PTR Patch Notes, Mike Morhaime Tribute, New OWL Teams, Route 66 Payload, Lego Sets

[Stoy]

Overwatch PTR Patch Notes - October 23, 2018

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 therefore will only reflect changes coming specifically to that platform.


General Updates

• Audio
  
  • An option to use Windows Spatial Audio is now available. This feature can be found in the Windows Start Menu under Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Sound > Speaker Device > Spatial Sound
  • Developer Comments: Since launch, we’ve supported Dolby Atmos for players who use headphones, and we’re now expanding this support to include the Windows 10 implementation for spatial audio. Spatial audio is configured in the Windows 10 sound settings and will take priority over the settings in the game client. This will allow for more options, including settings for Windows Sonic Headphones, Dolby Atmos for Headphones, and Dolby Atmos for Home Theater.

Hero Updates

• General
  
  • Made jump height consistent across hero roster
• Mercy
  
  • Valkyrie
    
    • Ultimate cost reduced 15%
    • Healing per second increased from 50 to 60
    • Developer Comments: Mercy’s ultimate was charging a bit too slowly after her base healing was reduced in a previous update. These changes should restore some of her ultimate’s strength and let it build up more quickly.
• Reaper
  
  • Hellfire Shotguns
    
    • Spread randomization reduced by 50%
  • The Reaping
    
    • Life steal increased from 20% to 30% of damage dealt
    • Developer Comments: Reaper’s specialty is fighting at a very close range. The more consistent spread pattern and increase in healing from his passive ability will make him more capable of standing toe-to-toe with his enemies.
• Roadhog
  
  • Chain Hook
    
    • Decreased the delay before pulling a hooked target from 0.5 seconds to 0.3 seconds
    • Now greatly reduces the target’s momentum upon being hooked
    • Cooldown now begins immediately, instead of after the target has been pulled
  • Scrap Gun
    
    • Spread pattern adjusted for both primary and secondary fire
    • Spread randomization reduced by 50%
  • Whole Hog
    
    • Knockback maximum velocity increased by 25% (from 8 to 10 meters per second)
    • Horizontal recoil decreased slightly
    • Developer Comments: Roadhog is receiving several large changes to make his abilities more consistent. His Chain Hook had issues with breaking when enemy targets jumped or fell behind environment collision. It will now slow them down in the air more when the hook lands, and wait less time before it starts reeling them in. Since Chain Hook’s cooldown now begins immediately upon use, so it no longer varies based on Roadhog’s distance to the hook target. We’ve also moved some of the projectiles closer to the center of the spread pattern on his Scrap Gun, which gives him a more consistent damage output for its primary and alternate fire. Previously, there was a long-standing bug that caused close-range targets to fly much further than expected. After this bug was fixed, we still wanted to keep some of the knockback burst it provided, so we’ve increased the overall velocity cap to maintain some of that functionality.
• Symmetra
  
  • Photon Projector
    
    • Primary fire beam charges up 20% faster
    • Developer Comments: It’s still difficult to use Symmetra’s Photon Projector beam effectively, even after its range was increased. By speeding up the primary fire charge rate, it takes less time to ramp up to its full damage potential and will be a stronger option when she’s presented with targets to charge up on.

Bug Fixes

• A.I.
  
  • Fixed a bug that caused Mei bots to attempt landing headshots on Wrecking Ball while he was immune to them in Roll mode
  • Fixed a bug that caused bots to get stuck near Point A on Eichenwalde
• Brigitte
  
  • Fixed a bug that prevented Brigitte’s Whip Shot from going on cooldown if it was interrupted before the chain retracted
• Doomfist
  
  • Fixed a bug that prevented victims of Doomfist’s Rocket Punch from ragdolling if they were eliminated by it
  • Fixed a bug that prevented Doomfist’s Rising Uppercut from damaging enemies
  • Fixed a bug that prevented Doomist’s Seismic Slam from dealing damage if he hit by a knockback ability the moment he landed
• Junkrat
  
  • Fixed a bug that caused Junkrat to return to his idle animation if he was stunned while using RIP-Tire
• Lúcio
  
  • Fixed a bug that caused some allied heroes to say their “under attack” voice lines when receiving a friendly Sound Barrier
• Orisa
  
  • Fixed bug that prevented Orisa’s Fortify from canceling Doomfist’s Rising Uppercut air control effects
• Reinhardt
  
  • Fixed a bug that allowed Reinhardt’s Earthshatter to hit Brigitte when she blocked it with her Barrier Shield if she was strafing during high latency periods
• Roadhog
  
  • Fixed a bug that prevented Chain Hook from going on cooldown if it was interrupted before the chain retracted
  • Fixed a bug that prevented Chain Hook from destroying breakable objects when pulling the target backward
  • Fixed a bug that caused Roadhog’s Whole Hog visual effects to cover a wider area than the spread of projectiles
• Torbjörn
  
  • Fixed a bug that prevented Santaclad Torbjörn’s ultimate voice lines from playing when activating Molten Core
  • Fixed a visual issue that prevented Molten Core’s magma globules from appearing in the correct place with his Barbarossa or Blackbeard skins equipped
  • Fixed an animation issue that caused Torbjörn’s claw arm to suddenly appear when Overload and Molten Core were used in quick succession
• Symmetra
  
  • Fixed a bug that prevented Symmetra to charge up her primary weapon on enemy ice walls
• Tracer
  
  • Fixed an issue that caused Tracer to accelerate slightly slower and decelerate slightly faster than other heroes
• Wrecking Ball
  
  • Fixed a bug that prevented Wrecking Ball voice lines from playing when previewed after opening a Loot Box
• Zarya
  
  • Fixed a bug that allowed heroes to charge through a Graviton Surge without getting trapped

Hero Gallery

• General
  
  • Fixed an issue that caused some heroes legs to twitch when viewed in the Hero Gallery
  • Fixed a bug that prevented players from rotating heroes in the Hero Gallery while the UI was hidden
• Social
  
  • Fixed a bug that allowed players to hear the voice lines of heroes controlled by players they muted

Game Browser and Custom Games

• Maps
  
  • Fixed a bug that prevented the payload from healing attackers if they were damaged while pushing it on Assault/Escort and Escort maps
  • Fixed a lighting issue that caused a skyscraper in Hollywood’s skyline to appear pitch black

Mike Morhaime Tribute in BlizzardWorld Map
Reddit user WyomingMyst discovered a change to the Nexus Experience area of the BlizzardWorld map on the PTR. There is a special tribute to Mike Morhaime complete with new music!

2 New OWL Teams - Atlanta Reign and Toronto Defiant
Blizzard has presented two new teams that will be competing in the Overwatch League in February, the Atlanta Reign and Toronto Defiant.

Route 66 Payload PTR Change
Reddit user mallleable posted a thread showcasing a small change made to the payload on Route 66. The container that is being escorted has now been opened.

Overwatch Lego Sets
The Overwatch Lego Sets were leaked earlier this week by the Target registry. Just2Good has put together a video showcasing all of them.

[Eapoe]

No replies yet...people seem really hyped for new OW news.

[Angel of Justice]

No replies yet...people seem really hyped for new OW news.

No1 really uses mmoc for overwatch news tbh

[Eapoe]

No1 really uses mmoc for overwatch news tbh

False. Previous updates used to have multiple pages with people discussing the changes and possible impacts to the game.

[Thetruth1400]

Excited to see some information on the new teams, but Blizz should have done a better job with their color choices; both Atlanta and Toronto are black, red, and white which is going to be pretty confusing to watch.

[Twen]

Excited to see some information on the new teams, but Blizz should have done a better job with their color choices; both Atlanta and Toronto are black, red, and white which is going to be pretty confusing to watch.

Blizz doesn't pick the colors, the teams themselves decide those; Blizz just makes the recolored outfits accordingly.

[Argnor]

False. Previous updates used to have multiple pages with people discussing the changes and possible impacts to the game.

I would assume the drop-off is at least in part because frequency of updates was not maintained. News is posted much later or never at all. I'm sure less people are playing Overwatch, but I don't check MMO-C OW frequently anymore for this reason.

[Angel of Justice]

I would assume the drop-off is at least in part because frequency of updates was not maintained. News is posted much later or never at all. I'm sure less people are playing Overwatch, but I don't check MMO-C OW frequently anymore for this reason.

Yeah same,I just check the OW subreddit for any major news or the competative one for OWL stuff

[Daevied]

OW has more players than wow

[leetk1ng]

great, more lego to step on

[Thetruth1400]

Blizz doesn't pick the colors, the teams themselves decide those; Blizz just makes the recolored outfits accordingly.

I'm fine with them picking their own colors, but Blizz should have some say in things.

When two teams with very similar color schemes pick very similar comps, something that happens quite often, are we really supposed to be able to differentiate between the red team with black trim vs the black team with red trim easily in the heat of battle?

[Twen]

I'm fine with them picking their own colors, but Blizz should have some say in things.

When two teams with very similar color schemes pick very similar comps, something that happens quite often, are we really supposed to be able to differentiate between the red team with black trim vs the black team with red trim easily in the heat of battle?

No, that's what the away-team colors are for.

[Explicit Teemo Nudes]

Damn. I would never spot that payload change.
Still no nerfes/changes to certain heroes...

[Synbaby]

Anyone know when they are going to release Ashe?