New Overwatch live patch nerfs Ashe’s Dynamite

In the pursuit of hero balance, the Overwatch developer team has decided to turn down the heat. The Sept. 24 live server patch doesn’t include any huge updates, but Ashe players will notice a significant decrease to the amount of damage they can inflict using Dynamite. This might be bad news for Ashe enthusiasts, but it’s good news for every other player who’s felt the burn of her AoE ability.  

Many of the listed changes were tested in the Sept. 18 Experimental Card and most of them made it through to the live servers. McCree players, however, may notice that the “aerial roll” ability tested last week hasn’t graduated to live play. Somersaults will have to wait for another day, cowboy. 

All changes listed in the patch notes are effective immediately for Overwatch servers on all platforms. 

Hero changes 

Ashe 

• Dynamite explosion damage reduced from 75 to 50. 

Nearly every player has felt the pain of a well-timed Dynamite from an Ashe player. If aimed well with no damage absorption, the ability can decimate a team. The developers said they wanted to keep Ashe’s primary fire “impactful,” so they decided to take damage away from her Dynamite ability instead. 

Baptiste 

• Amplification Matrix ultimate cost decreased 15 percent. 

Baptiste’s AoE healing was nerfed in a previous patch along with his healing grenade ammo amount. Since healing is the primary way he charged his ultimate, Amplification Matrix, the developers decided to reduce the cost of this ultimate to make up for prior nerfs. This change means Amplification Matrix will charge 15 percent faster. 

McCree 

• Combat Roll distance is increased 20 percent. 
• Flashbang stun duration increased from 0.7 to 0.8 seconds.

Many McCree players were looking forward to the ability to somersault in the air, which was teased in last week’s Experimental Card. But the updated perks may have been a bit too powerful. He may not be able to do flips, but McCree will still be able to roll 20 percent further thanks to this new buff. 

Flashbang will also stun enemies for an extra 0.1 seconds after this patch. That doesn’t seem like a sizable change, but for McCree players, that’s one extra chance to hit a key headshot on a stunned target.   

Orisa 

• Base armor increased from 200 to 250.
• Fusion Driver projectile speed increased from 90 to 120.

A previous patch that tackled the overpowered abilities of shield heroes completely decimated Orisa’s kit, so these small buffs act as a way to bring back some of her former brilliance. Increased armor bumps up her survivability while a big jump in projectile speed will make her primary fire much more deadly. Her usage rate has plummeted in the past few months, but these buffs may help bring Orisa back to the forefront on certain maps. 

Roadhog 

• Chain Hook now pulls targets 0.5 meters closer, from 3.5 meters down to 3.0 meters. 

A recent change to Overwatch’s shotgun mechanics made Roadhog players unable to complete a “Chain Hook combo” that would eliminate lower health targets. With the shotgun changes, heroes like Tracer and Sombra could still escape with their lives after a successful combo hit. This change allows Roadhog to bring those targets closer to his shotgun for full damage.