New Map, Hero Reworks: Overwatch PTR Update Live

Published: June 1, 2017 9:18 PM /

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reaper-screenshot-004

A new update for Overwatch's Public Test Region (PTR) is now live on PC, and with it comes major changes for three heroes as well as a brand new Assault map based off of the Horizon Lunar Colony, which was teased by Blizzard just a few days ago.

The Map

The Horizon Lunar Colony map is an Assault map, meaning there are two capture points that need to be captured by the attacking team, and then visa versa, just like maps like Temple of Anubis or Volskaya Industries. As it concerns to Overwatch's lore, the lunar base is where Winston grew up alongside other primates whom were experimented on to give them human-like intelligence. The subjects eventually revolted against the scientists who ran the lunar colony, all the humans were killed, and Winston escaped to Earth.

Overwatch Moon

The map itself is quite interesting, as it is the first to introduce zero-gravity to Overwatch. There is only one zero-gravity portion of the map between capture points A and B, however, so don't get carried away thinking you'll be able to fly across the map with just one jet propulsion as Pharah.

Besides that, however, the map is similar to other Assault maps, except maybe with a few more high-ground options for attackers. Also, the capture points themselves seem to be a bit more open, unlike in a map like Volskaya Industries where attackers have a lot more places to duck into cover once they've landed on the point.

For more on the new map, check out the most recent developer update from Blizzard below:

Hero Changes

Reaper is the hero whose changes seem to be the most dramatic. His passive ability, The Reaping, is being completely reworked. Instead of picking up health orbs from recently killed enemies, he will now regains 20% of all damage done to heroes as health. According to the Overwatch wiki, Reaper's shotguns can do a max of 140 body shot damage. That means that he can heal 28 hit points in just one shot, and even more if he lands headshots. This will also make him especially difficult to kill while he is using his Death Blossom ultimate.

Roadhog is also receiving a massive reworking this PTR update. His bullet damage is being decreased by 33%, while his fire rate is being increased by 30%. While this will technically keep his DPS pretty much the same, it will make it much more difficult for Roadhog to one-shot many heroes with a hook-shotgun combo. His clip size is also being increased from four to five, while his head hitbox size is being reduced by 20%.

McCree is the last hero being changed in this update, and it's more of a quality of life change than it is a complete rework. For his Deadeye, targets now begin locking on after 0.2 seconds, instead of 0.8 seconds. He will also deal 80 damage after being locked on for one second, instead of dealing only 20 damage after one second like before. The damage buildup rate after the first second will remain the same.

Developer Comment: McCree’s ultimate can deal a lot of damage if it has a lot of time to build up, but it was often too difficult to get even a small amount of damage out before being stopped or killed. These changes make it more flexible and powerful.

Misc. Patch Notes

Don't feel like playing Heroes of the Storm to get the exclusive Genji and D.Va skins? Oni Genji and Officer D.Va are being added to the classic loot boxes, meaning you can get them the same way you would any of the other basic Overwatch skins.

Blizzard is also adding some new options for custom games. While there is only one zero-gravity section in the new Horizon Lunar Colony map, you will be able to create custom games with customized player and projectile gravity. You will also be able to manipulate jump height and projectile knock-back magnitude in custom games, too.

There are also plenty of bug fixes and some small user interface changes coming in the PTR update. You can read the full patch notes here, as well as find out how you can participate in the PTR on PC.

What do you think of the new map? How about the changes coming to Reaper, Roadhog, and McCree? Let us know in the comment section below!

Have a tip, or want to point out something we missed? Leave a Comment or e-mail us at tips@techraptor.net


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Learn more about Overwatch
Game Page Overwatch
Platforms
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Release Date
May 24, 2016 (Calendar)
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