Overwatch PTR 1.15 – Junkertown Preview
The latest Overwatch PTR 1.15 (39427) patch has introduced the new escort map announced at GamesCom 2017. Junkertown is available for testing today August 29 (evening).
Junkertown has three areas: the external town outside the Junkertown where the payload starts, the outdoor town within the walls of Junkertown, and the payload destination in the scrapyard arena (indoor).
Attackers start at Roadhog’s house where you find his bed, the machinery used to build his healing gas cans, and his iconic motorcycle. In addition, there is a chalkboard detailing the full plan shown in the Junkertown: The Plan cinematic.
Defense starts in the treasure vault behind the Queen’s throne within the Scrapyard Arena. There is a mobile platform that can be used as a bridge to reach a ledge or two balconies in the second floor. Plenty of tunnels and stairs to flank.
One of the posters show how the Queen of Junkertown looks like. There are a few easter eggs as well such as a poster showing a battle between a gnome and a goblin in mechanical suits.
Overwatch PTR 1.15 Junkertown Patch Notes
Junkertown is located in the harsh and unforgiving Australian Outback. Constructed from the remains of a destroyed omnium, it's now the home to a band of lawless scavengers known as the Junkers, led by their cutthroat Queen. When they aren't pillaging the omnium's skeleton for anything of value, the Junkers blow off steam in the Scrapyard-- a massive gladiatorial arena whose combatants fight for glory, riches... and to survive.
Arcade and Custom Games
- Players will no longer see the Assemble Your Team screen at the beginning of a game when Respawn as a Random Hero is enabled.
- Players who purposefully kill themselves in a game where Respawn as a Random Hero is enabled, will no longer respawn as a new hero. However, their Ultimate ability will reset and any equipment that's been placed (i.e. Torbjorn's turret) will despawn.
- In games where Respawn as a Random Hero is enabled, players will no longer receive the same hero two consecutive times, unless Custom Game settings have restricted the hero pool to a single hero.
User Interface Updates
- The skull icons that indicate where teammates were killed throughout the map have been replaced with Hero Portrait icons.
- Third person camera view will now frame the action automatically when spectating or waiting to respawn.
D.VA
- Micro Missile: 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. (8/29 Update: Damage has been reduced by 25%.)
- 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.
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 sec.
- 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. (8/29 Update: No longer gains an increased fire rate or damage boost.)
- 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. (8/29 update: Flight speed decreased to 9. Formerly 11)
- 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.
Added an "Outline Opacity" option under the custom reticle settings (found under Controls/Options/Advanced), which allows players to control the opacity of the black outline surrounding the reticule.
GENERAL
- Fixed an issue that prevented players from automatically joining Match Chat, even when the option was enabled.
- Fixed a bug that prevented players from receiving the Perfect Round indicator after an Elimination game if they received a temporary health boost from an ability (e.g. Lucio's Sound Barrier).
HEROES
- Fixed a bug that occasionally caused the heroes "sigh" voice line to play when respawning.
- Fixed a bug that interrupted the animation on Ana's eye during the Beach Ball emote with her Captain Amari skin equipped.
- Fixed a bug that prevented Doomfist from being knocked back when his Rocket Punch ability was being used.
- Fixed a bug that allowed Doomfist's Rocket Punch to hit players through the taxi on King's Row.
- Fixed a bug that caused a pair of pink fuzzy dice to mysteriously float onto the screen when viewing D.va's weapon in the Hero Gallery if her Cruiser skin was equipped.
- Fixed an issue that caused the golden tint of Junkrat's weapon to appear dull when his Firework skin was equipped.
- Fixed a bug that caused Mei's Ultimate to appear friendly (it failed to change from blue to red) after being reflected by Genji.
- Using D.va's melee attack no longer cancels Micro Missile barrage.
- D.va's Micro Missiles are now interrupted by stuns, knockbacks, and other crowd-control effects.
- Mercy's Resurrect is no longer blocked by Steel Trap or Graviton Surge.
- Mercy is no longer able to use Valkyrie to escape Graviton Surge and Steel Traps.
MAPS
- Fixed a bug that prevented reflections from appearing on weapons while standing in certain areas on Ilios.
- Fixed a lighting issue that caused some items on the last point of Route 66 to take on a pinkish hue when players used low video settings.
- Fixed an issue that caused reflections to appear overly dark while players were standing in areas of The Cave Inn on Route 66.
- Fixed an issue that caused excessive camera zoom and flashing lights when players loaded into the tutorial map.
- Fixed a bug that prevented plated railings from being properly destroyed by weapons fire on Volskaya Industries.
