When will Patch 1.43 go live in Overwatch?

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Good things come to those who wait. Overwatch developers are hoping players remember that adage as we all eagerly anticipate Patch 1.43, which is currently in testing on the Public Test Realm (PTR).

The huge patch hit the PTR on Nov. 13 and comes with a host of changes that improve the Overwatch experience. Players will be able to access Skirmishes, Deathmatch games, and custom game lobbies while they wait in competitive mode queues.

Barriers from heroes like Orisa, Sigma, and Reinhardt have been nerfed and various improvements have been made to damage-dealing characters. Patch 1.43 will likely change the competitive meta, so many players are wondering when this hugely important patch will come to live servers. 

Let’s get the bad news out of the way first: the patch wasn’t added this past week. Patches are normally uploaded to live servers on the first Tuesday after two weeks of testing on the PTR. Patch 1.43 was introduced on the PTR on Nov. 13, so players were hoping that it would be added to live servers on Nov. 26. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

Since Patch 1.43 includes weighty changes like the “While You Wait” system, which allows players to seek other games during competitive mode queues, the testing period was likely extended. It was also a holiday week for developers located in the United States. 

Dec. 3 is looking like the day players should mark on their calendars. For the past few weeks, players have been enjoying the Mercy Recall Challenge, where they could unlock a new legendary skin for the support hero. The challenge officially ends on Dec. 2, but the challenge doesn’t actually end until developers upload a patch to replace the event. This is the optimal time to introduce Patch 1.43 to live servers. 

The week of Dec. 3 may also be the only week developers have to upload a patch without an event interfering. The Mercy Recall Challenge occupied the past three weeks. As the holidays approach, so does the Overwatch Winter Wonderland event. This event often begins the second week of December. If the Winter Wonderland event begins Dec. 10, developers may only have Dec. 3 to roll out Patch 1.43 with no other distractions. 

Even if developers wait until Dec. 10 to bring Patch 1.43 with the Winter Wonderland event, that’s not too far away. Keep your eyes open during the first few weeks of December, Overwatch fans.