Blizzard released a detailed explanation about the Respawn Timers and Defensive Stalling that was included in the “Overwatch” Doomfist update released July 27. While fans that have been waiting for the official release of the 25th game hero were elated when Doomfist was launched, there are some players who noticed vague terms in the patch notes.
Patch notes
In the patch notes that were released along with the Doomfist update, the game developer wrote that in the game’s Meta, when the offensive team aggressively plays and has an obvious advantage against its opponent, the respawn timing is adjusted to limit defensive stalling strategies.
Originally, there was no explanation on what this really means.
Several players have posted on the game’s forum asking for the explanation on the Respawn Change. They are curious what the change is about and are seeking more enlightenment on the subject. This stimulated a response from Blizzard and Principal Designer Scott Mercer took the time to explain it.
Respawn change
According to the designer, in “Overwatch,” there was a standing system that gradually increased the respawn time of the defender during a 30-seconds objective in the event that the attackers outnumbered the defenders. When the attackers have a 90-second advantage, a linear increase up to the maximum of the defender’s respawn time takes place.
Mercer said that the change rolled out in this latest patch increases the defender respawn time 15 seconds after the Attacker Advantage. In addition, the maximum increase is now obtained after 75 seconds. The designer said that when players temporarily surrender, the objective will not reset this timer. Instead, it will start counting backward until it reaches zero.
This latest change might affect some of the maps in the game as the present win rate ratio on both sides is approximately equal. The respawn change now makes it tougher on the part of the defenders to respawn and return in time. This, in a way, sides with the attacker’s play. This somehow replaces the risky balance in the past that marginally favored the defenders.
Other details
There are also interesting changes that were rolled out along with Doomfist. The game’s lootboxes have received changes in its drop rate and there are new features in the highlight system of the game, and crosshair options are now customizable. The latest update also made some changes to several “Overwatch” heroes. These include Reaper, Zarya, McCree, Reinhardt, and Genji among others.
