The latest Overwatch PTR update came out on November 14 and includes major changes to Bastion and Brigitte, among others.
Players who have been clamoring for some kind of nerf to Brigitte appear to finally be getting their wish, as in the latest update she will no longer be able to stun heroes like Reinhardt or Orisa through their shields.
Bastion gets some upgrades in the form of an increased clip in Recon mode and decreased weapon spread in Sentry mode.
There are also substantial changes to the distance Doomfist can cover with his Seismic Slam and a reduction to the damage dealt by Torbjörn’s recently introduced ultimate ability.
The full patch notes:
Overwatch PTR Patch Notes – November 14, 2018
A new Overwatch patch is currently in development and now available for testing. To share your feedback or report and issue, please post in the PTR Feedback or PTR Bug Report forums.
Please note that the below patch notes only include changes currently available for testing on the PTR. While many of these changes will also be available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in a future patch, the PTR is PC-only and therefore will only reflect changes coming specifically to that platform.
GENERAL UPDATES
Audio
- [PC] An option to use Windows Spatial Audio is now available. This feature can be found in the Windows Start Menu under Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Sound > Speaker Device > Spatial Sound
Developer Comments: Since launch, we’ve supported Dolby Atmos for players who use headphones, and we’re now expanding this support to include the Windows 10 implementation for spatial audio. Spatial audio is configured in the Windows 10 sound settings and will take priority over the settings in the game client. This will allow for more options, including settings for Windows Sonic Headphones, Dolby Atmos for Headphones, and Dolby Atmos for Home Theater.
HERO UPDATES
Bastion
- Configuration: Recon
- Ammo increased from 25 to 35
- Configuration: Sentry
- Weapon spread decreased by up to 33% while firing
Developer Comments: Bastion could use a little bit of an offensive boost to balance out how vulnerable Configuration: Recon’s bulky size and Sentry’s stationary nature make it. To address this, we increased the ammo he receives in Recon mode and gave Bastion a lower spread in Sentry mode to make it more effective at farther ranges than it was previously.
Brigitte
- Shield Bash
- No longer can travel or stun targets through barriers
Developer Comments: Brigitte’s Shield Bash is a strong ability that often feels difficult to counter. This change will offer new options for counter play, enabling shield tanks to better protect themselves and their teammates.
Doomfist
- Rising Uppercut
- Loss of air control duration lowered to 0.6 seconds from 3 seconds
- Seismic Slam
- Maximum range reduced from 20 meters to 15 meters
Developer Comments: Doomfist’s high mobility allows him to engage and disengage from extremely long ranges. Decreasing the range of his targeted aerial version of Seismic Slam requires him to get closer before engaging an enemy and makes it slightly harder for him to escape from combat. The loss of air control on Rising Uppercut was a frustrating mechanic for players, but it allowed Doomfist to set up combos. We’ve found a decent middle ground by limiting the time Doomfist has to line up his next move.
McCree
- Peacekeeper
- Alternate fire damage increased from 45 to 55
Developer Comments: McCree’s Fan the Hammer wasn’t as reliable of an option against higher health heroes as it should be. Increasing its damage will make it more potent in close-range engagements where it is intended to be most effective.
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Torbjörn
- Molten Core
- Damage increased from 130 to 160 per second
Developer Comments: While the Molten Core damage pools were intended to provide players with tools for area denial, they weren’t proving threatening enough to deter enemies for a significant amount of time because their damage was too low.
BUG FIXES
Heroes
General
- Fixed a bug that prevented a landing exertion visual effect from playing when a hero impacted a slippery surface before landing
- Fixed issues that could cause the client to miscalculate projectiles
- Fixed an issue caused enemy players to appear to have jittery movement at framerates over 100
Ashe
- Fixed a bug that caused Ashe’s Dynamite to create a second small explosion visual effect a few moments after the first explosion
Bastion
- Fixed a bug that caused Bastion’s Tank mode treads to continue moving while stunned during Configuration: Tank
- Fixed a bug that caused Bastion’s colored outline to include squares floating above him while in Configuration: Tank
D.Va
- Fixed a bug with the Lying Around Highlight Intro that caused Cruiser D.Va’s hair to clip into the mech
McCree
- Fixed a bug that caused McCree’s Deadeye’s animation and sound effects to play twice if it was canceled quickly
Reinhardt
- Fixed a bug that prevented Reinhardt’s Earthshatter from traveling over certain terrain
Sombra
- Fixed a bug that caused Sombra to hear the detect sound effect when entering stealth or teleporting
Symmetra
- Fixed a bug that caused additional sound effects to play while viewing Symmetra’s Creation victory pose in the Hero Gallery
- Fixed a bug with Symmetra’s teleporter where it would play its self-destruct sound effects when viewed in the Hero Gallery
Widowmaker
- Fixed a bug that allowed Widowmaker’s Venom Mine to reveal enemy barriers through walls
Maps
Control
- Fixed a bug that caused the Assemble Heroes countdown timer to remain at 29 seconds
UI
Colorblind Options
- Fixed a bug that caused a player’s UI to appear as the enemy color during FFA Deathmatch games
- Fixed a bug that prevented colorblind set team colors from appearing on the tab and victory screens