Overwatch’s new PTR update buffs Reaper and Mei, nerfs D.Va and Zenyatta

A new update has gone live on Overwatch’s PTR, and with it comes changes to multiple heroes. Some off-meta heroes are getting upgrades, while a few mainstays are seeing slight nerfs to their kits.

These changes are not final, as with all patches that go on the PTR server, but they are available to test out right now at the start of the weekend. Let’s take a look at what’s changed.

D.Va

• Micro Missiles

Explosive damage reduced from six to four.

Blizzard thinks that D.Va’s burst damage potential is “a bit too high” thanks to her newest ability. Previously, her missiles did three impact damage and six explosive damage. Her impact damage remains the same, but the explosive damage is taken down to four, resulting in a 22 percent damage reduction overall.

Mei

• Endothermic Blaster

Now pierces through enemies.

Mei will be able to freeze multiple enemies at once to help her keep freezing a specific target if another enemy gets in the way, as well as combat multiple targets that are clumped up. Her shots can’t pierce barriers like Reinhardt’s shield, however.

Reaper

• Death Blossom

Reloads Hellfire Shotguns after use.

• Wraith Form

Move speed bonus increased from 25 percent to 50 percent. You can now cancel the ability by pressing the Shift or Primary Fire hotkey.

Reaper is one of the least-used DPS heroes in the game, so these changes are aimed to help him perform better. He can now cancel out of his Wraith Form, as well as move twice as fast as before. The ability to keep firing after using his ultimate is also a nice, minor change.

Moira

• Biotic Grasp

Transparency increased the closer you are to a target.

• Coalescence

Now becomes more transparent the closer its visual effects are to a player’s camera.

• Fade

Transparency increased the closer you are to a target.

One of the biggest complaints about Moira since her inception into the game a few months ago is how much visual clutter she added. These changes don’t affect her abilities much, other than your ability to see through them, which is a very welcomed change.

Zenyatta

• Orb of Destruction

Secondary fire rate of fire reduced by 15 percent.

Zenyatta is one of the most popular support heroes for good reason, as he can heal and deal insane burst damage thanks to his alternate fire and Orb of Discord. This slight nerf lowers his overall DPS, so he can’t spam the ability quite as often.