Nerfs for D.Va and Hitscan Heroes in Overwatch’s Experimental Patch Notes
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Overwatch patch : In the world of Overwatch, it’s been an… intriguing week, with a skin challenge kicking off and cross-play finally arriving.
But Blizzard had more tricks in its sleeve than that. A new Experimental patch has been released that focuses on hitscan heroes.
Hitscan heroes Ashe, Baptiste, Bastion, McCree, Soldier: 76, Widowmaker, and Wrecking Ball will suffer more damage falloff.
At the maximum falloff range, their damage scales down to 30%, down from 50%. In other words, outside of their specified ideal range, those heroes will be less effective.
That’s great news for Pharah gamers who prefer to launch rockets from afar.
However, the Experimental patch increased the range of Widowmaker’s damage falloff from 60 to 85 metres to 70 to 100 metres.
That means Widowmaker can fire full-power shots from a distance of 69 metres.
If you’re curious in the damage falloff ranges of the other hitscan heroes, they’re as follows:
Ashe: Hip firing at 20-40 metres, 30-50 metres when aiming down sights.
- 25-45 metres, Baptiste
Bastion: 25-45 metres in Recon (also known as run and gun) mode, and 30-50 metres in Sentry or Turret mode.
- 20-40 metres, McCree
- 30 to 50 metres (Soldier: 76)
- 15 to 25 metres with a wrecking ball
Meanwhile, the Experimental patch for Soldier: 76 includes a Tactical Visor buff.
While the Ultimate ability is active, the damage falloff of the Heavy Pulse Rifle will not apply.
In Configuration: Recon, Bastion received a bump as well, with a weapon spread decrease from 1.5 to 1.2 for better aiming.
There’s a nerf for D.Va elsewhere, but it’ll probably hurt Echo more than D.Va. The Call Mech ability now has a lower area of damage impact, down from 3 metres to 2.5 metres, and gives a lot more pain than it did to when it hits an enemy.
More intriguingly, between the time she initiates the Self Destruct ability and the time the mech detonates, D.Va will no longer generate ult charge.
The reason for this is that when Duplicate is active, Echo’s rapid Ultimate charge allowed her to get back inside her mech before the previous one detonated.
When Echo copies D.Va, the update should mean she won’t be able to utilise Self Destruct as frequently.
There’s no assurance that these changes will make it into the final build.
They’ll be available for at least a few days in the Experimental card before Blizzard chooses whether or not to make them permanent.
Here are the full patch notes for Overwatch Experimental, with developer comments:
General
For the following heroes, hitscan damage now scales to 30% at maximum falloff range, down from 50% previously:
- Ashe
- Baptiste
- Bastion
- McCree
- Soldier Number: 76
- Widowmaker
Ball of Wreckage
Developer comments: This update may be subtle at first because it scales damage over a wider range than before, but it will reduce the severity of hitscan damage outside of its designated ideal ranges.
Bastion
Configuration: Reconfiguration
The distribution of weapons has been lowered from 1.5 to 1.2.
Developer’s remarks: Bastion’s Configuration: Recon weapon is being improved to enable him improve his run-and-gun gameplay while moving between areas where he wants to set up shop with Configuration: Sentry.
D.Va
Mech should be contacted.
The damage area has been lowered from 3 metres to 2.5 metres.
While using Self Destruct, she no longer generates ultimate charge until her mech has detonated.
Developer comments: When copying D.Va, Echo’s Duplicate ability no longer builds ultimate charge in the period between activating Self Destruct and when it detonates.
Echo’s rapid ultimate charge allowed her to use Call Mech before the Self Destruct explosion went off, making it extremely impossible for adversaries to hide.
Soldier Number: 76
Rifle with a Heavy Pulse
While Tactical Visor is activated, damage falloff is disabled.
Developer comments: This expands the utility of Tactical Visor beyond the aim aid, which loses some value as player aim improves.
Widowmaker
The Kiss of a Widow
The damage falloff range has been expanded from 60-85 metres to 70-100 metres.
Developer’s remarks: Widowmaker’s ideal range has been adjusted to be somewhat further out to account for some map spots where counter-sniping was popular but just just outside of the effective range due to damage falloff.
The sniping damage falloff in Widowmaker is mostly in place to limit the lethality of mid-air grappling shots at the long ranges feasible on some levels.
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