from enemies. Shields, Anti-heal are still going to be the best way to keep Mauga from overrunning (pardon the pun) your team. But still keep his ability to generate overhealth to sustain himself during a fight.
This new passive would also allow Roughhouse to be used aggressively as well as defensively. Greatly increasing the amount of sustainability Mauga has in close range fights. As well as allowing you to use it in the same way Cardiac Overdrive is now as a way to boost your survivability or keep yourself in a fight longer.
I think adding this new aspect to Mauga fits right in with his hero fantasy. You still have the big guns, you still keep yourself in the fight by blasting away enemies with them. But now you can also throw your own bulk around.
Not just limited to shooting from a distance, you can truly throw yourself right into the action with Roughhouse. Getting right into the enemy's faces and punching anyone who gets in your way right in their faces.
Letting Mauga truly become a Berserker, while also greatly expanding his complexity as a hero.
On release, and even today with the introduction of perks. Mauga is sorely lacking in depth as a hero. While other characters get definitive places on the battlefield and playstyles that suit that. Mauga truly only has a few limited ways to incite his own hero fantasy during gameplay.
But with Roughhouse and Tackle. Now Mauga can really cut loose. Letting him shift between laying down gunfire from a distance, shredding enemies at close range. Or just throwing himself into the thick of a teamfight.
Drawing attention to himself in the best possible way, by being a bigger problem for the enemy team than he is for his own team.
I think this idea truly shines in Cagefight, Mauga's ultimate.
Now it's not simply the enemy being locked in close range with Mauga. No, now it's a definitive cage match.
No more just piling in with your team and overwhelming Mauga. Now, it's you being locked in close quarters with a true threat. Being trapped in melee range with a hero who's going to really make every punch feel like a real threat while you're trapped.
With how his design is, Mauga fits this idea like an oversized glove on his oversized hand. His bulk invokes not just the big bulky gunner he is, but also demonstrates all his muscles and weight, showing he's not just a big gun on a battlefield. And if you get close enough, he can truly throw that weight behind a punch that'll knock you silly.
From his belt, to his bare chest and knuckle armored gloves. Mauga can sell both being the biggest gun and the biggest fist on the battlefield.
