A new PTR patch for Overwatch makes some changes to heroes, including Junkrat. It alters how he shoots his grenades, affecting the way he is played.
Changes to Junkrat: In the last PTR patch for Overwatch on March 25, the speed and bouncing of Junkrat’s grenades were changed:
- the speed of the projectiles was increased from 20 to 25
- grenades now bounce less and explode earlier
The adjustments come shortly after a buff for Junkrat. According to the developers, nothing will change about how Junkrat’s grenades behave in flight, but the changes will impact how Junkrat players aim and calculate where to attack.
The change is primarily intended to prevent “grenade spam.” In the same patch, one of Reaper’s abilities was also made significantly stronger.
These are the effects of the change: With the adjustment, Junkrat’s grenades now fly faster and farther, making it easier to hit opponents directly. However, they no longer roll endlessly on the ground.
Prior to the change, the grenade could bounce off surfaces twice, maintaining its momentum before rolling briefly before exploding.
With the new variant, the grenade only bounces off a surface once. When it hits the ground or another surface, it loses all momentum, bounces briefly, and then explodes.
- For Junkrat players, this means you need to aim more accurately now. The grenades no longer cover larger areas without precise aiming.
- If you’re playing against Junkrat, you can now more accurately determine where a grenade lands and explodes. “Random” grenades shouldn’t be such a big problem anymore.
How the changes are received: Fans are still unsure whether this is a buff, a nerf, or neither. Players see the change mainly as a higher “skill cap” for Junkrat.
As a hero, he remains about equally strong. It will simply be more challenging to aim and play well with him.
What do you think about the change?
Even if Junkrat annoys many, Overwatch is now less toxic:
