PTR Patch 1.15 Notes: Mercy rework, D.Va changes, and more (August 25th 2017) – Overwatch
Every hero tweak being tested right now.
On this page you’ll find all of the August 25th patch notes for the Overwatch PTR
A brand new set of patch notes have been released for the latest PTR update, including a major rework to Mercy, offensive tweaks to D.Va and more.
The real highlight of patch 1.15 is the significant adjustment to Mercy’s kit making her very different to play. D.Va’s Defense Matrix has been nerfed, but she’s now gained the ability to fire Micro-Missiles and shoot while flying at the same time. Meanwhile, Reinhardt can now rotate the camera while his Barrier Field is up…interesting.
Hero changes
Mercy
Resurrect (formerly Mercy’s Ultimate ability)
- Ability now targets a single player, instead of every player within a radius
- Radius reduced to 5 meters
- Ability cooldown is 30 seconds
- Mercy is no longer granted invulnerability while Resurrect is active
Valkyrie (New Ultimate Ability)
Valkyrie unleashes the full power of Mercy’s Valkyrie Suit, enhancing her weapons and abilities for 20 seconds:
- Caduceus Staff: Mercy’s healing and damage boost beams now affect all allies near the targeted teammate, and the staff’s effective range has been extended
- Caduceus Blaster: Granted infinite ammo, while simultaneously increasing damage and fire rate
- Guardian Angel: Increased range and movement speed
- Resurrect: Cooldown is instantly reset when Valkyrie is activated and reduced to 10s after the initial cast
- Hover: Mercy gains the ability to fly freely, at increased movement speed
- Regeneration (Passive): No longer interrupted when Mercy takes damage
Developer Comments: While resurrecting downed allies is a core part of Mercy’s gameplay, the way her Ultimate functioned was causing a number of problems. It was frustrating to play against, and it incentivized Mercy players to hide away from important battles, instead of taking part in them. This version turns Resurrect into a single target ability. It’s still an important part of Mercy’s kit, but plays much better for both Mercy players and her enemies. Valkyrie, her new Ultimate, gives her the opportunity to make big game-making plays and opens a number of new options for her.
- 1. Tier List – Overwatch Tier List
- 2. Season 6 – Season 6 guide
- 3. Doomfist – Doomfist guide
- 4. World Cup – Overwatch World Cup guide
- 5. Summer Games – Overwatch Summer Games guide
D.Va
Micro Missiles (New Ability)
- D.Va fires a barrage of small rockets that detonate on impact, dealing damage in a limited radius around each explosion. These can be fired while D.Va is using any other ability or firing her Fusion Cannons
Defense Matrix
- Defense Matrix’s resource meter will now deplete twice as quickly Boosters
- Fusion Cannons can now be fired while flying
Developer Comments: D.Va’s Defense Matrix uptime has proven to be too strong, but simply reducing it without making other changes would make her too weak (and far less interesting to play). Instead, we’re adding a new ability, and giving her the ability to fire while flying. These changes give D.Va a lot of new options while maintaining Defense Matrix’s ability to shut down big enemy attacks.
Reinhardt
Barrier Field
- Holding primary fire while your shield is active now allows you to rotate the camera
Developer Comments: This change gives Reinhardt more situational awareness while using his shield, allowing him to keep an eye on the battlefield while still protecting his team.
Video Summary
The Video below by YourOverwatch does a great job of summarising and showcasing these hero changes.
We’ll update the site with our impressions of the PTR as soon as we get some more hands on time with all the changes. Stay tuned for more!
If you’re after the complete list of PTR changes, including bug fixes and map tweaks, you’ll find them over on Blizzard’s official PTR page.
