Loot Box changes and Highlights live on Overwatch PTR

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 therefore will only reflect changes coming specifically to that platform.

PUBLIC TEST REGION PATCH NOTES

PATCH HIGHLIGHTS

Loot Box Updates

We always want the experience of opening an in-game loot box to feel exciting and rewarding, and in our latest patch we’re working to improve that experience in two key ways. First, we’re drastically reducing the amount of duplicates players will receive when opening loot boxes. Second, to compensate for this reduction of duplicate items, we’re also increasing the overall amount of credits players will receive from loot boxes. On average, players should be earning just as many credits, if not slightly more, from loot boxes than they did prior to these changes.

To help us test this update, all players who log in to the PTR this patch cycle will receive five (5) PTR Loot Boxes. These are standard loot boxes that will only be available on the PTR. Any items earned from loot boxes or unlocked via credits on the PTR will not transfer over to your live account.

New Highlight Options

Our highlights system has received several major updates:

• The game will continue to automatically generate highlights for you based on your recent gameplay. These auto-generated highlights—now categorized as “Today’s Top 5″—will be surfaced on a daily basis and persist for a full 24 hours (or until the game client is patched, whichever happens first).
• Players can now generate their own highlights! The ability to capture 12 seconds of your own gameplay has been added to the game, and can be bound to a single button of your choice (or a button per highlight slot) in the Options menu under “Request Highlight.” These player-generated highlights will be saved under a new section called “Recently Captured” and will persist until the game client is patched. Players can have up to 36 recently-captured highlights stored at one time.
• With the above, players can now record any of their “Top 5” or “Recently Captured” highlights, exporting them as a video file to their gaming platform’s designated media library (on console) or directory (on PC). On PC, players will also have the option to select the quality at which these highlights are exported, supporting up to 4K at 60 FPS for Windows 8 or higher operating systems, and up to 1080p on Windows 7.

To learn more about this feature, check out our recent developer update.

General

Custom Games and Game Browser

• Clarified the text on the “Flag Carrier” options under the Capture the Flag settings for Custom Games
• Removed the “Projectile Speed” and “Projectile Gravity” options for heroes who do not have projectile weapons

User Interface

• Added ability to create customized reticles
  • Reticle options can be found under the “Controls” tab in the “Options” menu (click the “Advanced” expander under the “Reticle” heading)

BUG FIXES

General

• Fixed a bug that could cause the user interface to incorrectly indicate that an enemy player has been hit when colliding with them
• Fixed a bug that could allow projectiles that would normally pierce shields (i.e. Reinhardt’s Fire Strike) to pass through other surfaces

Heroes

• Fixed a bug that could cause eliminations from Junkrat’s Total Mayhem to be mislabeled in the kill feed
• Fixed a bug that allowed Roadhog’s Chain Hook to latch on to Orisa’s Supercharger
• Fixed a bug that allowed Sombra to take damage after activating her Translocator

Maps

• Fixed a bug that caused AI-controlled players to perpetually move toward the objective on the Gardens point in Oasis
• Fixed a bug that prevented Training Bots from facing the right direction and returning to their original location after being moved by player interactions on the Practice Range
• Fixed a bug that could cause D.Va to fall through the floor while boosting into the ground in a specific area on Volskaya Industries

User Interface

• Fixed a bug that caused the Heroes of the Storm promotional portraits to appear locked, even after being unlocked
• Fixed a bug that could cause an error message in chat if you attempted to spectate a new player while already spectating another player
• Fixed a bug that could cause the chat window to be placed too high on the main menu, blocking menu options
• Fixed a bug that prevented text from wrapping in the Report Player text box