Aprilscherz in Overwatch: Ein ganz besonderes Testlabor

Viele Entwickler von Computerspielen neigen am 01. April dazu sonderbare Patchnotes zu angeblich geplanten Content Updates für ihr jeweiliges Projekt zu veröffentlichen. Aus diesem Grund ist es auch nicht wirklich überraschend, dass im Verlauf des heutigen Abends neue Patchnotes für ein weiteres Experiment in dem Testlabor auf der offiziellen Communityseite von Overwatch aufgetaucht sind. Während die Entwickler von WoW in diesem Jahr mit ihrem Fake-Patchnotes wieder einmal einen sehr lächerlichen Weg voll mit unglaubhaften Plänen eingeschlagen haben, so sind die Patchnotes zu Overwatch aber etwas sehr bodenständig und nur teilweise ein wenig verrückt. Das Ganze könnte von vielen Spielern als richtige Patchnotes für einen tatsächlichen Patch eingestuft werden.

Die Bodenständigkeit dieser Patchnotes zu dem Testlabor von Overwatch lässt sich in diesem Fall ganz einfach dadurch erklären, dass das in dieser Übersicht beschriebene Update tatsächlich existiert und sich auf den Liveservern befindet. Daran interessierte Spieler können in dem Testlabor von Overwatch derzeit einen Blick auf diese sonderbare Spielversion werfen und viele extreme Anpassungen an den Helden von Overwatch testen. Damit das Ganze überhaupt spielbar ist, sind die Entwickler wie gesagt aber nicht zu weit in alberne Ideen vorgedrungen. Zusätzlich dazu werden diese Spielbalanceänderungen aller Voraussicht nach nicht in dieser Form für die eigentlichen Partien von Overwatch übernommen werden. Dafür sind einige Änderungen wie beispielsweise die Einstufung von Mei als Tank, das dauerhafte Rollen von Wrecking Ball oder das Fliegen von Reaper ein wenig zu extrem und unfair.

Die Patchnotes für das Testlabor:

Experimental Hero Updates

Welcome to April! We’ve decided to fool around with a few hero changes for this experimental card.

Ana

• Dev Comment: We’ve received feedback that Ana players don’t often see the immediate impact of their ult since it’s usually used on Genji and Winston who immediately jump out of range. With this change, Ana can also enjoy the fruits of her labor with powered up darts and damage reduction.
• Nano Boost
  • Boosting an ally will now also boost Ana

Ashe

• Dev Comment: Point blank Coach Gun to the face now matches expectations more closely.
• Coach Gun
  • Projectile damage increased from 6 to 9
  • Can now deal critical damage
  • Spread reduced by 50%
  • No longer knocks back enemies

Baptiste

• Dev Comment: Slightly-Less-Mortality Field just doesn’t have the same ring to it, but we can experiment. Maybe the device should be immortal so we can get by on a technicality.
• Biotic Launcher (Secondary Fire)
  • Direct grenade hits heal for 33% more health
• Immortality Field
  • Now reduces damage by incoming by 50% instead of setting a minimum health value
  • Cooldown reduced from 25 to 15 seconds

Bastion

• Dev Comment: Bastion still turns into a tank but is no longer tank-sized. We’ve also tightened up a few screws on his gun arm and the weapon spread just went away! Less beep-boop by volume, more pew-pew.
• General
  • Character scale reduced by 15%
• Configuration: Recon
  • Weapon spread removed

Brigitte

• Dev Comment: We’ve heard players get very excited about all things crowd control, so now with this sweet combo you can potentially up the stun time or I guess use it for mobility (ugh, boring).
• Whipshot
  • Hitting an enemy now resets the cooldown of Shield Bash

D.Va

• Dev Comment: The enemy team will often disrespectfully ignore pilot D.Va. It will now be more difficult to survive a mech being dropped on top of you.
• Call Mech
  • Now deals 600 damage to enemies on impact
  • Ultimate charge cost reduced by 30%

Doomfist

• Dev Comment: And they say he could level a skyscraper. It’s really put a lot of creative restrictions on our skyscraper-themed hero ideas. This change should also address the issue of some Doomfist players occasionally touching the ground.
• Rocket Punch
  • Can now travel upward

Echo

• Dev Comment: Echo players are actually some of the most helpful people around. They’re always saying things like, „here let me show you how it’s done“. This change should enable players to be more helpful to each other in-game.
• Duplicate
  • Duration increased from 15 to 30 seconds

Genji

• Dev Comment: Unconfirmed rumor: Genji’s cybernetics are actually fueled by the blood of his fallen foes.
• Deflect
  • Cooldown is now reset after eliminating a target

Hanzo

• Dev Comment: Just scatter them around wherever you like and then claim that you totally lined that one up if it eliminates someone.
• Storm Arrows
  • Storm Arrows now ricochet off the environment

Junkrat

• Dev Comment: Players weren’t spending enough time admiring the beautiful floor textures so we’re enabling Junkrat to place a few more hazards about. Discovery is a very powerful and exciting motivator so now there will potentially be even more surprises lurking beneath the ground.
• Steel Trap
  • Can now have up to 3 traps active at the same time
  • Cooldown reduced from 10 to 7 seconds

Lúcio

• Dev Comment: Tinnitus is not a joke. Don’t let it happen to you.
• Amp It Up
  • Now also increases the strength of Soundwave’s knockback

McCree

• Dev Comment: Bullets work strangely in the future. As do tumbleweeds.
• Peacekeeper (Primary Fire)
  • Headshots now refund 1 ammo
• Deadeye
  • No longer limited to 1 tumbleweed

Mei

• Dev Comment: An Ice Wall is literally a physical barrier. But Mei can also do a lot of damage. Can’t you see this endless conflict is tearing us apart?
  General
  • Reassigned to the Tank role
  • Character scale increased 15%
  • Health increased from 250 to 400

Mercy

• Dev Comment: Now would be a poor time to underestimate the surprising amount of damage Mercy’s Caduceus Blaster can do. There is no escape. I am sorry.
• Guardian Angel
  • Can now target enemies

Moira

• Dev Comment: There’s certainly a desire to get in close and deal some damage when playing Moira so we’ll lean into that but also pull in the opposite direction by incentivizing actually healing allies. steepled-fingers-maniacal-scheming intensifies
• Biotic Grasp (Secondary Fire)
  • Range decreased from 20 to 15 meters
  • Damage increased from 50 to 75 damage per second
• Biotic Orb
  • Cooldown reduced by 1 second for every 100 health restored to an ally with Biotic Grasp (Primary Fire)

Orisa

• Dev Comment: Orisa is still learning to take full advantage of her quadruped locomotion. We expect this gameplay change will help deepen players‘ connection to the hero while roleplaying as a nascent, centaur-like omnic entrusted with becoming the protector of Numbani.
• General
  • Forward run speed increased by 40%

Pharah

• Dev Comment: We’re nerfing Barrage so that it will now on average result in one less player death.
• Concussive Blast
  • Cooldown reduced from 9 to 6 seconds
• Barrage
  • Can now move while casting

Reaper

• Dev Comment: Recent studies have concluded that incorporeal specters, such as wraiths, are more intimidating whilst airborne.
• Shadow Step
  • Cast time reduced from 1.5 to 1 seconds
• Wraith Form
  • Now grants flight for its duration

Reinhardt

• Dev Comment: The user manual for Crusader armor states that precision German engineering does not require changing steering fluid as a part of regularly scheduled maintenance; please do so at your own discretion.
• Charge
  • Now has 200% more power steering

Roadhog

• Dev Comment: Alternatively, the new cooldown for Chain Hook is 4 seconds, but missing with the hook demoralizes Roadhog enough that he can’t muster the enthusiasm to try again so soon, doubling the cooldown time.
• Chain Hook
  • Cooldown reduced by 50% after hitting an enemy

Sigma

• Dev Comment: The Experimental Barrier was heavier than expected. Putting it aside has enabled Sigma to no longer be anchored so near to the ground.
• General
  • No longer bound by gravity
• Experimental Barrier
  • Disabled
• Kinetic Grasp
  • Cooldown reduced from 12 to 8 seconds

Soldier: 76

• Dev Comment: So, it turns out that aiming for the head is the superior tactical choice.
• Sprint
  • Now generates 6 ammo-per-second while active
• Tactical Visor
  • Now aims for headshots

Sombra

• Dev Comment: REDACTED
• General
  • Stealth changes

Symmetra

• Dev Comment: Symmetra’s Photon Projector now projects photons further.
• Photon Projector (Primary Fire)
  • Beam range increased from 12 to 16 meters

Torbjörn

• Dev Comment: While Torbjörn does have a Rivet gun, his true mastery is revealed with hammer in hand. He’s much better at fixing turrets with it than people though.
• Forge Hammer
  • Damage increased by 200% while Overload is active
  • Killing blows increase the Overload duration by 2 seconds

Tracer

• Dev Comment: It doesn’t matter if you didn’t have any Blink charges 3 seconds ago, they all come back! The logic of time travel is not to be questioned.
• Recall
  • Now restores all Blink charges

Widowmaker

• Dev Comment: Lower health means we can give her more damage, right?
• Widow’s Kiss (Primary Fire)
  • Damage increased from 13 to 15
  • Spread reduced 30%
• Widow’s Kiss (Secondary Fire)
  • Charged shots now pierce enemies

Winston

• Dev Comment: Winston’s Primal Rage offensive power wasn’t quite living up to our lofty expectations of a genetically modified space-ape, so we’re giving it a small nudge. Winston also has a soft spot for his inventions, so If you thought breaking his glasses made him upset…
• Barrier Projector
  • Enemy damage now grants Winston ultimate charge
• Primal Rage
  • Melee damage increased from 40 to 90
  • Melee knockback increased by 40%

Wrecking Ball

• Dev Comment: Both Wrecking Ball’s mobility and survivability were often being called into question. Were these tuning values right for the game? I suppose we could buff them if we have to.
• General
  • All ability cooldowns reduced by 3 seconds
• Roll
  • Is now always active
  • Damage increased from 50 to 60
• Grappling Claw
  • Cooldown increased from 5 to 7 seconds
• Adaptive Shield
  • No longer prevents enemies from generating ultimate charge

Zarya

• Dev Comment: Zarya is no longer burdened by evenly distributing her barriers between herself and her teammates. She is now empowered to selfishly hoard both of them for the greater good or selflessly give them all away.
• General
  • Particle Barrier and Projected Barrier are now on a shared cooldown with 2 charges

Zenyatta

• Dev Comment: There may actually be no limit to Zenyatta’s power, but he demonstrates great discipline in his moderation. He enters and leaves the meta at will.
• General
  • Can now levitate for up to 3 seconds by holding Jump

(via)