New ‘Overwatch’ Patch Available on PTR, Includes Changes to Ana, Widowmaker, and Junkrat

PC players can now test the next Overwatch update on the Public Test Region.

The Public Test Realm/Region is a service Blizzard uses to test patches before they go live. For details on how to participate in the public test, see the official Overwatch site.

The changes include the addition of a static camera in spectator mode, the ability to edit team names in custom games, and the ability to pause custom games, as well as some individual character nerfs/buffs to better balance the game. You can see the complete list of both general and character-specific updates below. As the PTR available on PC only, the following list of changes is specific to the PC version, although the site states that many of the changes will come to PS4 and Xbox One in a future patch as well.

There is no word yet on when the patch will be available for all players, but we will update as that information becomes available. Keep checking Heavy.com for all your Overwatch and general gaming news.

GENERAL UPDATES

General
Static cameras are now supported in spectator mode
Team names can now be edited in custom games
Raised the volume of Hanzo’s Dragonstrike voice line while wearing the Okami/Lone Wolf Skin
Heroes hit by Ana’s Nano Boost have a new voice line that informs other players
Increased frequency of Reinhardt’s “barrier failing” voice line
Custom Games can now be paused

HERO BALANCE UPDATES

Ana

Nano Boost
Ultimate cost has been increased by 20%
Biotic Grenade
Radius has been increased from 3 to 4 meters
Developer Comments: So far, we haven’t seen any indication that Ana is too strong overall, but her ultimate charges a little too fast, especially considering the impact it can have on a match. Also, her Biotic Grenades are getting a small boost to help her hit multiple targets.

Widowmaker

Widow’s Kiss
Scoping-in animation time has been reduced from 0.5 to 0.3 seconds
Developer Comments: This change will help Widowmaker acquire new targets more quickly and speed up her reaction time in fast-paced situations.

Junkrat

RIP-Tire
Ability now activates more quickly
Developer Comments: Junkrat can be an extremely effective hero in the right hands, but RIP-Tire often felt underpowered when compared to his counterparts.

USER INTERFACE UPDATES

General

Several minor aesthetic changes have been made to the game’s Main, Social, and Options menus
Removed several stats that were duplicated for certain heroes throughout the career profile
Controller users can now choose between two aiming modes
Dual-Zone mode (New default): The vast majority of the thumbstick’s range moves with reduced sensitivity and relatively high acceleration. However, when the thumbstick crosses to the outer 10% of its range, it will move with high sensitivity and relatively low acceleration. This mode will allow for more precise aiming, while still allowing players to turn around quickly.
Exponential Ramp mode (Old default): As the thumbstick moves toward the outside of its range, the sensitivity is ramped up exponentially. The acceleration remains relatively high throughout.
Camera movement in Spectator Mode has been improved
Social Features

Certain commendations will now appear less frequently during end-of-round voting, and others will appear more frequently (e.g. Most Gold Medals and Torbjörn’s Armor Packs Created)
BUG FIXES

General

Enemy players that are knocked down no longer lose their red outline
Fixed a bug that prevented modified key bindings from saving after relaunching the game
Fixed a bug that kept players from binding Take Screenshot to other keys
Heroes

Fixed a bug causing Bastion’s bullet shells to eject backwards while in Configuration: Sentry mode
Fixed an issue preventing Hanzo’s Sonic Arrow from appearing when selected
Fixed a bug preventing Junkrat’s statistics from correctly tracking RIP-Tire kills
Fixed an issue preventing Mercy’s staff from appearing in some highlight intros while wearing the Valkyrie/Sigrún skin
Fixed a bug causing Tracer highlight intros to render at a lower resolution when accessed from the Highlights menu
Fixed a bug that allowed Widowmaker to use her Grappling Hook on basketballs
Symmetra’s “Car Wash” achievement now correctly lists the number of beams required (6 instead of 7)
Fixed a time calculation issue that was causing Zenyatta’s “Rapid Discord” achievement to be more difficult than intended
Fixed a bug that prevented Junkrat’s “Roadkill” achievement from being awarded after obtaining 4 kills with RIP-Tire
Maps

Fixed a bug that allowed the payload to heal players even when they were negatively affected by Ana’s Biotic Grenade
Fixed a bug preventing the health bars on the Practice Range bots from displaying the effects of Ana’s Biotic Grenade
Fixed a bug preventing sprays from being applied correctly to some surfaces on Eichenwalde
Fixed a bug allowing some heroes to be seen in the sky when viewing certain highlight intros on Volskaya Industries

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