Overwatch news » Overwatch PTR Now Available - November 20, 2017

A new Overwatch patch is currently in development and now available for testing on the Public Test Region. For information on how to participate and what changes are included in the upcoming patch, read on below.

Mission details:

• How to Participate
• PTR FAQ
• PTR Patch Notes

If you encounter any game-related bugs while playing the PTR, please post in the PTR Bug Report forum.

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To participate in the public test, you must have an Overwatch game license for Windows PC attached your Battle.net account in good standing (i.e. it hasn't been suspended or banned). 

Step 1: Restart the Battle.net desktop app.
Step 2: Navigate to the Overwatch tab on the left-hand menu.
Step 3: Select "PTR: Overwatch" from the REGION/ACCOUNT drop-down menu.
Step 4: Click "Install" to begin the installation process.
Step 5: Once the PTR client is installed and updated, click "Play" to begin!

Note: In order to access the PTR, you must have installed Overwatch and logged into the game at least once. If the PTR is not available for you after following the steps above, trying logging into Overwatch, exiting the game client, and then launching the PTR again.

Q. On which platforms is the PTR available?
A. The PTR is available on Windows PC only. 

 

Q. What regions are eligible to participate in the PTR?
A. Accounts from all regions (excluding China) are eligible to participate; however, the PTR will be hosted on our Americas region. As a result, if you plan to play the PTR from a region outside the US, please anticipate lowered performance and increased latency. 

 

Q. Is there a cap to how many players can participate on the PTR?
A. The PTR can currently support 10k concurrent players (or players logged into the PTR at the same time). If we happen to reach this cap, any new players attempting to log in to the PTR will be placed into a queue.

 

Q. What languages will be supported on the PTR?
A. The PTR is available in all supported languages, though some content may not be fully localized yet.

 

Q. Will any account progress from the live game transfer over to the PTR with me, or do I need to start from scratch?
A. A copy of your account from the live game will be transferred over to the PTR automatically, and all progress will transfer over with it (level, unlocks, stats, etc). Please note that this copy is pre-made, though, and based on an earlier snapshot of your account.  As a result, depending on when you last played, your PTR account may not be as up-to-date as your live game account.

 

Q. Will any progress I make on the PTR transfer over to the live game? 
A. No. Any progression earned during the PTR—including levels, achievements, stats, skill ratings, loot boxes (including rewards from loot boxes), currency (including Competive Points), and cosmetic items unlocked with currency—will not transfer over to the live game.

 

Q. Will I be able to purchase Loot Boxes on the PTR?
A. No. All real-money purchases are disabled on the PTR. 

 

Q. Where can I share feedback about the upcoming patch content?
A. This iteration of the PTR is intended to make sure the upcoming patch is working correctly before it's released, so we'll be primarily focused on uncovering major bugs and technical issues. Though you are still welcome to share your feedback through our normal channels, it's unlikely that we'll be able to incorporate changes based on PTR feedback in this patch cycle.

 

Please note that the below patch notes only include changes currently available for testing on the PTR. While many of these changes will also be available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in a future patch, the PTR is PC-only and therefore will only reflect changes coming specifically to that platform.

To share your feedback or report and issue, please post in the PTR Feedback or PTR Bug Report forums.

(PTR patch notes last updated: Wednesday, November 11 @ 11:00pm PT)

PATCH HIGHLIGHTS

New Hybrid Map: Blizzard World

• An amusement park celebrating the universes of Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo, Blizzard World is a brand-new hybrid Assault/Escort map. Charge the gates of Stormwind, sneak through the Nexus Experience, and guide the payload through areas filled with high ground, flanking routes, and environmental hazards. Grab some Blizzard-inspired snacks at the concession stand along the way!

GENERAL

A.I.

• An option to “Remove All A.I.” in the custom game lobby can be accessed by Right Click > Remove All Bots

BUG FIXES

General

• Fixed an issue that caused the arcade card for Limited Duel and Mystery Duel to not list all currently disabled characters
• Fixed an issue that prevented certain sound effects from playing when navigating the Options menu with a controller

Heroes

• Fixed a visual bug that caused Ana’s Biotic Rifle ammo clip to detach when her Captain Amari skin was equipped
• Fixed a bug that caused Doomfist’s Seismic Slam to create performance drops when repeatedly used with no cooldown
• Fixed a bug that prevented Mei’s Cryo-freeze from clearing the healing debuff caused by Ana’s Biotic Grenade
• Fixed a visual bug with Moira’s Biotic Orb that sometimes caused Biotic Grasp’s healing spray effects to display instead
• Fixed a bug that prevented Moira from being able to pass through enemies when using Fade
• Fixed a bug that caused Moira’s eyelashes to detach from her face during her Heroic highlight intro
• Fixed a visual issue with Moira’s Oasis skin that caused her knees to clip through her knee guards while crouched
• Fixed a bug that caused Reaper’s shotguns to animate incorrectly when discarded on the ground
• Fixed an issue that prevented highlights captured by Zenyatta players from recording correctly when the Cultist skin was equipped

Maps

• Fixed a bug that caused a performance drop when players shot at the gold coin piles in the last Defender spawn of Junkertown