Overwatch PTR Patch Notes – May 23, 2019

A new Overwatch patch is currently in development and now available for testing! To share your feedback or report and issue, please post in the PTR Feedback or PTR Bug Report forums.

Please note that the below patch notes only include changes currently available for testing on the PTR. While many of these changes will also be available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in a future patch, the PTR is PC-only and only reflects changes coming specifically to that platform.

PATCH HIGHLIGHTS

New Feature: Replays

Experience your past Overwatch games from a whole new perspective with Replays. Replays allows you to watch your ten most recent matches from any vantage point. Whether you want a first-person, third-person, or bird’s-eye view, you can see it all with this tool. Hone your strategies by slowing down or speeding up the game to see exactly how a critical moment played out, get a better view of the action from above, or even turn off the UI completely.

Learn more about Replays: Blizz.ly/OverwatchReplays

HERO UPDATES

Baptiste

• Biotic Launcher
  • Increased heal ammo from 10 to 12.
• Amplification Matrix
  • Ultimate duration increased from 8 seconds to 10 seconds.

Developer Comments: Given the dual nature of Baptiste’s weapon, he ends up having to reload often. We’re increasing the amount of ammo he has to work with so he can get more firing time while healing. Similarly, increasing the duration of Amplification Matrix will allow allies more time to get into position to make use of it.

D.Va

• Defense Matrix
  • Reduced length of Defense Matrix from 15 meters to 10 meters.

Developer Comments: Defense Matrix is a very powerful defensive ability and can often feel oppressive from far away. Reducing the range on it will require D.Va to position herself more carefully to take advantage of its effects.

McCree

• Peacekeeper
  • Primary fire recovery reduced from 0.5 seconds to 0.4 seconds.

Developer Comments: On average, McCree’s damage output wasn’t quite making up for the relatively low mobility or utility in his kit. Reducing his weapon’s recovery time improves the potential damage output without affecting the number of successful shots to kill an enemy.

Orisa

• Protective Barrier
  • Barrier can be deployed without interrupting reload.

Developer Comments: Orisa has one of the longest weapon reloads and interrupting it to deploy a new barrier felt too disruptive to her gameplay. This change allows her to reload as needed while still being able to protect herself and her team.

Symmetra

• Teleporter
  • Teleporter interact range increased from 1 meter to 1.5 meters.

Developer Comments: This is primarily a quality of life improvement as it was possible to create a teleporter that Symmetra was unable to interact with unless she moved toward it.

Torbjörn

• Rivet Gun
  • Secondary Fire damage per pellet reduced from 12.5 to 10.5 (105 dmg total per shot).

Developer Comments: The combined damage output of Torbjörn’s secondary fire with his Overload ability was too high given his recently increased survivability.

GAME MODE UPDATES

Assault

• Time awarded for capturing Point A on all Assault maps has been reduced from 4 minutes to 3 minutes.
• Upon losing Point A, any defenders that are dead, or that die shortly thereafter, will have a maximum respawn of 3.5 seconds.

Developer Comments: Assault match lengths are averaging higher than we’re happy with, particularly in Competitive where there are multiple rounds. We’re also concerned with how often Offense fully captures Point A and Point B. Reducing the round time from 8 to 7 minutes should address both these concerns, as less overall time rewards better Defense.

Additionally, sometimes Defenders fight late with good intentions at Point A and end up staggered from their team when A falls, leaving their team with uneven footing to defend a rush to B. In these situations, temporarily lowering the respawn time to get those Defenders back with their team should be a better match experience and doesn’t punish players so harshly for wanting to defend Point A.

WORKSHOP UPDATES

General

• Visual update applied
• Check boxes added to support operations on multiple conditions/actions/rules.
• You can now disable conditions/actions/rules without deleting them.
• (PC) When copying conditions/actions/rules, the contents will also be copied to your clipboard in a text format.
• (PC) When pasting conditions/actions/rules, the editor will use the text from your clipboard.
• Increased maximum number of effects from 64 -> 128.
• Added ‘Modify Global Variable At Index’.
• Added ‘Modify Player Variable At Index’.

BUG FIXES

General

• Communication Wheel: “Acknowledge” pings triggered through the Communication Wheel can now target objectives.
• Fixed a bug where explosions could play in the wrong position if a mispredicted impact happened on the client.
• Custom Game: Fixed a bug where AI Soldier: 76 wouldn’t fire his Helix Rocket at the same target twice.
• Custom Game: Fixed an issue where ‘Nearest Walkable Position’ would use a location in a spawn room instead of the specified location when the spawn room doors were closed.
• Tutorial: Weapon UI is now hidden until your weapon is available.

Heroes

• Ana
  • Anti-Heal will be cleared when Sombra uses her translocator to teleport.
    
    
• Sombra
  • Translocator will now escape slippery surfaces more easily and not be able to be stuck to them.
  • Fixed an issue where a material effect on Sombra’s hair would cause it to cast a shadow while invisible.
    
    
• Torbjörn
  • Fixed a bug where Torbjörn’s turret was sometimes able to shoot through walls.

The nerf to Assault maps though… that to me is huge.