'Overwatch' PTR Patch Notes Buff Mercy, Widowmaker And D.Va While Nerfing Pharah Knockback

Overwatch got a brand new PTR update for the weekend that buffs Mercy, Widowmaker and D.Va in some pretty interesting ways. Pharah, on the other hand, is the victim of a controversial splash damage nerf. The official Blizzard patch notes list all the details.

Let’s talk about buffs first. With regards to D.Va’s Call Mech ability, its charge cost has been decreased by 20 percent to reflect its status before ultimate costs were increased on test servers some time ago. That means the attack will charge 20 percent faster. For Widowmaker, those placing a Widomaker’s Kiss mine will no longer get damaged. Her scope also charges 20 percent faster. Last but not least, the oft-criticized Mercy now starts regenerating health after avoiding damage for one second. It used to be three seconds.

Nerfs are always controversial, and this one to Pharah is no exception. In the latest PTR update, her rockets offer very little to no knockback when hitting opponents. This means less of a stun factor and far less opportunity to either keep hitting or escape in those precious few seconds. It was balanced by a 13 percent explosion damage increase, but the Overwatch community still isn’t too thrilled with the adjustment. To those maining Pharah, it’s been classified as a net negative.

It’s important to reiterate, however, that these changes are only reflected in the Overwatch public test realm and have not yet migrated to the mainstream servers. The PTR launched at the end of June, and it allows fearless fans of the game to preview possible balance changes before they officially go live. As a result, if the adjustments aren’t appreciated, they may never be formally enacted.

Overwatch is available now on PS4, Xbox One and PC.

What do you think of the latest PTR patch notes? Has your favorite Overwatch hero been been made better or worse? Tell us in the comments section!