Overwatch

[Kirby]

A new ptr patch was pushed through here are the notes, note worthy items are the server browser with some insane amounts of customisation going from payload movement speed to player movement speed, capture the flag is staying but only in the custom games and a rework of bastion

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

[Rahal]

Those bastion changes are cool - finally a viable recon mode :)

[Kirby]

Been looking at what people have been making in the ptr, a lot of boss modes basically one team of one with buffed health and damage with a reduction in movement speed against a team of normal heroes -the boss character from the select screen, this is done in the 3v3 elimination format.

There is a predator mode which involves one sombra with a low cd on stealth, no translocator ability, about 450 health, faster movement speed against a team full of soldiers with no sprint or healing and about .8 movement speed and health bars are not to be shown for either team (I may have missed some details will edit in later if I can find it all), this is done on elimination mode and the aim is for the soldier 76's to either kill the sombra or make it from their spawn to the sombra's spawn (in elimination mode this is possible to do), all sombra has to do is kill all the s76s, before they reach the spawn.

[Kirby]

Forgot to post these new changes to the ptr

Roadhog

Scrap Gun
Spread decreased by 20%

Chain Hook

Targets are now pulled to a location 3.5 meters away, up from 2 meters.
Cooldown increased from 6 to 8

Winston

Critical hit volume reduced by 15%


Also I am proud of this PoTG

[Kirby]

So season 3 is ending on the 22nd at 00:00 UTC, there will be a week for relaxing till season 4 starts and blizzard have hinted at some changes happening with competitive (again).

[Kirby]

And the new hero has been shown, it is on the ptr also
https://playoverwatch.com/en-gb/heroes/orisa/

[Kirby]

These are the changes Lucio has received on the ptr, while I suspect people will be asking for changes to certain aspects of it, it will most likely be minor stuff changed.


Sonic Amplifier
Projectile speed increased from 40 to 50
Alternate fire now considers vertical orientation when knocking targets back

Crossfade
Song's area-of-effect radius decreased from 30 meters to 10 meters
A temporary in-game visual has been added to illustrate this radius (it is only visible to Lúcio and his teammates)
Heal Song
Healing-per-second has been increased by 50% (also applies to Lúcio's Amp It Up ability)

Sound Barrier
Radius decreased from 30 meters to 20 meters

Wall Ride
Movement speed increased by 30% when wall riding
Lúcio now receives a burst of speed when leaping off a wall.

Below is a link to a gif comparing live boops to ptr boops, for those interested.
https://gfycat.com/ImpressionableExcellentAngwantibo

[Kirby]

An Overwatch lore event will be starting next week, aside from a lot of speculation from multiple parties and some leaks that may or may not be true what is verified is this as a teaser https://twitter.com/OverwatchEU/status/ ... 6923119617

And Jeff Kaplan mentioning the event taking place in an interview https://www.pcgamesn.com/overwatch/over ... t-april-11

And the comic: http://comic.playoverwatch.com/en-us/tracer-uprising

[Rahal]

Some Heroes of the Storm info, but it's related to Overwatch as well

New cinematic:


New Nexus Challenge:


So, 4 weeks full of Overwatch and HotS loot!

Also, if you log in into HotS tomorrow, you will get a currency that allow you to buy a bundle pack of heroes (20 of them!) for free!

See you on the battlegrounds!

[Kirby]

Summary of Rewards for each week

Quest 1 from the 24/4 - play 5 games with a friend in vs ai, quick match, unranked or ranked

In Heroes: Orochi Hovercycle Mount (6 colour variations), Oni Genji Warbanner, Oni Spray, Oni Genji Portrait

In OW: Oni Genji Skin, Oni Genji Player Icon and Oni Genji spray

Quest 2 1/5 After completing quest 1 play 5 games with a friend in quick match, unranked or ranked

Heroes : Busan Police Hovercycle Mount

OW: Officer D.va skin

Quest 3 8/5 After completing quest 2 play 5 games with a friend in quick match, unranked or ranked

Heroes: Overwatch Nexagon Mount, Officer D.va Banner, Badge Spray, Officer D.va Portrait

OW: Officer D.va spray, Officer D.va Player Icon

Quest 4 15/5 after completing quest 3 play 5 games with a friend in quick match, unranked or ranked

Heroes : 10 Loot chests

OW: 10 Loot boxes