A new Overwatch patch is currently in development and now available for testing on the Public Test Region. For information on how to participate and what changes are included in the upcoming patch, read on below.

Mission details:

If you encounter any game-related bugs while playing the PTR, please post in the PTR Bug Report forum.

To participate in the public test, you must have an Overwatch game license for Windows PC attached your Battle.net account in good standing (i.e. it hasn't been suspended or banned).

Step 1: Restart the Battle.net desktop app.

Step 2: Navigate to the Overwatch tab on the left-hand menu.

Step 3: Select "PTR: Overwatch" from the REGION/ACCOUNT drop-down menu.

Step 4: Click "Install" to begin the installation process.

Step 5: Once the PTR client is installed and updated, click "Play" to begin!

Note: In order to access the PTR, you must have installed Overwatch and logged into the game at least once. If the PTR is not available for you after following the steps above, trying logging into Overwatch, exiting the game client, and then launching the PTR again.

Q. On which platforms is the PTR available?

A. The PTR is available on Windows PC only.

Q. What regions are eligible to participate in the PTR?

A. Accounts from all regions (excluding China) are eligible to participate; however, the PTR will be hosted on our Americas region. As a result, if you plan to play the PTR from a region outside the US, please anticipate lowered performance and increased latency.

Q. Is there a cap to how many players can participate on the PTR?

A. The PTR can currently support 10k concurrent players (or players logged into the PTR at the same time). If we happen to reach this cap, any new players attempting to log in to the PTR will be placed into a queue.

Q. What languages will be supported on the PTR?

A. The PTR is available in all supported languages, though some content may not be fully localized yet.

Q. Will any account progress from the live game transfer over to the PTR with me, or do I need to start from scratch?

A. A copy of your account from the live game will be transferred over to the PTR automatically, and all progress will transfer over with it (level, unlocks, stats, etc). Please note that this copy is pre-made, though, and based on an earlier snapshot of your account. As a result, depending on when you last played, your PTR account may not be as up-to-date as your live game account.

Q. Will any progress I make on the PTR transfer over to the live game?

A. No. Any progression earned during the PTR—including levels, achievements, stats, skill ratings, loot boxes (including rewards from loot boxes), currency (including Competive Points), and cosmetic items unlocked with currency—will not transfer over to the live game.

Q. Will I be able to purchase Loot Boxes on the PTR?

A. No. All real-money purchases are disabled on the PTR.

Q. Where can I share feedback about the upcoming patch content?

A. This iteration of the PTR is intended to make sure the upcoming patch is working correctly before it's released, so we'll be primarily focused on uncovering major bugs and technical issues. Though you are still welcome to share your feedback through our normal channels, it's unlikely that we'll be able to incorporate changes based on PTR feedback in this patch cycle.

Please note that the below patch notes only include changes currently available for testing on the PTR. While many of these changes will also be available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in a future patch, the PTR is PC-only and therefore will only reflect changes coming specifically to that platform.

PATCH HIGHLIGHTS

New Game Modes: Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch

Two new game modes have been added to the Arcade: Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch!

In Deathmatch, eight players go head-to-head until one player scores 20 points. Players will earn 1 point whenever they land the final blow on an opponent and will lose 1 point whenever they die to environmental damage (ex: falling off a cliff) or self-inflicted damage. This scoring will be tracked in a brand-new scoreboard. The first player to 20 points wins!

In Team Deathmatch, two teams of four players face off until one team scores 30 points. Players will earn 1 point for their team whenever they land the final blow on an opponent and will lose 1 point for their team whenever they die to environmental damage (ex: falling off a cliff) or self-inflicted damage. If players are resurrected before they respawn, the corresponding point for their death will be deducted from the enemy team’s score. This scoring will be tracked in our default scoreboard. The first team to 30 points wins!

Both modes will play out on a selection of maps from our existing pool:

Hanamura

Horizon Lunar Colony

Temple of Anubis

Volskaya Industries

Dorado

Eichenwalde

Hollywood

King’s Row

(TDM only) Black Forest

(TDM only) Castillo

(TDM only) Ecopoint: Antarctica

(TDM only) Necropolis

We’ve made several modifications to many of these maps (including restricting play to a specific area and developing a special respawn system) when playing in these modes. We’re also introducing a brand-new map specifically for Deathmatch: Château Guillard! Learn more about this map below.

Both modes will be available for play in Custom Games.

Watch our developer update for additional insight: https://youtu.be/4_CBzklel1c

New Deathmatch Map: Château Guillard

Château Guillard is located near Annecy in southeastern France. For hundreds of years, it was the estate of the influential Guillard family, until it gradually fell into disrepair after the family's power waned in the decades after the Revolution. Recently, the château has found a new owner: the Talon agent Widowmaker, who has returned to her family's ancestral home.

GENERAL

A number of data format changes have been implemented

: Over the past few months, we’ve been working on a number of significant under-the-hood changes that will help us streamline the patching process. This will allow us to reduce the download size in future patches, but it does mean that today’s patch is larger than a traditional patch.

HERO UPDATES

Junkrat

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



: Giving the Junkrat the ability to store two concussion mines adds some much-needed flexibility and versatility to his kit, particularly when using the mines for mobility. RIP-Tire’s damage has always been very good, but it was often difficult to steer the tire into position before it was destroyed. Increasing its speed will allow players to effectively detonate the tire more often and decrease the amount of time that Junkrat is vulnerable while controlling it.

Orisa

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



: The projectile speed increase helps Orisa’s consistency, especially at medium ranges (or further). Her barrier size has been increased to better protect her team, and the new shape makes the shield more effective when it’s used on slopes or on top of objects (such as a payload).

Roadhog

Take a Breather Can now be used while moving Damage taken while healing has been reduced by 50%



: These changes help Roadhog be much more aggressive when looking for hook targets or blocking for his team. The combination of these effects significantly increases Roadhog’s sustainability and survivability.

Widowmaker

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)



: Widowmaker is extremely powerful in the right hands, but her abilities often felt a little weak. The Grappling Hook cooldown reduction means she is more likely to have it available when she needs to escape. Venom Mine is intended to be an early warning system, uncovering enemies that are attempting to flank her or her team. With this change, she can see enemies when they trigger the mine, even if they’re on the other side of a wall.

USER INTERFACE

Added an “Outline Opacity” option under the custom reticle settings (found under Controls > Options > Advanced), which allows players to control the opacity of the black outline surrounding the reticule

BUG FIXES

General

Fixed a bug that occasionally required the Capture Point progress bar to progress past the second tick mark before being activated

Heroes

Fixed a bug that could cause D.Va's black ejection screen to briefly reappear after being ejected from her mech

Fixed a bug causing D.Va’s Light Gun to use the wrong texture while outside of her mech when the Junker skin was equipped

Fixed a bug that caused D.Va’s hair to stand straight up on the Hero Select screen when her Cruiser was equipped

Fixed a bug causing the lights on the back of Doomfist’s gauntlet to incorrectly indicate full ammo when his Hello emote was activated

Fixed a bug that prevented the area-of-effect circle for Doomfist’s Meteor Strike from being visible to all players

Fixed a bug preventing the height from Doomfist’s Meteor Strike from being high enough to reach certain locations

Fixed a bug that was preventing Doomfist’s Rocket Punch from connecting with enemy players that were moving up an incline

Fixed a bug that caused Hanzo’s arrow to disappear when his Meditate emote was active

Fixed a bug preventing Orisa’s “Overclocked” achievement from being granted, even after the criteria was met

Fixed a bug causing Sombra’s teeth to be visible while her Stealth ability was active when her Los Muertos skin was equipped

Fixed a bug causing Sombra’s reload animation to play even when interrupted

Maps

Fixed a bug that allowed players to reach unintended locations on Ecopoint: Antarctica

Fixed a bug that allowed players to see past the map’s background on Black Forest

Fixed a bug that allowed players to reach unintended locations on Black Forest

Fixed a bug that caused the announcer to say “Traveling to Dorado” when joining Castillo

Fixed a bug that prevented some equipment (vents, pipes, etc.) from properly connecting to the walls of the power plant on Dorado

Fixed a bug that allowed players to reach unintended locations on Hanamura

Fixed an issue that caused sprays to display incorrectly on the crane on the Horizon Lunar Colony

Fixed a bug that could cause A.I. heroes to get themselves stuck while traveling to the Well Capture Point on Ilios

Fixed a bug that allowed players to reach unintended locations on Ilios

Fixed a bug that allowed players to reach unintended locations on Oasis

Fixed a bug that prevented Pharah’s Jump Jet from recharging while perched on doorframes in Oasis

Fixed a bug that prevented doorframes from being visible and lacking collision on the Practice Range

User Interface