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NovemberOverwatch Character Guide: Pharah, Symmetra, Mei
Many Heroes of the Storm fans were delighted to see the retired MOBA get a new update. After the game went into maintenance mode, Heroes of the Storm didn’t receive updates for over a year . However, Brigitte Support Tips since the first one in November 2023, Heroes of the Storm has gotten regular patches roughly once every three months, with this latest one being the fourth. Hopefully, the cult classic MOBA continues to get updates at a similar inter
Now, it seems like another such update is on the way. Blizzard revealed a set of patch notes for hero balance and bug fixes that is available to play on the Heroes of the Storm PTR right now. Historically, these updates usually come between three and five weeks before they are implemented into the actual game, meaning players can expect these changes to go live in about a mo
If there's one constant in video games, it's that rocket launchers are always cool, period. Pharah, Overwatch's resident flying explosive expert, is no exception to this rule, as she has the potential to devastate an entire enemy squad when used properly. Her main weapon, the aforementioned Rocket Launcher, is not only incredibly powerful when it makes direct contact with an enemy, but it also possesses fairly large splash damage, so you don't necessarily need to worry about hitting foes directly. This is a wonderful weapon for taking out enemies that thrive on camping, like Bastion, Hanzo and Widowmaker. In addition to the Rocket Launcher, Pharah also possesses a jet pack mapped to her jump button. Not only does this allow her to reach higher ground for sneaky firing tactics, but it also allows her to hover in mid-air for a limited time when used properly, making all of her abilities all the more surprising.
Pharah's first core ability, known as Jump Jet, allows her to rapidly boost into the air. Aside from the fact that this is an awesome tactic for maneuvering around the map, it also presents Pharah players with a huge advantage, as most players are concentrated on ground-level encounters. Needless to say, any rockets that come from above will generally take the other team by surprise, so use this to your advantage. Her second ability, Concussive Blast, doesn't do a great deal of damage, but it has the ability to push enemies a significant distance. If you're looking to annoy the hell out of opposing snipers (or anyone during the second round of Capture on Nepal), try using this to push them off of the map. Finally, her ultimate, Barrage, causes her to remain stagnant while she unleashes an insane amount of rockets in the direction of her reticle. This is best utilized in combination with Jump Jet, but you should be aware that you're going to be a relatively easy target for those behind you, so try to plan accordingly.
In an era where games are released unfinished to make a profit later and fighting games suffer from player bases where character access is gated off behind DLC, Blizzard’s decision to patch in new matches, modes, and characters for free rather than asking players to pay for the privilege is nothing short of incredible. If Overwatch’s community begins to dwindle, it won’t be because they’re divided between base game players and those with the money to buy extras, because Blizzard’s decision means that anyone who picks up the game will have the same access to modes, maps, and heroes as everyone else. Speaking of heroe
At the time that I'm writing this, I've completed 101 matches in Overwatch's current beta. It's affected my normally rigorous workout schedule, my level of contact with friends and family and the number of hours of sleep that I've gotten. When I booted up Overwatch to pull that statistic from my Career Profile, I had to consciously force myself to exit the application in order to finish this article. Yes, I have a genuine Overwatch problem, and it's kind of the greatest thing ever.
Mei's first core ability, Cryo-Freeze, encases her in a chunk of ice, both protecting her from further damage and healing any missing health over time. It's imperative that any Mei players keep this ability ready to go for whenever she is close to death, as it can essentially become a 'Get out of jail free' card during particularly brutal battles. Her second ability, Ice Wall, is one of the most iconic hero abilities in Overwatch, and you've almost certainly come across it dozens of times during your time on the battlefield. This ability allows Mei to place a massive wall of ice (pretty self-explanatory) onto the battlefield, which impedes enemy progress and can save a great deal of lives. If you find yourself capturing an objective and want to give your team a bit of extra breathing room, this is a sensational battle-forcing ability. Finally, her ultimate, Blizzard, is a large area-of-effect ability that functions similarly to the primary firing method on the Endothermic Blaster, only in a much larger circular area. Not only does this do damage over time, but it can freeze enemies entirely, making it really simple for your teammates to come in and finish off the job.