Priority Re-Queue, Echo Nerfs Arrive in Overwatch Update

Echo received a nerf in the latest Overwatch patch.
Echo received a nerf in the latest Overwatch patch. / Courtesy of Blizzard

The latest Overwatch update brings priority re-queueing and a few hero balance changes to live servers Tuesday.

Overwatch players who find themselves in competitive games that collapse because of early leavers now receive a priority re-queue in their next queue. The matchmaker will then prioritize finding an appropriate game, often significantly reducing wait times in queue.

Competitive Open Queue Season 2 begins Tuesday. It arrives alongside Alien Zarya and the following hero balance changes, Workshop updates and bug fixes.

Overwatch Hero Updates June 16

Echo

Focusing Beam

  • Range reduced from 20 to 16 meters

Genji

Shuriken

  • Damage increased from 28 to 30
  • Secondary fire spread reduced from 12 to nine

Deflect

  • Duration increased from 1.5 seconds to two
  • Can now be cancelled manually

Hanzo

Storm Arrows

  • Damage increased from 60 to 70

Orisa

Halt!

  • Increased sound effects volume

Overwatch Workshop Updates June 16

New Workshop Actions

  • Attach Players
  • Detach Players
  • Start Forcing Player Position
  • Stop Forcing Player Position

New Workshop Values

  • Is In Alternate Form
  • Is Duplicating
  • Hero Being Duplicated

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed a bug in which restarting a rule that was using the Wait action and then executing the same Wait action on the same frame could cause the action to wait forever
  • Fixed a bug in which using a chased variable for the rate or destination of the Chase action that was modifying it would cause incorrect behavior
  • Fixed a bug in which the final objective of an Assault, Hybrid, or Escort map could be completed when Disable Built-In Game Mode Completion was in effect
  • Fixed a bug in which reaching 100% distance or capture progress on the final objective of an Assault, Hybrid, or Escort map would cause endless beeping if Disable Built-In Game Mode Completion was in effect
  • Fixed a bug which caused the Stop Transforming Throttle action not to work
  • The Is Using Ultimate value now returns true when D.Va is using either of her ultimate abilities
  • The Is Using Ultimate value now returns true for the first few frames of Echo’s ultimate (After the first few frames, check the new Is Duplicating value)
  • The Is Using Ultimate value now returns true for Ashe only while B.O.B. is alive
  • Fixed a bug which caused the Respawn action to stop working for players that had recently been resurrected
  • Fixed rules with Echo as the designated hero not always executing correctly during or after her ultimate
  • Fixed the Is Primary Fire value sometimes returning incorrect values after Winston’s ultimate and during Hanzo’s Storm Arrows ability
  • The Is Using Ability 2 value no longer returns true for Widowmaker if her only existing Venom Mine has been fired off the map
  • Fixed a bug where script error messages remained on screens for certain subroutine errors even after fixing the issue in the editor
  • Fixed a bug preventing Set Objective Description from working when executed prior to the player spawning in
  • Fixed a bug preventing Disable Built-In Game Mode Announcer from working in certain modes
  • Fixed a bug preventing the Damage Over Time effects from occurring when first starting the Molten Floor Workshop Preset
  • Fixed a bug preventing Set Match Time from being able to be used while in Assemble Heroes in CTF
  • Fixed a bug preventing certain abilities from triggering Dealt/Received Knockback Events (Junkrat's self-knockback from Concussive Mine, Doomfist's Rocket Punch, and Reinhardt's Rocket Hammer)
  • Fixed a bug preventing Sigma's Ultimate Ability from working properly when gravity settings were altered via Workshop or Custom Game Settings
  • Fixed a bug preventing the names of Dummy Bots from properly showing up in Kill Cams, POTGs, and End of Match Summaries
  • Fixed a bug where Destroy All Dummy Bots failed to work in certain scenarios

Overwatch Bug Fixes June 16

General

  • Deathmatch - Fixed a bug where the end of round flow music would not transition properly
    Fixed a bug in which custom game settings were sometimes being reverted to default between rounds of a Control map or when causing one’s own death while Respawn as Random Hero is active
  • Custom games will no longer shut down due to server load issues when using Mei’s primary fire with a 0% freeze rate
  • Fixed a bug where custom game lobby privacy settings were reset when importing a share code

Heroes

Echo

  • Fixed a bug that would allow Reinhardt's Charge to hit Echo when using her Duplicate ability
  • Fixed a bug where Echo would lose her ultimate charge if she dies with her ultimate target confirmation active
  • Fixed a bug with Echo becoming stuck in her Focusing Beam animation
  • Fixed a bug where a cloned hero's communication wheel settings would not copy over properly

Mei

  • Fixed a bug that would cause Mei's hat to fall off when using Cryo-Freeze while wearing her Mei-rry skin
  • Fixed a bug with Mei's drone not animating correctly at the end of her Blizzard ultimate ability

Sombra

  • Fixed a bug where Sombra could sometimes hack people right as they started an ability that would prevent hacking (i.e. Wraithform, Meteor Strike)

Symmetra

  • Fixed a bug where Symmetra Turrets could be placed on certain spawn doors