Overwatch Update Does More Than Add New Summer Games Items

The focus of Overwatch's Summer Games update is on new content, but it actually does more than that, particularly on consoles.

Blizzard has released complete patch notes for this week's update. In addition to everything we've already outlined about the Summer Games seasonal event (new loot boxes, cosmetic items, and a soccer-style Brawl mode), it makes a variety of other changes. Competitive Play, for one, now sees less team-setup time during subsequent rounds on Assault maps. Additionally, those who leave a Competitive match before it ends will have to wait 10 minutes before they can start another game.

The tips during the team-setup phase are now different (or absent completely, in the case of Brawls). The "No Builder" and "No Sniper" notifications are gone, and "No Support" has been replaced by "No Healer," which doesn't count Symmetra.

Unspecified "minor" adjustments have been made to Watchpoint: Gibraltar "to ensure better balance for defending and attacking teams." PC players can cap their frame rate with a new option in the settings menu, and matchmaking on all platforms has received "several minor, behind-the-scenes improvements." The remainder of the changes come in the form of bug fixes.

That is, unless you're playing the PS4 or Xbox One version, in which case you're seeing some of the changes introduced on PC recently. This includes a buff for Ana's Biotic Rifle--increasing its rate of fire and magazine size--and an adjustment for McCree-improving him in some ways and dialing back his effectiveness in others. (You can read more about those changes here.) Console players will also now find they have less time capture the first point in Assault, with the timer being reduced from five minutes to four.

You can see the full patch notes here.

Overwatch's first seasonal event hasn't been without its controversies, as some players are upset with the manner in which items are obtained. Blizzard has since explained it doesn't intend for everyone to get their hands on all 100-plus items.