Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
Overwatch PTR Changes Go Live, Mercy And Junkrat Get Nerfed
Mercy's Resurrect ultimate used to be an incredible factor in the difference between victory and defeat, which led to her reworked ultimate Valkyrie. While being able to revive players at a slower rate, her temporarily increased damage, mobility, and healing have compensated for this weakness. The latest changes to her abilities have been tested on Overwatch's test servers for the past several weeks and have gone live today without any alterations.
As a minor recap, the changes further nullify her resurrect ability by allowing it to take longer to perform in Valkyrie mode. She will no longer receive bonus charges for resurrect and can move not only half of her original Valkyrie speed, but also has five seconds less to utilize it. In addition, Junkrat's newfound ability to throw out two concussion mines has given him a significant buff, so players will now need to be more accurate since their effective range has been reduced.
And even though Blizzard tossed in plentiful goodies with its big cosmetic update, there are some fresh sprays and icons, Torbjorn voice lines, and Tracer emotes themed after Warcraft. However, you'll only be able to access them if you pre-order the upcoming expansion Battle for Azeroth via the collector's edition or digital deluxe edition.
This update also adds 4K for Xbox One X owners who have been waiting on Blizzard to up the resolution.
[Source: Blizzard]
Our Take
"Must-picks" are when Overwatch players know the meta is out of sorts. This has been a long-time issue with Mercy, as I've especially noticed recently since one of my friends (who mains healers) has felt pressured to play her at all times due to her overpowered abilities. Other healers simply aren't as effective in comparison, but this patch holds much promise to bring her down (maybe too much?) so other heroes in her class are more viable. I also can't tell you how scary it's been to be around Junkrat as of late, so the little adjustment to his concussion mines is much appreciated. It will certainly be interesting to see how this will impact the meta.
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
