Overwatch PTR Update Nerfs Doomfist, Buffs Zarya Ultimate

Published: July 13, 2017 3:35 PM /

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Overwatch Doomfist Meteor Strike Landing Highlight Intro

Overwatch has had an update to its PTR server, bringing some changes to Doomfist and other characters according to a post on the game's official forums.

Doomfist has been mildly nerfed. His Rocket Punch ability has had the total distance traveled reduced by approximately 20%. A new UI indicator has been added for Seismic Slam that functions properly with custom crosshairs, and the ability itself has been tweaked to prevent players from using it to jump higher than their current position.

Aside from the balancing done to the game's newest hero, one undocumented change is the addition of a Punch Kid-esque spray as shown by this tweet from Blizzard Entertainment Concept Artist Anh Dang:

https://twitter.com/anhdangerous/status/885354897045987329

Lastly for Doomfist, on the off chance, you've missed the news you can now have a look at all of his cosmetics such as his highlight intros and skins.

Four other characters have received buffs. McCree's Flashbang will now slow enemies once they're stunned, making it more difficult for them to escape by moving out of the way after breaking out of the stun lock. Reaper's Shadow Step has had the voiceover and sound effects for his Shadow Step (the teleport ability) "dramatically reduced" which ought to help increase his overall sneakiness.

Tanks have gotten a bit of love as well in this latest update to the PTR version of Overwatch. Reinhardt's hammer swing speed has been increased by about 10%, and the hammer has been tweaked in various ways to make it feel more responsive. Additionally, Reinhardt's Charge ability will no longer cause damage when coming into contact with a charging Doomfist or enemy Reinhardt; instead, both players will simply be stunned with no damage taken. Finally, Zarya's Ultimate ability Graviton Surge completely disables any movement abilities (such as Genji's Swift Strike); this prevents players from escaping from the ultimate in a mechanically similar fashion to Junkrat's trap.

Note all of these changes only affect the PTR version of Overwatch and may or may not reach the main servers.

What do you think of the latest changes made to the PTR version of Overwatch? Which heroes do you feel badly need a buff or a nerf? How are you liking Doomfist so far? Let us know in the comments below!

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One of my earliest memories is playing Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo Entertainment System. I've had a controller in my hand since I was 4 and I… More about Robert N

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Platforms
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Release Date
May 24, 2016 (Calendar)
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