After several weeks on the PTR, Blizzard has now patched its latest version to the live servers.
While we continue to wait on news for the upcoming, new hero, we do get treated to a new balance and content update to Overwatch. If you remember, the last real patch accompanied Year of the Rooster and included Hook 2.0, Sombra buffs and Ana nerfs. This time, the focus will immediately get drawn to one specific robot:
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
- 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.
Bastion is expected to rise in popularity, so prepare your counters for that. Several other heroes received minor changes, Eichenwalde received a change to balance out offense/defense winrates some more and a general QoL option was added to a bunch of heroes to help you fine-tune your targeting sensitivity:
Mercy
- Resurrect
- While performing a resurrection, Mercy now becomes temporarily invulnerable along with the allies being revived
D.Va
- Defense Matrix
- Enemy shots no longer need to travel a minimum distance before they can be blocked
Torbjörn
- Rivet Gun
- Ammo is now loaded earlier in the reload animation
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.
While these subtle changes, and one not so subtle rework, can make all the difference, it is hard to argue Overwatch has ever had a release as large as the new Server Browser. For a long time, customization options were hidden away in the custom game mode, not attractive to most players. With the Server Browser, you will now be able to either create or find your preferred rulesets and enjoy your time that way. Want to practice headshots versus other players? There's an option for that. Want to play with virtually no cooldowns, or with lower/higher HP? Can be done!
Finally, the Capture the Rooster gamemode has been permanently added to the Arcade. For the complete patch notes, please visit the official Overwatch page here.
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