Overwatch update brings Hanzo rework, new map – patch notes

The new Overwatch update is now live on May 3rd on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, bringing many changes and the new map Rialto! Read the official patch notes here and find out what the new patch has in store for you.

Overwatch is receiving a new patch after long testing on the PTR. We previously reported on the new map and the changes to Hanzo, which you could play for a while on the test servers. These changes are now live!

The Overwatch patch notes 1.23 from May 3rd, 2018 in English

PATCH HIGHLIGHTS

New Escort Map: Rialto

Rialto was the location of Talon agent Antonio Bartalotti’s extensive estate and the site of the infamous “Incident in Venice,” which marked a turning point for Overwatch and Talon. The Italian government has spared no expense to preserve Venice in its original state, and the results speak for themselves. Tourists can enjoy the local cuisine in this picturesque city, take a relaxing gondola ride, visit the art gallery Galleria D’arte Omnica, or simply admire the sights on a leisurely stroll along the canal.

HERO UPDATES

Brigitte

• Shield Bash
  • The hit angle was reduced from 90 to 60 degrees.

Developer comment: In fights against Brigitte, it often felt like the Shield Bash hit players who were actually out of reach and should have been able to dodge it. Likewise, players often found themselves hitting the wrong target as Brigitte in combat. The reduced hit angle now better matches the visual effect of the ability.

Genji

• Deflect
  • The hitbox was reduced.

Developer comment: The hitbox of Genji’s Deflect was so large that it sometimes reflected projectiles that were quite far from Genji. We have reduced the hitbox and thus resolved this issue. Genji is still adequately protected from projectiles that would hit him head-on.

Hanzo

• Storm Bow
  • The projectile speed was increased from 85 to 100.
• Sonic Arrow
  • The cooldown was reduced from 20 to 12 seconds.
  • The duration was reduced from 10 to 6 seconds.
  • The radius was reduced from 10 to 7 meters.
• New Abilities
  • Ninja Jump
    • Press the jump button in the air to dash horizontally.
  • Storm Arrows
    • Replaces the previous ability Scatter Arrow.
    • Hanzo can now fire 6 arrows in a short time, which deal reduced damage but are always fired at full power.

Developer comment: With these changes to Hanzo, we want to offer him new possibilities while maintaining his high damage potential, and at the same time, take away frustrating moments in the game that his old Scatter Arrow caused. Hanzo is much more mobile with his new Ninja Jump, and with the combination of increased projectile speed and his new ability Storm Arrows, he can deal high damage more reliably than ever before.

Junkrat

• Grenade Launcher
  • The projectile size was reduced from 0.3 to 0.2.
• RIP-Tire
  • The tire’s speed was reduced from 13 to 12.

Developer comment: With these changes, we aim to mitigate the biggest frustration moments for Junkrat’s opponents. By reducing the projectile size of the Grenade Launcher, he has to be a bit more accurate to land his devastating hits, and because his RIP-Tire now moves slower, opponents have a bit more time to destroy it.

Lúcio

• Wall Ride
  • Wall riding along a single surface is now less frequently interrupted.
  • Can now wall ride around corners (both outward and inward) without leaving the wall.
  • Can now land back on the same wall he jumped off as long as he moves far enough away from his original position while jumping.
  • A minimal time duration has been added that the jump button must be held down before Lúcio can wall ride around corners.
• Soundwave
  • No longer consumes ammunition.
  • Can now be used while reloading.

Developer comment: The Wall Ride has been significantly overhauled to work more reliably in more areas on every map. Lúcio players should immediately notice that Wall Ride can now be used more versatile. Additionally, it was simply unnecessary for the Soundwave of the Sound Amplifier to have both a cooldown and ammunition costs, so we removed the latter.

Tracer

• Pulse Bomb
  • The maximum damage was reduced from 400 to 300.

Developer comment: The Pulse Bomb was somewhat too effective at taking out tanks, which are very easy to hit due to their size. By reducing the damage, the Pulse Bomb now has a bit more difficulty against tanks but remains deadly against most other heroes.

Several smaller bugs were also fixed on maps and heroes. Additionally, adjustments were made to custom games, where Hanzo’s new abilities and Mercy’s passive regeneration can now be disabled. A list of all other patch notes in detail can be found on the official Overwatch website.

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