Previous reports surfaced earlier this month about the newest Overwatch updates that have been available for testing on the game’s PTR, or Public Testing Region. These updates have had fans questioning the purpose of the PTR, as an entity separate from the main playable version of the game, as well as the ideology behind the latest character balancing updates. A new Overwatch developer update video has provided such much desired communication from Blizzard Entertainment regarding these practices.

The video, posted this week on the PlayOverwatch YouTube channel, first focuses on Blizzard Entertainment’s intentions for the PTR. Game Director Jeff Kaplan explains that the PTR is meant to be separate from the main playing environment so it can allow player feedback and testing of new updates without impacting the majority of players engaging with the non-updated version of the game. The dev team would prefer to have glitches and bugs minimized as much as possible before introducing them to the main online versions of the game. As Kaplan iterates:

The most important thing for us when we patch Overwatch to all of the live service is that the game is stable and works correctly and there’s as few bugs or crashes or glitches as possible in the game. The PTR really lets us iron all these issues out. We will put up versions of the game up frequently on the PTR. Sometimes they’ll have a lot of issues and it allows us to solve them very quickly.”

Kaplan also explains that the PTR is not available for console players due to Sony’s PS4 and Microsoft’s Xbox One online platforms providing greater logistics challenges than the PC, which enables Blizzard to make use of their own Battle.net platform. As he says regarding Battle.net:

That means that patching it as frequently as we want is very easy for us, and we incur any risk to our own system because we’re making the changes. We know what we’re doing, it’s our game. If we screw something up, we know we’re going to fix it right away. It’s a little bit more complicated for the console platforms, because those belong to Sony and Microsoft… They have their own friend systems. They have their own achievement or trophy systems. They have to be really careful about games releasing content onto their platform and causing issues for their platform.”

He also laments the lack of incentives for testers on the PTR, which many players have brought up. The dev team has considered implementing incentives for PTR participants, with the main hindrance being the resources that would be allocated away from completing the final build of the game. Blizzard would prefer to focus on what would provide greater positive impact on the game’s larger community, as opposed to providing for a select few.

The Overwatch developer update video also provides the reasoning behind the newest character balancing updates. Kaplan states that Sombra’s new updates are meant to take her abilities focus away from stealthy attacking towards disruptive hacking, which is what the team originally intended for her. He states:

“We see her more as a disruptor, a backline disruptor than a frontline flanker or assassin. Our goal is not to make Sombra kill people quicker. That’s not really what we’re interested in at this time. Maybe at some future time, we might want to steer her in that direction, but right now we’re really believers in that disruptor direction.”

He also explains the perceived unfairness behind the decision to stabilize Roadhog’s hook and reduce the healing of Ana’s Bionic Grenades. What do you guys think? Are you glad to have these questions answered in this new Overwatch Developer update video? What updates would you like to see in the game? Let us know in the comments below!

Be sure to stay tuned for the latest Overwatch news, such as Blizzard’s plans for a highlights feature to be added soon, here on Don’t Feed the Gamers!