PTR Patch Notes - 2/7/2017

[FireHazard772]

PTR PATCH HIGHLIGHTS​

(See this thread for the Dev-Update video related to this PTR patch: https://www.edge-gamers.com/forums/showthread.php?309482
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New Feature: Server Browser

Starting today, every player can create their own, unique Overwatch experience and share it with their friends, their teammates, or the entire world. Introducing the Server Browser.

An extension of Overwatch's Custom Game mode, the Server Browser allows you to adjust the settings on various maps, modes, and heroes, creating your own tailor-made server. If, for example, you want to increase Pharah’s missile speed or remove the cooldown from McCree's Combat Roll, the power is yours. Once you're happy with your settings and you're ready to launch your game, you'll need to set up the permissions. You can limit the number of people who can join your game by toggling the "Friends Only" or "Invite Only" options, but if you want to put your strange creation to the real test, set your server to "Public" and click the launch button.

The Server Browser is currently being tested, so we'll be making changes throughout the PTR. Thank you for helping us test the feature, and we're excited to see what you make of it.

New Mode: Capture the Flag

Capture the Rooster has been, without a doubt, Overwatch’s most popular brawl. We don’t want that excitement to end, so we’re bringing Capture the Flag to the Arcade as an ongoing game mode. Starting today, we’re adding Capture-the-Flag versions of Nepal, Lijiang Tower, Ilios, and Oasis, which gives you 12 maps to try when creating a Custom Game.


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HERO UPDATES
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Ana

New Hero Option: Nano Boost Sensitivity
- Allows players to adjust Nano Boost’s targeting sensitivity

Bastion

Configuration: Sentry
- Deploy time decreased from 1.5 seconds to 1.0 second
- Bullet spread increased by 50 percent
- Bullet spread is always at maximum (it no longer increases as the weapon is fired)
- Magazine size increased from 200 to 300
- Headshot damage multiplier has been removed
- No longer deals critical damage

Configuration: Recon
- Bullet spread decreased by 25 percent
- Magazine size increased from 20 to 25

Self-Repair
- Can now be used while moving
- Now bound to secondary fire (formerly Ability 2)
- No longer interrupted by taking damage
- A new resource meter has been added that deplete while Self-Repair is active and recharges when not in use

Configuration: Tank
- No longer grants bonus armor

Bastion has a new passive: Ironclad
- Bastion takes 35% less damage while in Sentry or Tank configuration

Developer Comments: The goal of these changes is to move some of Bastion's power from Configuration: Sentry to Recon, while keeping its sentry mode a strong option, especially versus tanks and barriers. Overall, Bastion should feel stronger and more flexible with these changes.

D.Va

Defense Matrix
- Projectiles (like Roadhog’s Chain Hook or Tracer’s Pulse Bomb) no longer need to travel a minimum distance before they can be blocked

Developer Comments: Previously, there was a minimum distance a projectile had to travel before it could be destroyed by Defense Matrix. This made it nearly worthless in situations where an enemy was right next to your teammate, such as when Roadhog hooks your ally. This change removes that restriction so Defense Matrix should now reliably destroy projectiles regardless of how far they have traveled.

Mei

Cryo-Freeze
- Mei can now be targeted by allies while in Cryo-Freeze

Mercy

Resurrect
- While performing a resurrection, Mercy now becomes temporarily invulnerable along with the allies being revived

Caduceus Staff
- Zenyatta can no longer be targeted when Transcendence is active

New Hero Option: Guardian Angel Sensitivity
- Allows players to adjust Guardian Angel’s targeting sensitivity

New Hero Option: Beam Sensitivity
- Allows players to adjust targeting sensitivity on Mercy’s Caduceus Staff beams

Developer Comments: Mercy’s Resurrect has always been very powerful, but it often forces her to sacrifice herself to use it well. There have been changes in the past that attempted to help her in this area, but haven’t done enough to solve it. This change means that once she uses the ability, she will always survive long enough to be with her team again.

Sombra

New Hero Option: Hack Sensitivity
- Allows players to adjust the targeting sensitivity on Sombra’s Hack ability

Torbj?rn

Rivet Gun
- Ammo is now loaded earlier in the reload animation

Widowmaker

New Hero Option: Grappling Hook Sensitivity
- Allows players to adjust Grappling Hook’s targeting sensitivity

Zarya

New Hero Option: Projected Barrier Sensitivity
- Allows players to adjust Projected Barrier’s targeting sensitivity

Zenyatta

New Hero Option: Harmony Orb Sensitivity
- Allows players to adjust Harmony Orb’s targeting sensitivity

New Hero Option: Discord Orb Sensitivity
- Allows players to adjust Discord Orb’s targeting sensitivity


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MAP BALANCE CHANGES
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Eichenwalde
- A second gate no longer closes after the payload passes through the castle doors. Instead, rubble from the damaged doorway partially blocks the entrance.

Developer Comments: Once the offensive team gets through the castle entrance, the map becomes very heavily stacked in the defense’s favor. This change will give the offense more entrance options, which should improve the map’s overall balance.

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BUG FIXES
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General

- Fixed an issue preventing key bindings on the communication wheel from displaying properly

- Fixed a bug causing some key bindings to revert to default after the first round of a Control map

- Fixed a bug that allowed commendation cards to be recalculated and transferred to a new player after the previous recipient left at the end of a round

- Fixed a bug that caused the “experience gained” audio effects to continue playing, even after the players left the game lobby

- Environmental damage to barriers no longer counts toward the "Damage Blocked" statistic

Competitive Play

- Fixed a bug preventing “60 seconds remaining” and “30 seconds remaining” voice lines from playing during the second round of a match

Heroes

- Fixed a bug preventing Lucio’s “Sound Barriers Provided” statistic from being properly calculated

- Fixed a bug preventing Reinhardt’s shield from displaying cracks at low health with the Wujing skin equipped

- Fixed a bug that allowed Roadhog to turn freely while pulling a hooked target

- Fixed an issue that allowed Sombra’s Translocator to become stuck in the air

- Fixed a bug preventing Tracer’s ”Clock’s Tickin’’ spray from matching the thumbnail in the Hero Gallery

Maps

- Torbj?rn can now construct turrets on the stairs in Oasis

- Fixed an issue that caused Highlight Intros to clip into the roof of a building on Lijang Tower




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PTR Patch Notes link: https://playoverwatch.com/en-us/blog/20529203

 

[FireHazard772]

To clarify what the DVa change means, refer to the Dev-post below:

https://us.battle.net/forums/en/overwatch/topic/20753146975#post-9

Sorry, this was a bit confusing. To clarify: D.Va's Defense Matrix will still not block Roadhog's hook. We're fixing up the patch notes to make this more clear. The intent is that Defense Matrix will block the same things it did before, but can now block them instantly, instead of only after a minimum distance after being created.

Or in other words, basically this:

a dev talked about this a while ago, the change stops his hook combo on an ally. Before if you covered and ally with your matrix, and they got hooked, the matrix wouldn't each his shotgun blast, this change means that they will still get hooked, but the matrix instantly destroys his shotguns damage.

 

[Jade]

Resurrect
- While performing a resurrection, Mercy now becomes temporarily invulnerable along with the allies being revived

 

[Mr. Lemming]

Ana

New Hero Option: Nano Boost Sensitivity
- Allows players to adjust Nano Boost’s targeting sensitivity

What, no "That freaking Mercy isn't getting Nano'd so stop jumping in front of me" option?

 

[Mister36]

They made a couple changes:

We have a new build coming soon that has some Roadhog and Winston changes to test out.

Roadhog

1. Scrap Gun
2. Spread decreased by 20%

Chain Hook

1. Targets are now pulled to a location 3.5 meters away, up from 2 meters.
2. Cooldown increased from 6 to 8

Winston
- Critical hit volume reduced by 15%


The Roadhog changes overall reduce the power of his hook a bit, but his gun is now more effective when not using the hook.

Winston's head hit volume was just abnormally big, making him take more damage than he otherwise should. This change brings it more in line with other heroes.

 

[Mr. Lemming]

Chain Hook

1. Targets are now pulled to a location 3.5 meters away, up from 2 meters.

1. 
   
   As a person who just a few minutes ago saw a hog try to hook myself and fail due to the distance, this kind of spooks me a little (seriously, dang hook stopped like 2 feet from my face). As for the Winston change, I take it "volume" refers to the overall size of his head's hitbox and not the fact that he's pretty dang loud when he gets hit? Would be a welcome change as I always seem to die really quickly when jumping into a melee to try scattering enemies...

 

[FireHazard772]

As a person who just a few minutes ago saw a hog try to hook myself and fail due to the distance, this kind of spooks me a little (seriously, dang hook stopped like 2 feet from my face). As for the Winston change, I take it "volume" refers to the overall size of his head's hitbox and not the fact that he's pretty dang loud when he gets hit? Would be a welcome change as I always seem to die really quickly when jumping into a melee to try scattering enemies...

This isn't increasing the range of his hook, but just increasing how far away they are placed from the Roadhog once they are hooked.

Also yes, the Winston change is referring to reducing his (Winstons) hitbox.