Blizzard's latest update for Overwatch didn't just include a brand new map in the form of Oasis, they've also set in motion a number of other changes to the heroes in the game via the PTR. Unfortunately, this included nerfs to more than just one character.
Over on the official Overwatch website Blizzard rolled out the lengthy changelog for the PTR update that's live right now, detailing which heroes got boosts and which ones got nerfed. Fan-favorite D.Va got a small health bump from 200 to 400, but her armor took a hit from 400 to 200, balancing her out just a bit when it comes to hit points. However, her weapons took a drop from 3 to 2, and her bullets per shot has been increased from 8 to 11.
According to the developers, they felt as if D.Va had no weaknesses in Overwatch. They felt that she should be more consistent compared to the other heroes and so weakening the Fusion Cannons was one way of doing that.
They also modified Roadhog, one of Overwatch's resident baddies. His chain hook skill was modified, where hooked targets are now released if they leave Roadhog's line-of-sight before getting pulled close to him. They also modified the hook's positioning against targets based on Roadhog's position, not the hook's position. The developers explain that this was designed to nerf Roadhog's ability to basically pull a Scorpion "Get over here" from around corners and blind spots. You now actually have to be in the direct line of sight of an opponent to make proper use of the chain hook and you can't hook people through objects or around corners.
Blizzard has been consistent in modifying the ups and downs of each of the characters in Overwatch in each patch, constantly tweaking and attempting to find a balance for all of the heroes so that everyone feels equal.
During the early goings of the game during the beta, even though a bunch of young kids loved playing as Genji and Reaper, the real threats were Torbjorn and Bastion. The duo could use their turrets to just lay waste to the entire field without much of a problem. For a long while there were memes about the "Play of the Game" only going to Bastion and Torbjorn due to their turrets.
Due to the design of the game it was pretty easy to manipulate certain skills from certain heroes to gain an advantage during a bout. Over time, however, Blizzard began nerfing and zapping skills and abilities for certain heroes in Overwatch in order to bring a more balanced sense of playability to each match-up.
The majority of the other changes for the current Public Test Realm patch of Overwatch focuses on a lot of general fixes and bug squashes, ranging from changing how the controls operate to fixing some of the AI issues with some of the characters.
They also made a number of fixes to various maps where various characters could reach unintended places, including Sombra and Widowmaker being able to glitch through a couple of different maps. Expect the full patch to roll out for the general public after they continue to tweak and make alterations to Overwatch in the Public Test Realm.
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