New Overwatch patch has arrived

Posted on May 24, 2017

A new patch has been implemented alongside Overwatch’s Anniversary event, bringing some interesting changes to a number of heroes. And these changes could end up having a big impact on how certain heroes are played in the meta game.

First up, both Shimada brothers are getting a buff which seems minor at first, but vital for skilled players

Genji

  • Removed the attack delay from Genji’s wall climbing ability, allowing him to engage with enemies immediately after he finishes climbing

Hanzo

  • Removed the attack cooldown from Hanzo’s wall climbing ability, allowing him to engage with enemies immediately after he finishes climbing

Storm Bow

  • Increased charge speed of Hanzo’s Storm Bow by 10 percent
  • Charged arrows now maintain their charge after climbing a wall, provided the button is continuously held

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Reaper

Wraith Form

  • Ammo is now entirely refilled when Wraith Form is used

Orisa

Fusion Driver

  • Damage reduced by 9 percent

Protective Barrier

  • Cooldown reduced from 12 seconds to 8 seconds

Reinhardt

Earthshatter

  • Effective height has been lowered from 3 meters to 2 meters
  • The height threshold of objects that Earthshatter can “climb” has been lowered from 3 meters to 2 meters, making Earthshatter less likely to climb tall objects as it moves along the ground.

This is more of a fix than a nerf, but Earthshatter had the tendency to hit enemies that were above its hitbox.

Soldier: 76

Heavy Pulse Rifle

  • Bullet damage decreased from 20 to 19

Blizzard said that Soldier’s damage output was making him a must-pick, so they’re bringing it down a tad. The subtraction seems minor but it could have a bigger effect on the meta than most expect.

For the full patch notes click here, or to find out more about the Anniversary event click here.

These updates are now live, so grab your controller and enjoy the new event (and the last few days of competitive season 4).