There are currently some pretty sizable changes being tested in Overwatch’s PTR that offer straight buffs to four of the game’s heroes in addition to a selection of bugfixes that should have no problem making it through to the next patch.
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Some of these buffs have been requested by players in the patch, especially those for Orisa. Not too long ago, players began posting on the official Blizzard forums to ask if Orisa could receive some sort of buff, namely to her damage. Other tank mains will be happy to hear that Roadhog is receiving some love to help him out after recent nerfs hit the big guy pretty hard.
Orisa and Roadhog are just of the heroes who are in line for buffs this time around, but they’re definitely not the only ones.
Junkrat
Junkrat is the first hero that has some changes being tested on the PTR, and if they go through as they are now, you can expect more explosions to come at you even quicker than before from the crazed Defender.ย
- Concussion Mine
- Junkrat can now hold two mines
- RIP-Tire
- Tire’s movement speed has been increased by 30%
- There is no longer a time limit when wall climbing
Allowing Junkratย to store two Concussion Mines is the biggest change of his two buffs, one that the developers hope will give him more versatility when it comes to using his abilities. The damage of his RIP-Tire is claimed to be fine as is, but increasing its speed is theย Overwatchย team’s way of allowing Junkratย to detonate his ultimate ability quicker and get back into the fray.
Orisa
Orisa has been the subject of some discussion recently, especially after the release ofย Overwatch’sย newest hero, Doomfist. While the punch-happy Offense hero seems to be doing well, Orisaย has still struggled to find her spot inย Overwatch, but these buffs will likely help her do so.
- Fusion Driver
- Projectile speed increased by 20%
- Protective Barrier
- Barrier size increase by 20%
- Barrier shape has been changed to allow for more coverage from enemies that are below the barrier
With changes made to both Orisa’sย individual damage output and her ability to protect teammates, these buffs hit two important areas of allย Overwatchย tanks. According to the devs, the new shape should help her out more when defending certain objectives such as when she’s escorting the payloads.
Roadhog
Roadhogย got blasted with some nerfsย not too long ago that were aimed at giving enemies a big more survivability if they were unlucky enough to be on the receiving end of Roadhog’sย hooks. The nerfsย did that and much more by forcing many Roadhogย mains away from the tank until he was put in a better spot, something that these buffs might help with.
- Take a Breather
- Can now be used while moving
- Damage taken while healing has been reduced by 50%
While he’s not getting any of his damage back, Roadhogย will be taking quite a bit less abuse when he’s using his self-healing ability. The move restores a massive amount of health to the tank, but it leaves him extremely vulnerable to enemy attacks. The goal for these changes is to allow Roadhogย to be more aggressive with his hooks while being able to take a beating in the process.
Widowmaker
The only sniper from the roster of heroes to be considered for buffs this time arounds, Widowmaker’sย changes target both her ability to locate enemies as well as her strengths when it comes to escaping them.
- Grappling Hook
- Cooldown has been reduced from 12 seconds to 8
- Venom Mine
- Affected targets are now visible through walls (to you as Widowmaker only)
Like a smaller version of her ultimate ability, Widowmaker’sย Venom Mine will now be able to spot enemies who trigger the trap, even if they’re behind walls. Should they be too close, the cooldownย on her Grappling Hook will also help guarantee a quick exit. The PTRย notes claim that Widowmakerย can be pretty strong in the right hands, but overall, her abilities seemed weak.
