Overwatch Update Takes Aim At Dataminers, Includes Buffs For 2 Underappreciated Heroes

Blizzard just can’t seem to keep a secret anymore due to Overwatch dataminers – recently folks [...]

By Nathan Birch

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(Photo: Activision Blizzard)

Blizzard just can't seem to keep a secret anymore due to Overwatch dataminers – recently folks rummaging around in Overwatch's files have spoiled the Uprising event, the return of Summer Games and Lucio Ball and other surprises. Well, it seems Blizzard has finally had enough.

The latest Overwatch public test region patch is unusually large (around 5GB), and the game's lead software engineer Bill Warnecke explained that's because it makes fundamental changes to the game's file formatting. Warnecke hasn't explained why those changes are being made, but most suspect it's to make Overwatch less easy to datamine. So, expect your spoilers a week after a new update hits, instead of the next day!

Overwatch update 1.14 also delivers buffs for underappreciated heroes Junkrat and Roadhog. Ugly heroes deserve love, too. In fact, they need the most love. We don't have specific patch notes for the Junkrat and Roadhog buffs yet, but Overwatch designer Geoff Goodman has provided a general outline – here's what to expect for Roadhog:

"Currently we have been play testing Roadhog with -50% damage taken while using Take a Breather, and also allowing him to move at full speed while inhaling. These two changes combined certainly make him significantly more difficult to kill, while also allowing Roadhog players to be much more aggressive when trying to find a hook target, knowing they can survive a lot more easily."

Meanwhile, here's the word on Junkrat's improvements:

"Currently on our internal builds Junkrat has 2 charges of his Concussion Mine. This allows you to do all kinds of cool stuff like launch yourself into a fight and still have a charge to escape with, or launch yourself up into a Pharah and still have a charge to try and kill her with. We're also looking at making his ult a bit better. We're experimenting with a movement speed increase or a health increase on the tire. We wouldn't do both things but in either case it should be more reliable to use in more situations."

Overwatch update 1.14 is rolling out to the PTR now, and will available to the general public over the next couple weeks. You can check out WWG's latest Overwatch coverage here.

[via Dot Esports]

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