Overwatch PTR patch brings Bastion changes, Server Browsing and more

PATCH HIGHLIGHTS

New Feature: Server Browser

Starting today, every player can create their own, unique Overwatch experience and share it with their friends, their teammates, or the entire world. Introducing the Server Browser.

An extension of Overwatch’s Custom Game mode, the Server Browser allows you to adjust the settings on various maps, modes, and heroes, creating your own tailor-made server. If, for example, you want to increase Pharah’s missile speed or remove the cooldown from McCree’s Combat Roll, the power is yours. Once you’re happy with your settings and you’re ready to launch your game, you’ll need to set up the permissions. You can limit the number of people who can join your game by toggling the “Friends Only” or “Invite Only” options, but if you want to put your strange creation to the real test, set your server to “Public” and click the launch button.

The Server Browser is currently being tested, so we’ll be making changes throughout the PTR. Thank you for helping us test the feature, and we’re excited to see what you make of it.

New Mode: Capture the Flag

Capture the Rooster has been, without a doubt, Overwatch’s most popular brawl. We don’t want that excitement to end, so we’re bringing Capture the Flag to the Arcade as an ongoing game mode. Starting today, we’re adding Capture-the-Flag versions of Nepal, Lijiang Tower, Ilios, and Oasis, which gives you 12 maps to try when creating a Custom Game.

HERO UPDATES

Ana

• New Hero Option: Nano Boost Sensitivity
  • Allows players to adjust Nano Boost’s targeting sensitivity

Bastion

• Configuration: Sentry
  • Deploy time decreased from 1.5 seconds to 1.0 second
  • Bullet spread increased by 50 percent
  • Bullet spread is always at maximum (it no longer increases as the weapon is fired)
  • Magazine size increased from 200 to 300
  • Headshot damage multiplier has been removed
  • No longer deals critical damage
• Configuration: Recon
  • Bullet spread decreased by 25 percent
  • Magazine size increased from 20 to 25
• Self-Repair
  • Can now be used while moving
  • Now bound to secondary fire (formerly Ability 2)
  • No longer interrupted by taking damage
  • A new resource meter has been added that deplete while Self-Repair is active and recharges when not in use
• Configuration: Tank
  • No longer grants bonus armor
• Bastion has a new passive: Ironclad
  • Bastion takes 35% less damage while in Sentry or Tank configuration

Developer Comments: The goal of these changes is to move some of Bastion’s power from Configuration: Sentry to Recon, while keeping its sentry mode a strong option, especially versus tanks and barriers. Overall, Bastion should feel stronger and more flexible with these changes.

D.Va

• Defense Matrix
  • Projectiles (like Roadhog’s Chain Hook or Tracer’s Pulse Bomb) no longer need to travel a minimum distance before they can be blocked

Developer Comments: Previously, there was a minimum distance a projectile had to travel before it could be destroyed by Defense Matrix. This made it nearly worthless in situations where an enemy was right next to your teammate, such as when Roadhog hooks your ally. This change removes that restriction so Defense Matrix should now reliably destroy projectiles regardless of how far they have traveled.

Mei

• Cryo-Freeze
  • Mei can now be targeted by allies while in Cryo-Freeze

Mercy

• Resurrect
  • While performing a resurrection, Mercy now becomes temporarily invulnerable along with the allies being revived
• Caduceus Staff
  • Zenyatta can no longer be targeted when Transcendence is active
• New Hero Option: Guardian Angel Sensitivity
  • Allows players to adjust Guardian Angel’s targeting sensitivity
• New Hero Option: Beam Sensitivity
  • Allows players to adjust targeting sensitivity on Mercy’s Caduceus Staff beams

Developer Comments: Mercy’s Resurrect has always been very powerful, but it often forces her to sacrifice herself to use it well. There have been changes in the past that attempted to help her in this area, but haven’t done enough to solve it. This change means that once she uses the ability, she will always survive long enough to be with her team again.

Sombra

• New Hero Option: Hack Sensitivity
  • Allows players to adjust the targeting sensitivity on Sombra’s Hack ability

Torbjörn

• Rivet Gun
  • Ammo is now loaded earlier in the reload animation

Widowmaker

• New Hero Option: Grappling Hook Sensitivity
  • Allows players to adjust Grappling Hook’s targeting sensitivity

Zarya

• New Hero Option: Projected Barrier Sensitivity
  • Allows players to adjust Projected Barrier’s targeting sensitivity

Zenyatta

• New Hero Option: Harmony Orb Sensitivity
  • Allows players to adjust Harmony Orb’s targeting sensitivity
• New Hero Option: Discord Orb Sensitivity
  • Allows players to adjust Discord Orb’s targeting sensitivity

MAP BALANCE CHANGES

Eichenwalde

• A second gate no longer closes after the payload passes through the castle doors. Instead, rubble from the damaged doorway partially blocks the entrance.

Developer Comments: Once the offensive team gets through the castle entrance, the map becomes very heavily stacked in the defense’s favor. This change will give the offense more entrance options, which should improve the map’s overall balance.

BUG FIXES

General

• Fixed an issue preventing key bindings on the communication wheel from displaying properly
• Fixed a bug causing some key bindings to revert to default after the first round of a Control map
• Fixed a bug that allowed commendation cards to be recalculated and transferred to a new player after the previous recipient left at the end of a round
• Fixed a bug that caused the “experience gained” audio effects to continue playing, even after the players left the game lobby
• Environmental damage to barriers no longer counts toward the “Damage Blocked” statistic

Competitive Play

• Fixed a bug preventing “60 seconds remaining” and “30 seconds remaining” voice lines from playing during the second round of a match

Heroes

• Fixed a bug preventing Lucio’s “Sound Barriers Provided” statistic from being properly calculated
• Fixed a bug preventing Reinhardt’s shield from displaying cracks at low health with the Wujing skin equipped
• Fixed a bug that allowed Roadhog to turn freely while pulling a hooked target
• Fixed an issue that allowed Sombra’s Translocator to become stuck in the air
• Fixed a bug preventing Tracer’s ”Clock’s Tickin’’ spray from matching the thumbnail in the Hero Gallery

Maps

• Torbjörn can now construct turrets on the stairs in Oasis
• Fixed an issue that caused Highlight Intros to clip into the roof of a building on Lijiang Tower