The latest update to the Overwatch PTR adds new capabilities to the Workshop feature.
The workshop is a new scripting tool that gives players a huge amount of power to create their own game modes, and even prototype their own heroes in Overwatch.
Players are already making the most of the new feature, showing off their creativity with a variety of amazing modes, from reproducing modes from other games – like FPS classic Gun Game, or a DotA-inspired MOBA mode – to creating their own modes like an Avengers-inspired Infinity Stones battle.
It’s even possible to completely change the game fundamentals to create modes that bear no resemblance to typical Overwatch play – such as a reproduction of the arcade game Space Invaders.
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With such a major new feature, it’s no surprise to see Blizzard making adjustments following some testing on the PTR. The latest update expands the possibilities by adding new Actions and Values, and also increases the script size limit significantly. Blizzard says they’re also looking to increase the entity count going forward.
Currently, the Workshop feature is only available for PC players to try out, as it’s currently still on the Public Test Realm (PTR). Once the PTR patch is pushed to the live servers, however, it will be available for players on all platforms.
The Workshop was added to the PTR on April 24, but so far Blizzard hasn’t announced when it should be expected to appear on the live servers. It seems likely, however, that it could be longer than most new patches, and with Blizzard still adding to it there may still be a significant wait.
Patch notes for the May 3 update:
Workshop
- Added Actions:
- Go To Assemble Heroes
- Start Damage Modification
- Stop Damage Modification
- Stop All Damage Modifications
- Added Values:
- Eye Position
- Ray Cast Hit Position
- Ray Cast Hit Normal
- Ray Cast Hit Player
- Event Damage
- Event Was Critical Hit
- Last Damage Modification ID
- Added “Remove From Array By Index” to “Modify Global Variable” and “Modify Player Variable”
- Increased overall script size limit by 4x
- Stability improvements