New Overwatch patch buffs Soldier: 76 and targets profanity

Overwatch’s Halloween Terror event introduced some spooky skins and some big hero changes. 

The biggest hero change went to Soldier: 76, who might finally be a viable pick in competitive Overwatch. He received an overhaul to his primary weapon, the Heavy Pulse Rifle, which was first tested on an Experimental Card.

The weapon’s bullet spread was removed, consistent recoil was implemented, and its ammo was increased from 25 to 30. There was a small bullet damage decrease (20 to 19), but Soldier: 76 mains will now have an “auto” mode instead of a burst damage effect. Aiming will also become more important, making Soldier: 76 the perfect pick for players who want to rely on their aim. 

Other heroes also received some changes, though not as extensive. Sombra’s first-person camera was smoothed out when she uses her Translocator. Widowmaker’s Grappling Hook now bounces off surfaces if the distance is under two meters, canceling the hook. This ensures players don’t have to wait for any cooldown in that scenario. Wrecking Ball has better target detection with his Grappling Claw, letting players connect to walls more consistently. 

What other changes coming to Overwatch in October 13 patch? 

While Soldier: 76’s buff most definitely became the most buzzed-about change, the October 13 patch came with other updates as well. One of the major focuses was the game’s filter system. It’s now more comprehensive, giving players three levels of chat filters to choose from.

The most restrictive filter is called “friendly,” which will censor all words currently identified within Blizzard’s updated list of “obscene, vulgar, or offensive” words. There is also a “mature” setting, which only filters certain words. Unfiltered won’t censor anything. Players can customize the settings, using various degrees of censorship for different modes. For example, players could have “friendly” on for general chat and “mature” picked for direct messages. 

This was tested in Overwatch’s last Public Test Realm patch, as well as some other in-game updates. This includes elevators, which will now wait at the bottom of their loop, waiting for player interaction. Previously, elevators in Volskaya Industries and Hollywood lowered and rose up constantly, regardless of player proximity. 

The third season of Competitive Deathmatch is also live today. Players must get kills to climb up the leaderboards.