The Next Overwatch Patch Will Bring Changes to Roadhog and Winston

[ffronw]

The Next Overwatch Patch Will Bring Changes to Roadhog and Winston

//cdn.themis-media.com/media/global/images/library/deriv/1381/1381576.jpgBlizzard has rolled out a new patch to the Overwatch Public Test Realm, and it brings changes to Roadhog and Winston.

Blizzard is constantly tweaking the heroes in Overwatch, in an attempt to keep them balanced and in line with each other. Before those changes go into the live game, they get tested out on the Public Test Realm (PTR). Once the company sees how the changes play, they usually end up in the live version of the game. Today, there's a brand new patch to test on the PTR, and it's bringing a bit of a nerf to Roadhog, and a bit of a buff to Winston. The changes were announced in a forum post [https://us.battle.net/forums/en/overwatch/topic/20753097493] from Overwatch principal designer Geoff Goodman.

For Roadhog, it's a bit of a further nerf to his Chain Hook. Targets will now be pulled to a spot 3.5 meters away from Roadhog, instead of 2 meters as it has been. The cooldown of Chain Hook has also been increased from six to eight. The changes come a little over a month after the hook got some previous nerfs [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/169176-Overwatch-PTR-Update-to-Feature-Roadhog-Ners]. Roadhog's Scrap Gun is also getting altered, with its spread being decreased by 20 percent. Of course, there's no mention of the damage per projectile going down, so it might be more deadly to those caught in its blast.

For Winston, it's actually a bit of a buff, as his incoming critical hit volume has been dropped by 15 percent. Goodman said of this change, "Winston's head hit volume was just abnormally big, making him take more damage than he otherwise should. This change brings it more in line with other heroes."

These changes are now live on the PTR, so you can go check them out to see how they play.

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[Erttheking]

Man, people really freaking hate Roadhog's hook, don't they?

 

[SirSullymore]

Man, people really freaking hate Roadhog's hook, don't they?

It never bothered me, I mean yeah if he gets you with it 9 times out of 10 he kills you, but it's my fault when that happens you know?

I'm not saying that Roadhogs never get lucky with their hooks but I feel like I was just out played more often than not.

That being said, I agree the cool down was a little too forgiving at six seconds, so I think that's a good change.

 

[hentropy]

Man, people really freaking hate Roadhog's hook, don't they?

More like, people hate the world of tanks meta and nerfing D.Va didn't kill it all the way.

This will likely nerf Hog into a certain oblivion, which I don't like, it basically makes his utility in finishing off heroes who aren't at full health, rather than making his hook-shot kill every squishy on the map. It forces you to land hooks very strategically, not and he's probably not going to be better than a replacement DPS now.

Winston's buff is a pretty small one, I doubt it effecting meta much, but a small buff is better than none.

 

[Rednog]

Man, people really freaking hate Roadhog's hook, don't they?

More like, people hate the world of tanks meta and nerfing D.Va didn't kill it all the way.

This will likely nerf Hog into a certain oblivion, which I don't like, it basically makes his utility in finishing off heroes who aren't at full health, rather than making his hook-shot kill every squishy on the map. It forces you to land hooks very strategically, not and he's probably not going to be better than a replacement DPS now.

Winston's buff is a pretty small one, I doubt it effecting meta much, but a small buff is better than none.

We're basically going back into Season 2 meta.
Assuming now that targets are dropped further out Road won't get that secure kill and with his hook being on a longer cooldown he's going to sit with D.Va in the bin. And it's going to be the same S2 picks of Rein/Zarya/Ana/Lucio/ 2 dps (most likely Soldier and McCree).

 

[DeliveryGodNoah_v1legacy]

I think it would have been fine leaving his hook with a higher cooldown, but who knows how much an effect this increased distance between him and the target will be if his spread is getting decreased anyway.

I never understood the issue with Roadhog other than some bullshit grabs once and awhile. He's piss easy to kill if you're even half decent.

 

[hentropy]

Man, people really freaking hate Roadhog's hook, don't they?

More like, people hate the world of tanks meta and nerfing D.Va didn't kill it all the way.

This will likely nerf Hog into a certain oblivion, which I don't like, it basically makes his utility in finishing off heroes who aren't at full health, rather than making his hook-shot kill every squishy on the map. It forces you to land hooks very strategically, not and he's probably not going to be better than a replacement DPS now.

Winston's buff is a pretty small one, I doubt it effecting meta much, but a small buff is better than none.

We're basically going back into Season 2 meta.
Assuming now that targets are dropped further out Road won't get that secure kill and with his hook being on a longer cooldown he's going to sit with D.Va in the bin. And it's going to be the same S2 picks of Rein/Zarya/Ana/Lucio/ 2 dps (most likely Soldier and McCree).

From my own cursory evaluation, pros seem to have been begging for the dive meta to come back (or at least become a more viable strategy again), which would explain why they're starting to tinker with Winston again and making D.Va's shield better at closer ranges. It could also explain Bastion's buff, though I doubt he'll ever be truly viable in a dive meta.

Ideally there should be mutltiple ways to approach each map, and being able to choose between a slower deathball and a bunch of diving, and having to adjust defenses more to that could make a more fun game at higher levels at least. It's hard to really know/understand what is going on in mid tiers at any given time, just tends to be chaos. But the tank heavy meta was not fun to watch or play, and I am a D.Va/tank main who benefited from it. I didn't particularly love the Rein/Zarya must-pick combo, but if they buff Winston further it will open things up more than that.

 

[Elijin]

Roadhog hook is seen as problematic because it takes away control from the player. Reinhart charge and Mei ice blaster are similar, but less consistent and instant, so they're not viewed as critically. But ultimately, anytime your controls are taken away from you, its fundamentally unfun.

 

[bjj hero]

Roadhog hook is seen as problematic because it takes away control from the player. Reinhart charge and Mei ice blaster are similar, but less consistent and instant, so they're not viewed as critically. But ultimately, anytime your controls are taken away from you, its fundamentally unfun.

Annas sleep dart and meis freeze are the worst for that and I dont see those being nerfed.

I tank a lot. The Dva nerf was needed, now you have to play dva where as before players could fly around ignoring shots. I still play her well post nerf.

Hog is his hook though. Now that is less good and slower regen I think he will disappear from competative.

 

[The Enquirer]

Man, people really freaking hate Roadhog's hook, don't they?

More like, people hate the world of tanks meta and nerfing D.Va didn't kill it all the way.

This will likely nerf Hog into a certain oblivion, which I don't like, it basically makes his utility in finishing off heroes who aren't at full health, rather than making his hook-shot kill every squishy on the map. It forces you to land hooks very strategically, not and he's probably not going to be better than a replacement DPS now.

Winston's buff is a pretty small one, I doubt it effecting meta much, but a small buff is better than none.

We're basically going back into Season 2 meta.
Assuming now that targets are dropped further out Road won't get that secure kill and with his hook being on a longer cooldown he's going to sit with D.Va in the bin. And it's going to be the same S2 picks of Rein/Zarya/Ana/Lucio/ 2 dps (most likely Soldier and McCree).

Until they give Ana more than a slap on the wrist, we're stuck with the tank meta unfortunately.

 

[Elijin]

Roadhog hook is seen as problematic because it takes away control from the player. Reinhart charge and Mei ice blaster are similar, but less consistent and instant, so they're not viewed as critically. But ultimately, anytime your controls are taken away from you, its fundamentally unfun.

Annas sleep dart and meis freeze are the worst for that and I dont see those being nerfed.

I tank a lot. The Dva nerf was needed, now you have to play dva where as before players could fly around ignoring shots. I still play her well post nerf.

Hog is his hook though. Now that is less good and slower regen I think he will disappear from competative.

Because they're parts of the kit, not the defining part. Ice blast is short range and sleep dart is cc only, damage breaks it. Hook is 'whoops I looked around a corner and now I'm dead'. Its possibly no worse than any others, but its more common, and instant.

 

[ObsidianJones_v1legacy]

I never played him, but Roadhog was always fine to me. He was a bane for Lucios like me, but I mean he was a counter. He was a damaging Tank. He's going to mess some people up. That's the way the character was designed.

I love the game, but I don't get what Blizzard is doing. It's like they are trying to take the competitiveness out of their competitive game. "People found out this was good... so we need to get rid of it"

Annas sleep dart and meis freeze are the worst for that and I dont see those being nerfed.

I tank a lot. The Dva nerf was needed, now you have to play dva where as before players could fly around ignoring shots. I still play her well post nerf.

Hog is his hook though. Now that is less good and slower regen I think he will disappear from competative.

I stopped playing D.Va once they made it that her explosion no longer hurts her. It seems so... Free. It was a damaging move, so yeah there should be some risk to it. Making her nuke easier for her made the character less appealing for me.

...

Ok, I'm going to level with you. I only quoted you because of your Avatar.

"It's 'A Pimp Named Slickback'! Say it with me now!"

 

[sephthewind]

I feel the need to clear some things up here for what this and the previous patch (that keeps being called a nerf) mean for Roadhog. For starters neither of these are intended as nerfs, they're an effort to rebalance how the hook interacts with its victims.

The last patch added a line-of-sight check to make sure victims can't be hooked through solid objects or around corners, this could be considered a nerf but it was really just a much needed fix. Placing victims directly in front of Roadhog was another fix that actually worked as a huge buff because it made sure people wouldn't get hooked to your side, back, or on top of you which stopped you from being able to shoot them afterwards (usually resulting in the Hog getting wrecked because he's such a huge target).

*This is what ADDED the ability for him to quarter-turn people off ledges in this patch, something he can only do because the game now makes sure targets land in front of him. Not the other way around.

Previously small heroes like Ana and suit-dva could almost always get away from Hog after being hooked because their placement was unpredictable and too far for his shot to deal significant damage to them.

This patch is no different, it's an ongoing effort to balance the hook like Blizzard has said they would be doing. I'll have to try it out myself to see how the tighter spread and longer drop distance interact, but I doubt it will be a huge difference. However, on their own both of those things are actually good for Roadhog.

A tighter spread will make him stronger in direct combat because right now his spread is ridiculous to the point you have to be just about touching someone to really take advantage of his damage potential unless your target is a large tank. Further drop distance will simply make it easier for him to drop people off ledges, right now unless you have the experience to get the spacing right every time people can easily just land on the solid ground in front of you instead of falling. The cool down change is also good for balance, the hook is too spammable currently and this will encourage everyone to plan their hooks better and make a missed hook more punishable.

As for Winston, it's no secret he needs buffs. This is a step in the right direction since making him less headshottable will certainly help him with heroes like Hanzo, Widow, Zen, and Tracer who he's supposed to have an advantage over anyway.

I personally think it's his shield that needs to be buffed, it blocks 600 damage (same as Roadhog's HP pool but as a much larger stationary target), dissipates on its own after 5 seconds, and has a 13s cooldown that doesn't start counting until the shield is gone. With a shorter cooldown or one that starts when it's dropped it will have much more utility.

His jump could also be more useful with a 4s cooldown instead of 6s, or alternatively if it had an added function when landing on an opponent other than just 50 damage. I saw someone on reddit recommend adding a small stun to it (similar to flashbang) when landing on an opponent which would give him a way to counter channelled ults.

He's only capable of a flat 60dps with his weapon but considering it locks on (at close range), and can hit multiple targets, any buff to his dps could easily make him out of control. So despite the fact it can be a frustrating uphill battle for him to kill anyone who's being healed this should definitely not be touched.

 

[bjj hero]

Ok, I'm going to level with you. I only quoted you because of your Avatar.

"It's 'A Pimp Named Slickback'! Say it with me now!"

Its been some time since Ive found something that entertaining.

Im not overly worried about the nerf. I just wish they could find a way to get Winston into regular play.

 

[RaikuFA]

"People found out this was good... so we need to get rid of it"

Sounds like how Konami treats the Yugioh card game.

 

[hentropy]

I feel the need to clear some things up here for what this and the previous patch (that keeps being called a nerf) mean for Roadhog. For starters neither of these are intended as nerfs, they're an effort to rebalance how the hook interacts with its victims...

I would agree and disagree in parts- Hook 2.0 wasn't a straight nerf and certainly made it more consistent, which did add some value. However, now that I've tried this new Hog out in the PTR, I can say it's a real nerf. The spread on the gun does feel nice but it's not enough to make it like the previous distance. Everyone from Bastion to Ana is 2-3 shots to take care of now, especially with abilities like Bastion's new self-heal and Ana's nade. I will say the gun is better at fighting tanks, which may have been part of the point of the new spread, the spread doesn't effect small targets as much as longer ones, so it's made him a better anti-tank than he was before. That would make sense if they're trying to break the tank meta in more than one way. Take away Hog's one-shot-kill on all but the squishiest squishies but make him a better DPS against bigger targets overall.

Granted, the PTR is forcing people to use the server browser, so I don't have real quick play yet, but between the changes to the gun and the cooldown, this isn't just a balance rework, it's much more nerf than buff.

 

[SlumlordThanatos]

Ok, I'm going to level with you. I only quoted you because of your Avatar.

"It's 'A Pimp Named Slickback'! Say it with me now!"

Its been some time since Ive found something that entertaining.

Im not overly worried about the nerf. I just wish they could find a way to get Winston into regular play.

"It's like 'A Tribe Called Quest', you say the whole thing!"

As for Winston, he's a victim of the metagame. He's the natural enemy of squishy heroes (with the possible exception of Tracer), and the current tank meta means that his usual targets (Mercy, Zenyatta, Genji, Widowmaker, etc) are absent.

Winston is really good at what he does, but the current metagame (3 tanks, S:76, Lucio, Ana) means that he doesn't have an opportunity to do what he does best.

Also, he takes some skill, and a lot of players think he's weak because they don't know how to play him.

 

[RedDeadFred]

This will ultimately be very healthy for the meta. Triple tank relies quite heavily on the Roadhog hook (which people in my ranks are hilariously unaware of). It allows for easy picks to the point where DPS doesn't have much of a place because they can't compete with the burst. Apparently dive comps are also still good, but they're a lot harder to execute at lower ranks.

This will make the hog less of a one-trick pony. The distance adjustment means the melee won't be part of the combo anymore, but the spread buff should help even this out a bit. The cd increase means that Zarya can now keep this locked down (which might be a problem since she's already the best tank in the game). I suspect he'll be better at fighting in general and his entire play won't be based around the hook now (though it'll still be very strong).

This is a good thing IMO.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

I feel like this is somehow relevant...

http://www.dorkly.com/post/82267/playing-overwatch-quick-play-vs-competitive

 

[PunkRex]

My brother and I only just started playing but Roadhog does seem a little bit overpowered to us, maybe it's because we're not used to him yet (I can already hear the git guds) but that fucking hook destroys. Also, I get that he's a tank but that regen made him nearly unkillable in most of our games. He seems too good at too many things.