Overwatch is a truly dynamic game, which means there’s always something new going on behind the scenes or in the community. Each week, we’ll have a round-up of the latest game news. That might be balance notes, character rumors, esports announcements, or just unmissably funny gifs. Here’s what Overwatch fans need to know for the week of July 3.
1. BlizzCon ticket wave on sale July 5
BlizzCon is the ultimate event for fans of any game from the Blizzard team. But like scoring that Overwatch team kill, obtaining tickets demands a mix of quick reflexes and luck. Blizzard is releasing a third wave of tickets on July 5 at 7:00 pm PDT. This news post has some tips on how to maximize your odds of zipping through the purchase process. Good luck!
2. Reactions to Roadhog changes
The hero changes made in the latest patch have caused more than the usual amount of grief and joy among the player base. Roadhog’s damage and weapon have been significantly changed to all-but eliminate his once-standard gameplay: hook a squishy, then score one-hit kill. The reduced damage output for each shot from his Scrap Gun means the enemy would have to be already injured for that approach to work.
It’s been a divisive change. Unsurprisingly, Roadhog mains see the change as a huge nerf to their preferred hero. Both Reddit and the official forums have been flooded with disgruntled posts. But there has also been some more constructive conversation. For instance, one thoughtful poster named Fuzzy_Socrates posited that an automatic in-game voice line for the character announcing that he’d hooked an enemy would be a huge help. Having such an audio cue, similar to the callouts for when an ultimate ability is fired off, would alert teammates to focus their fire near Roadhog to finish off the person he’d hooked.
This is the sort of idea that both sparks lots of communication within the scene and often catches the eye of Blizzard's team. We're not expecting to see any further adjustments to gameplay with the 'hog, since players are still acclimating to his new kit. But we will be keeping a close watch for smaller tweaks in the vein of this voice line suggestion.
3. Bringing the pain with le pain
We find lots of fun and hilarity on the Overwatch Reddit, but this takes the cake. Or takes the bread, to be more precise. Innovative Twitch streamer Rudeism engineered a baguette that he used as a controller for Widowmaker. Those headshots are deadly and delicious. (Source)
4. Important loot box clarification
Last month’s announcement of upcoming changes to the loot box was welcome news for any and all players. However, it got some enterprising individuals thinking that they could hoard loot boxes away and open them once the new patch does go live. Sadly for those folks, Blizzard has debunked the strategy. Community manager Lylirra informed the forum that the contents of loot boxes are generated at the time you secure them, not when you open them. It’s a good reminder for how you approach the special events too.
Check back every Monday on GamesRadar+ for more Overwatch mayhem and magic.
