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Latest Overwatch PTR Update Adds New Map, Replaces Hanzo's Scatter Arrow
Blizzard has been teasing big Hanzo changes were coming as far back as February, and after lots of testing, the team is finally testing some changes with the public (in the PC Public Test Realm, anyway).
The biggest change is the removal of his Scatter Arrow ability, which fired one arrow that split into several on impact. This made him a terror around corners and often lead to some strange deaths. The new ability, Storm Arrows, has him firing six arrows with reduced damage in rapid succession. He also gains a horizontal leap he can perform mid-air. "The goal of these Hanzo changes is to allow him to have new options and maintain his high damage output, while removing the frustration of fighting against the old Scatter Arrow," the developer said in its notes.
The update also brings with it a new Escort map: Venice's Rialto area in Italy. "Rialto was home to Talon agent Antonio Bartalotti’s sprawling estate and the backdrop to the infamous 'Venice Incident,' a turning point for Overwatch and Talon," Blizzard says of the map.
Several other characters get some attention, too, but most of it is negative: Brigitte's Shield Bash, Genji's Deflect, Junkrat's RIP-Tire, Tracer's Pulse Bomb, get nerfs, while Lúcio's wall-riding gets some tweaks to make it easier to perform but slightly less effective.
There are also several bug fixes and improvements to Custom Games. To pour over specific numerical changes, make sure to the read the full notes.
[Source: Blizzard]
Our Take
Storm Arrows sound less frustrating to deal with than Scatter Arrow, and should give Hanzo an effective weapon against tanks, which is nice. With a little more mobility and focused damage, hopefully Hanzo becomes more useful to teams and have people hate him less.
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