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Overwatch PTR Now Available - September 22, 2016

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Overwatch PTR Now Available - September 22, 2016

A new Overwatch patch is currently in development and now available for testing on the Public Test Region. For information on how to participate and what changes are included in the upcoming patch, read on below.

Mission details:

 

If you encounter any game-related bugs while playing the PTR, please post in the PTR Bug Report forum.


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To participate in the public test, you must have an Overwatch game license for Windows PC attached your Battle.net account in good standing (i.e. it hasn't been suspended or banned). 

Step 1: Restart the Battle.net desktop app.
Step 2: Navigate to the Overwatch tab on the left-hand menu.
Step 3: Select "PTR: Overwatch" from the REGION/ACCOUNT drop-down menu.
Step 4: Click "Install" to begin the installation process.
Step 5: Once the PTR client is installed and updated, click "Play" to begin!

Note: In order to access the PTR, you must have installed Overwatch and logged into the game at least once. If the PTR is not available for you after following the steps above, trying logging into Overwatch, exiting the game client, and then launching the PTR again.

 

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Q. On which platforms is the PTR available?
A. The PTR is available on Windows PC only. 

 

Q. What regions are eligible to participate in the PTR?
A. Accounts from all regions (excluding China) are eligible to participate; however, the PTR will be hosted on our Americas region. As a result, if you plan to play the PTR from a region outside the US, please anticipate lowered performance and increased latency. 

 

Q. Is there a cap to how many players can participate on the PTR?
A. The PTR can currently support 10k concurrent players (or players logged into the PTR at the same time). If we happen to reach this cap, any new players attempting to log in to the PTR will be placed into a queue.

 

Q. What languages will be supported on the PTR?
A. The PTR is available in all supported languages, though some content may not be fully localized yet.

 

Q. Will any account progress from the live game transfer over to the PTR with me, or do I need to start from scratch?
A. A copy of your account from the live game will be transferred over to the PTR automatically, and all progress will transfer over with it (level, unlocks, stats, etc). Please note that this copy is pre-made, though, and based on an earlier snapshot of your account.  As a result, depending on when you last played, your PTR account may not be as up-to-date as your live game account.

 

Q. Will any progress I make on the PTR transfer over to the live game? 
A. No. Any progression earned during the PTR—including levels, achievements, stats, skill ratings, loot boxes (including rewards from loot boxes), currency (including Competive Points), and cosmetic items unlocked with currency—will not transfer over to the live game.

 

Q. Will I be able to purchase Loot Boxes on the PTR?
A. No. All real-money purchases are disabled on the PTR. 

 

Q. Where can I share feedback about the upcoming patch content?
A. This iteration of the PTR is intended to make sure the upcoming patch is working correctly before it's released, so we'll be primarily focused on uncovering major bugs and technical issues. Though you are still welcome to share your feedback through our normal channels, it's unlikely that we'll be able to incorporate changes based on PTR feedback in this patch cycle.

 

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Please note that the below patch notes only include changes currrently 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

General

  • Static cameras are now supported in spectator mode
  • Team names can now be edited in custom games
  • Raised the volume of Hanzo's Dragonstrike voice line while wearing the Okami/Lone Wolf Skin
  • Heroes hit by Ana's Nano Boost have a new voice line that informs other players
  • Increased frequency of Reinhardt's "barrier failing" voice line
  • Custom Games can now be paused
     

HERO BALANCE UPDATES

Ana

  • Nano Boost
    • Ultimate cost has been increased by 20%
  • Biotic Grenade
    • Radius has been increased from 3 to 4 meters

Developer Comments: So far, we haven't seen any indication that Ana is too strong overall, but her ultimate charges a little too fast, especially considering the impact it can have on a match. Also, her Biotic Grenades are getting a small boost to help her hit multiple targets.

Widowmaker

  • Widow's Kiss
    • Scoping-in animation time has been reduced from 0.5 to 0.3 seconds

Developer Comments: This change will help Widowmaker acquire new targets more quickly and speed up her reaction time in fast-paced situations.

Junkrat

  • RIP-Tire
    • Ability now activates more quickly

Developer Comments: Junkrat can be an extremely effective hero in the right hands, but RIP-Tire often felt underpowered when compared to his counterparts.

USER INTERFACE UPDATES

General

  • Several minor aesthetic changes have been made to the game’s Main, Social, and Options menus
  • Removed several stats that were duplicated for certain heroes throughout the career profile
  • Controller users can now choose between two aiming modes
    • Dual-Zone mode (New default): The vast majority of the thumbstick's range moves with reduced sensitivity and relatively high acceleration. However, when the thumbstick crosses to the outer 10% of its range, it will move with high sensitivity and relatively low acceleration. This mode will allow for more precise aiming, while still allowing players to turn around quickly.
    • Exponential Ramp mode (Old default): As the thumbstick moves toward the outside of its range, the sensitivity is ramped up exponentially. The acceleration remains relatively high throughout.
  • Camera movement in Spectator Mode has been improved

Social Features

  • Certain commendations will now appear less frequently during end-of-round voting, and others will appear more frequently (e.g. Most Gold Medals and Torbjörn's Armor Packs Created)

BUG FIXES

General

  • Enemy players that are knocked down no longer lose their red outline
  • Fixed a bug that prevented modified key bindings from saving after relaunching the game
  • Fixed a bug that kept players from binding Take Screenshot to other keys

Heroes

  • Fixed a bug causing Bastion’s bullet shells to eject backwards while in Configuration: Sentry mode
  • Fixed an issue preventing Hanzo’s Sonic Arrow from appearing when selected
  • Fixed a bug preventing Junkrat’s statistics from correctly tracking RIP-Tire kills
  • Fixed an issue preventing Mercy’s staff from appearing in some highlight intros while wearing the Valkyrie/Sigrún skin
  • Fixed a bug causing Tracer highlight intros to render at a lower resolution when accessed from the Highlights menu
  • Fixed a bug that allowed Widowmaker to use her Grappling Hook on basketballs
  • Symmetra's “Car Wash” achievement now correctly lists the number of beams required (6 instead of 7)
  • Fixed a time calculation issue that was causing Zenyatta's “Rapid Discord” achievement to be more difficult than intended
  • Fixed a bug that prevented Junkrat’s “Roadkill” achievement from being awarded after obtaining 4 kills with RIP-Tire

Maps

  • Fixed a bug that allowed the payload to heal players even when they were negatively affected by Ana’s Biotic Grenade
  • Fixed a bug preventing the health bars on the Practice Range bots from displaying the effects of Ana’s Biotic Grenade
  • Fixed a bug preventing sprays from being applied correctly to some surfaces on Eichenwalde
  • Fixed a bug allowing some heroes to be seen in the sky when viewing certain highlight intros on Volskaya Industries

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