Overwatch Update Adds Sigma And New Role Queue Feature

Blizzard has released a new Overwatch update that brings with it two major changes: a new playable character--Sigma--and a fundamental shift in how heroes are chosen before a match. Here's the rundown on what's new and a look at some of the key changes to previous characters.

The extensive patch notes for this update introduce Sigma, who has already been available on the PTR for some time now. Now he's being rolled out for all players on PC, Xbox One and PS4. Sigma is a new tank, a 62-year-old astrophysicist with gravity manipulation abilities. He's able to launch two "gravitic charges", which can bounce from walls and have a large area of effect, or use a kinectic grasp ability to freeze projectiles, turning them into shields. He's also able to fling barriers around for his team's protection, and attack enemies by hurling debris at them. His ultimate, Gravitic Flux, lifts enemies within range right up before slamming them back down.

The other major change is the new role queue feature. Role queue means that in Competitive Play, you'll have to nominate your 'role' before finding a game, whether that means being a tank, support, or damage character. This means that in every Competitive match, each team will have two heroes of each type, and thus have a balance between support, damage and tank. Opinion has been mixed on whether or not this system is a good idea; it'll be interesting to see how things play out now that the update is live.

Elsewhere, this patch introduces a lot of changes, additions and tweaks. Mystery Heroes mode is back, wherein players are randomly reset to a different hero in-between each round, and characters have been tweaked across the board. Interestingly, there's been a global 12% increase to the cost of ultimates, as they're currently "coming up too often".

Here's a full list of changes being made to the other heroes of Overwatch in this patch:

Ashe

• Reload time per round decreased from 0.3 to 0.25 seconds.

Brigitte

Inspire (Passive)

• Healing amount increased from 100 to 130
• Self-healing from Inspire is now halved

Repair Pack

• Now has 3 charges
• Healing amount changed from 150 to 120
• Now heals over 2 seconds instead of instantly
• If you throw multiple packs at the same person, the current duration will be extended by 2 seconds

Whip Shot

• Out-going velocity increased from 60 to 80
• Retracting time reduced from 0.6 seconds to 0.3

Barrier Shield

• Barrier health reduced from 500 to 200

Shield Bash

• Stun duration reduced from 0.9 seconds to 0.75

Rally

• Ultimate cost increased 10%

D.Va

Call Mech

• Pilot ultimate cost reduced by 12%

Doomfist

Melee

• Quick melee no longer pauses ammo reload.

Hanzo

Storm Arrows

• Storm Arrows ammo reduced from 6 to 5

Orisa

Protective Barrier

• Cooldown increased from 8 seconds to 9

Reinhardt

New Passive: “Steadfast”

• Reduces knock back effects by 30%

Sombra

Hack

• Duration on enemy players reduced from 6 to 5 seconds

EMP

• Activation time increased from 0.2 to 0.35 seconds

Symmetra

Teleporter

• Now lasts an infinite duration until destroyed
• Players can destroy their Teleporter with the ability 2 input
• Cooldown now starts when Teleporter is destroyed
• Maximum range increased from 25 to 30 meters
• Teleporter is destroyed if the entrance is more than 40 meters from the exit

Tracer

Pulse Bomb

• Damage increased from 300 to 350

Wrecking Ball

Minefield

• Increased projectile speed from 10 to 12, causing the mines to spread out more
• Reduced the activation time from 0.25 to 0.1 seconds