Forget Wrecking Ball/Hammond the Hamster, the real talk of the town is the Overwatch Sombra buff that’s just been rolled out by Blizzard in its June 28 PTR update. One of the more popular mains in the game has now been given a considerable overhaul when it comes to her playstyle, which depending on how you see it could count as a buff or a considerable nerf. Let’s dig into the full patch notes and take a looksee.
Overwatch Sombra Buff: Full List of Changes
Stealth
- Now lasts forever
- No longer can contest objectives while invisible
- Enemy detection radius increased from 2 meters to 4 meters
- Movement speed buff decreased from +75% to +50%
Translocator
- Now lasts forever
- Can now be destroyed (has 5 health)
Overwatch Sombra Buff: When is It Available?
As of right now, the new Overwatch Sombra buff is only available on the PTR (Public Test Region) on PC. To access the PTR, simply go to Overwatch on the Battle.net client and select PTR: Overwatch from the region/account dropdown menu. Install the PTR client and you’re good to go.
Overwatch Sombra Buff: Change in Playstyle
Per Blizzard developer Geoff Goodman, the Overwatch Sombra buff “allowed her to play more and more as an scout/infiltrator for your team and also allowed her more time to pick and choose when and where she popped out to ambush her enemies…These changes are really interesting for her as now she is in complete control over when she reveals herself, allow her to time her hacks better for her team, or go for a back line ambush during a critical moment in a team fight.”
Overwatch Sombra Buff: Feedback and Backlash
As you can imagine, though, some players are not happy. There’s even been a petition set up to get Sombra reverted back to normal, citing “boring and passive” playstyles. Whatever your opinion, you can give your feedback to Blizzard here.
