Blizzard says Overwatch's hitbox changes should not feel different, but Mei and Pharah players disagree
Smaller hitscan shots, new hitboxes, and one big question for projectile mains.
Overwatch's recent October 6 update changed hit volumes for a lot of heroes, with the goal of making them more consistent across the whole roster. Blizzard also reduced hitscan projectiles, and players are already asking what that means for weapons with travel time, like Mei's icicles and Pharah's rockets.
The Update Changed Both Targets and Shots
The Reign of Talon patch moved hit volumes in both directions. Kiriko's torso hit volume was increased from 17.7 to 21, whereas Zenyatta's went down from 32 to 30. According to the patch notes, the goal is more consistent shots overall, and Blizzard expects the game to feel pretty much the same.
Hitscan projectiles did get smaller, though. The large size went from 0.07 to 0.04 meters, and the small size from 0.04 to 0.02 meters. Blizzard made this change to balance out the new hit volumes and is now watching how the patch affects weapons with travel time.
Hero Updates
General
Global “large” hitscan projectile size reduced from 0.07 to 0.04 meters.
Global “small” hitscan projectile size reduced from 0.04 to 0.02 meters.
Developer Comments: As a result of the hit volume updates this patch smoothing out some of the hit detection inconsistencies between heroes, we're reducing the size of hitscan projectiles to maintain a similar level of effectiveness. We'll be keeping an eye on how the changes impact the consistency of projectiles with travel times as well.
"Overall shouldn't feel very different in gameplay."
Projectile Mains, Like Mei and Pharah, Are Now Testing the Difference
Blizzard says the game should not feel very different, but that has not stopped players from noticing a difference anyway. In one Competitive Overwatch thread, players said that after the update it felt easier to hit things with slow projectiles like Mei's icicles and Pharah's rockets. Torbjörn and Venture came up too. And that Reddit thread is not the only one, as there are plenty of other discussions showing players still working out how the hitbox and hitscan changes feel together.
Hero Hit Volumes
Developer Comments: We’ve done a broad pass across the hero roster to bring their hit volume sizes closer to other similar types of heroes. The raw values are noted here rather than a percentage for a clearer understanding of the change relative to other heroes. The hit volume sizes are not strictly standardized due to the varying size of visual models, unique animation sets, and a wide range of movement abilities but they are influenced by factors such as engagement range and mobility.
This is intended to make aiming at targets more consistent on average but overall shouldn’t feel very different in gameplay.
Although it is still too early to judge, these posts are intriguing first impressions, but they do not prove projectile heroes got stronger in general. Nevertheless, it is the question on everyone's mind since the patch, and we will be paying attention to it in our own matches too. Blizzard says they are keeping an eye on the results, so we expect the conversation to keep going as players get more games in.
For more updates on balance adjustments, heroes, and gameplay changes, make sure to check out our Overwatch news hub.