Several Overwatch PTR changes have been rolled out by Blizzard, with Junkrat and Mercy undergoing alterations intended to make them less dominant.
Mercy and Junkrat have both become mainstays of Overwatch competitive play, with Mercy’s Valkyrie ability and healing skills making her a game-changer, while Junkrat’s high damage output has transformed him into a force to be reckoned with. As a result, Blizzard has now looked at rebalancing these heroes, nerfing Mercy’s ultimate and reducing the potency of Junkrat’s best skill.
The PTR changes have seen damage reductions to Junkrat’s Concussion Mines, which now “deal less damage to targets farther away from the explosion’s center,” while Mercy’s Valkyrie ult will no longer see her being able to Resurrect instantly along with the mobility and duration of the ability being reduced.
Mercy has become a constant of Overwatch competitive play, with many players complaining that she greatly imbalances the game. Though Blizzard introduced a dramatic overhaul to her last year which saw her Resurrect ult being replaced with Valkyrie, she remained an essential pick, something which Blizzard is clearly looking to change.
With her no longer having a bonus Resurrect charge in Valkyrie, the speed boost that the ult provides being reduced by a whopping 50% and its duration now being downgraded from 20 seconds to 15 seconds, this is a big change to Mercy that could change around the game’s meta.
The PTR changes were rolled out earlier today, and are currently available to play on the PC version of the game.
