Defenders were slightly weakened in the latest Overwatch update. At least when using delay tactics.
The latest update for Overwatch, patch 1.13 (PC) and 2.15 (PS4, Xbox One), primarily brought the new hero Doomfist along with numerous bug fixes, buffs, and nerfs for various heroes.
A small point in the patch notes caused confusion, as it was not adequately explained by the developers. Among the “General Changes,” the following patch note was found:
“Revive times have been adjusted so that defensive delay tactics are weakened when the attacking team has a clear advantage and plays aggressively.”
But what does that mean exactly? In the official forum, players were very confused, leading Scott Mercer (Principal Designer of Overwatch) to clarify.
Those who lose the upper hand experience longer respawn times – at least as defenders
There is an internal system that causes defenders of a control point to have higher respawn times when they are outnumbered at the control point for an extended period of time.
In plain text, this means the following: If the attackers are outnumbered on the control point for 15 seconds, the respawn time for the defenders gradually increases. If the attackers are outnumbered for a solid 75 seconds, the respawn duration reaches its maximum.
If the attackers ever lose their advantage, the respawn time does not immediately return to “normal” – the saved time then counts backward, so after 60 seconds of being outnumbered, the defenders will have a normal respawn time again (75-60 = 15 seconds, and only then does the extension begin).
Previously, the attackers had to be outnumbered for 30 seconds and only reached the maximum respawn extension after 90 seconds.
What do you think about Blizzard’s continued action against such delay tactics? A good thing or unfair, as this can also be a strategy?
We have shown you the complete patch notes for patch 1.13 in this post.
