The latest PTR patch for Overwatch is bringing some pretty big changes to the tanking game. The latest patch notes outline some tweaks to armor and shields that appears to be making some waves for the defense-minded player.
Armor overall now brings a damage reduction of five instead of three, so bear that in mind when you consider that Orisa’s base armor has raised from 200 to 250 or existing things like Brigitte’s Repair Pack armor buff or D.Va’s existing armor. While armor has been buffed, shields have been nerfed; barrier and shield skills for Orisa, Reinhardt, and Sigma have seen some pretty significant health nerfs. Additionally, movement speed penalties for Orisa’s Fusion Driver have been reduced from 30% to 20%, and Reinhardt’s Barrier Field have been reduced from 50% to a whopping 25%.
The update also makes some other changes like more ammo for Genji, less healing effectiveness for Moira, and reduced cooldowns for D.Va’s Defense Matrix, Widowmaker’s Grappling Hook, and Torbjorn’s Overload among other updates.
The changes overall appear to be getting some generally positive responses. The celebrated end of double-shield and addition of better armor appears to be the general consensus on Reddit, while the forums appear to be mixed with some upset that burst DPS and dives are back on the menu.
In other Overwatch news, YouTube inventor Colin Furze has literally made Junkrat’s RIP-Tire a reality using very safe-sounding things like chainsaws, spikes, remote control devices, and a 2-stroke motorcycle engine. The RIP-Tire’s creation and initial testing can be seen in the video embed below, but make sure to keep eyes on that channel for the next videos which promise significant ramp-ups in destructive power.
