A new patch has arrived on the test server of Overwatch. There are buffs for many heroes – including the Omnic Bastion! Let’s take a look at the patch notes from the PTR.
Today in the very early hours of the morning (11/15/2018), a new patch for the PTR version of Overwatch was released. While this update does not include any new gameplay content, it does feature some bug fixes and balance changes.
In addition to several buffs for Bastion, McCree, and Torbjörn, there are also nerfs. These affect Brigitte and Doomfist, both of whom will lose some of their power.
By the way: The latest patch of Overwatch, featuring the heroine Ashe, has just gone live.
Patch Notes from Overwatch PTR on 11/15/2018
Here are all the planned changes to the heroes of Overwatch. Keep in mind that this may still change before release.
Hero Changes
Bastion
- Configuration: Recon
- Ammo count increased from 25 to 35.
- Configuration: Sentry
- Weapon spread while firing reduced by 33%.
Brigitte
- Shield Bash
- Can no longer penetrate barriers or stun targets behind barriers.
This means she will most likely not be removed from Overwatch, as some players believe.
Doomfist
- Uppercut
- The duration of control loss in the air has been reduced from 3 seconds to 0.6 seconds.
- Seismic Slam
- The maximum range has been reduced from 20 meters to 15 meters.
The Doomfist nerf has been announced for a while now.
McCree
- Peacekeeper
- The damage of the alternate fire (right click) has been increased from 45 to 55.
Torbjörn
- Molten Core
- The damage per second has been increased from 130 to 160.
Why the changes? The developers have identified some weaknesses in the affected characters that should actually be part of their strengths.
- For example, Bastion is an easy target due to his large exterior and being immobile in sentry form. Therefore, he should pose a greater threat in both modes.
- McCree, on the other hand, cannot reliably deal as much damage at close range as he should – especially to tanks. This will be improved with the changes.
- Finally, Torbjörn’s lava areas are not a major threat and rarely prevent players from crossing those areas. With nearly 20% more damage, this could now lead to fatal outcomes more often.
There are also justifications for the nerfs.
- Brigitte is simply too strong with her stun, which almost penetrates everything. Other tanks with shields should have ways to counter her.
- The fact that Uppercut only limits the player’s movement for 20% of its original time stems from the frustration of playing against Doomfist. The Doomfist player now has to execute their combos faster and has less time to aim.
Anyone who wants to try the changes for themselves can download the PTR version of Overwatch – but this is only available on PC. Everyone else will have to wait until the patch goes live in a few weeks.
What do you think of the buffs? Was it necessary for Bastion, Torbjörn, and McCree to receive a little love?
