A recent patch to the Public Test Realm (PTR) Overwatch servers made some changes to characters including Tracer, Sigma, D.Va, and Doomfist. After some players on Reddit did some digging, its clear that Doomfist's nerf is more severe than previously thought, and is the biggest nerf of the patch.
Doomfist has been one of the top heroes of season 18 so far, and one of the most consistent damage dealers in the game right now. Clearly, Blizzard felt he was maybe a little too efficient at dealing damage.
In the patch notes for the September 24 PTR update, it listed the nerf to Doomfist's Rocket Punch attack as "time to reach max charge increased from 1 to 1.4 seconds." On paper, it's difficult to determine what a huge difference these.4 seconds could make. Comparing it side by side to the current live server, it's pretty clear how much of a difference this makes.
In the Reddit video, it's clear to see how much more time this is to wind up the attack. The amount of additional time it takes for the Rocket Punch to charge is equal to executing the attack and doing a melee attack on top of that. This significantly decreases the damage potential of the Rocket Punch and makes it easier to avoid.
Other videos from the same creator show the significance of the buffs given to Tracer and D.Va. Neither are as big of a deal as the Doomfist nerf, but they both demonstrate how the smallest of changes can make a surprising difference in terms of ability recharge and time-to-kill.
PC Overwatch players can try out the new patch on the PTR now, but those on other consoles will have to wait to see how much these affect the live game. While there’s never been a set schedule for when balance patches move over from PTR to the live server, they typically spend about three weeks on the PTR before being pushed live.
Once implemented into the full game, these changes could be huge in shifting the season 18 meta. This season of play already shifted dramatically from previous seasons with the addition of the role queue system. More significant nerfs and buffs are sure to be added as Blizzard adapts the game to be as balanced as possible.
Overwatch is out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, with a Switch version coming on October 15.
Source: Reddit