In Overwatch, a kind of curious exploit is currently circulating for players of Wrecking Ball. This exploit allows certain rounds to be drawn out almost infinitely, with little chance for opponents to fight back.
This is the situation: The hamster Hammond is currently able to contest a capture point in Overwatch without being attacked himself. This means that opponents cannot capture the points, or in case of defense, cannot complete the map.
At the moment, the exploit is only known on the part map “Shrine” in Nepal. However, the mechanics suggest that Hanamura might be similarly affected.
A hamster to enslave them
How does the exploit work? Wrecking Ball, one of the newest heroes in Overwatch, uses a mechanic that no other hero in Overwatch can utilize. With his hook, he can latch onto objects and swing from them.
The mechanics are closely tied to the game physics and have earned Wrecking Ball his name “Wrecking Ball”. He can swing opponents away and propel himself to reach distant places.
One of these places is the roof of the shrine in Nepal. If a Hammond swings over the roof edge with enough momentum, he can stay on the roof. There, he is still within the radius of the underlying point to attack or defend it.
What can I do about it? To remove Hammond from there, the opposing team needs a hero with the ability to change Hammond’s position. Since he is positioned above, the hero also needs to be able to move vertically.
To counter this exploit, only a handful of heroes are useful:
- Pharah with her Concussive Blast
- D.Va with her Boosters
- Lúcio with his Sound Amplifier
- a opposing Hammond
With these heroes, Hammond can be driven from his position on the roof.
However, the exploit is still a disadvantage for Hammond’s team. Because in every battle, his teammates are outnumbered. Capturing the point proves to be quite difficult.
The exploit doesn’t yield much: Aside from annoying other players, there is hardly any benefit to using this exploit. In the long run, users will probably lose the round anyway and may even be penalized by Blizzard.
Therefore, we do not recommend exploiting it in public games. However, fun challenges could arise from it in private games with friends.
What do you think of the exploit?
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