OVERWATCH | New Patch Discussion
GamingNews July 29, 2016 Jason Dayrit 0
Blizzard released yet another patch for their FPS game Overwatch, and it comes hot on the heels of the big 1.10 update. Patch 1.10 saw huge buffs for D.Va, the introduction of Ana into the game, and a boost to Zenyatta and McCree. This time around, the devs at Overwatch were quick to notice the meta that evolved with Ana’s inclusion, as well as a tweak to McCree’s damage mechanics.
Before we delve further into the analysis, here are the changes to Ana:
Ana seems to be adjusting well to the Overwatch family of heroes, being a popular pick in competitive play. Being the new mom on the block does help her be popular, but we believe that it’s her kit that makes her a viable support pick, especially for Widow players looking to expand their pool.
READ: Ana Amari is the newest Overwatch hero
With the patch, Ana now has 10 bullets in her clip and shoots faster. This makes her a solid healer for your team, coupled with an offensive healer, like Zenyatta. Stats-wise, Ana averages 3,300 healing based on Overbuff numbers, which is pretty decent for an off-healer. The extended clip also means a smoother play experience with Ana, since you will most likely kill an enemy before reloading now. We predicted increased heal numbers with Ana in the coming days after this patch.
The increased rate of fire means she can keep a Soldier or Reinhardt up and on the point from relative safety, even while under heavy fire. Focused damage is still a challenge for Ana, even in experienced players’ hands. This feels right because there’s always that possibility that a Nano-charged Reaper charges in with Death Blossom, so being able to focus key opposing heroes down keeps the game fair.
McCree on the other hand, got a nerf and a buff at the same time:
Overwatch’s cowboy has been the recipient of many changes throughout the game’s relatively short life. McCree is primarily a short to mid-range flanker. His kit makes him lethal to 200-health heroes up close, and while he woefully lacks mobility, he can still flank and melt tanks.
With the patch that came before the current one, McCree saw his range extend beyond Soldier’s. He can get random headshots from really far away, without sacrificing his close-range dueling ability. In the right hands, this extended range can be very effective, and easily outshines Soldier’s damage output. A damage and range reduction in Peacemaker’s right click brings him back to his short-to-mid-range style of play, while still keeping him on a higher power level than his old versions.
The Fan the Hammer buff they gave him basically says that he can start unloading 15% faster. Before, McCree had half a second before he will start unloading his Peacemaker at someone, usually affected by Flashbang. Now, he can do it a bit faster, which means more time to roll+reload and Fan the Hammer again, which is usually reserved for armored/shielded targets or tanks.
In professional games, McCree always gets picked over Soldier, and time will tell if the pros will make a shift to Soldier for long-range engagements. Where Soldier shines in sustained DPS, the new changes in McCree favor a more explosive playstyle that rewards the patient flanker. And this time around, a Tracer will have to think twice when flanking, because McCree’s Flash+Fan combo is faster than Tracer’s Rewind.
Jason Dayrit
Jason is a gadget junkie, a gear head, and an aspiring Internet Supervillain. He is also the EIC of twenty8two.com.
No comments so far.
Be first to leave comment below.