A new Overwatch patch is currently in development and now available for testing on the Public Test Region. For information on how to participate and what changes are included in the upcoming patch, read on below.

Mission details:

• How to Participate
• PTR FAQ
• PTR Patch Notes

If you encounter any game-related bugs while playing the PTR, please post in the PTR Bug Report forum.

To participate in the public test, you must have an Overwatch game license for Windows PC attached your Battle.net account in good standing (i.e. it hasn't been suspended or banned). 

Step 1: Restart the Battle.net desktop app.
Step 2: Navigate to the Overwatch tab on the left-hand menu.
Step 3: Select "PTR: Overwatch" from the REGION/ACCOUNT drop-down menu.
Step 4: Click "Install" to begin the installation process.
Step 5: Once the PTR client is installed and updated, click "Play" to begin!

Note: In order to access the PTR, you must have installed Overwatch and logged into the game at least once. If the PTR is not available for you after following the steps above, trying logging into Overwatch, exiting the game client, and then launching the PTR again.

Q. On which platforms is the PTR available?
A. The PTR is available on Windows PC only. 

Q. What regions are eligible to participate in the PTR?
A. Accounts from all regions (excluding China) are eligible to participate; however, the PTR will be hosted on our Americas region. As a result, if you plan to play the PTR from a region outside the US, please anticipate lowered performance and increased latency. 

Q. Is there a cap to how many players can participate on the PTR?
A. The PTR can currently support 10k concurrent players (or players logged into the PTR at the same time). If we happen to reach this cap, any new players attempting to log in to the PTR will be placed into a queue.

Q. What languages will be supported on the PTR?
A. The PTR is available in all supported languages, though some content may not be fully localized yet.

Q. Will any account progress from the live game transfer over to the PTR with me, or do I need to start from scratch?
A. A copy of your account from the live game will be transferred over to the PTR automatically, and all progress will transfer over with it (level, unlocks, stats, etc). Please note that this copy is pre-made, though, and based on an earlier snapshot of your account.  As a result, depending on when you last played, your PTR account may not be as up-to-date as your live game account.

Q. Will any progress I make on the PTR transfer over to the live game? 
A. No. Any progression earned during the PTR—including levels, achievements, stats, skill ratings, loot boxes (including rewards from loot boxes), currency (including Competive Points), and cosmetic items unlocked with currency—will not transfer over to the live game.

Q. Will I be able to purchase Loot Boxes on the PTR?
A. No. All real-money purchases are disabled on the PTR. 

Q. Where can I share feedback about the upcoming patch content?
A. This iteration of the PTR is intended to make sure the upcoming patch is working correctly before it's released, so we'll be primarily focused on uncovering major bugs and technical issues. Though you are still welcome to share your feedback through our normal channels, it's unlikely that we'll be able to incorporate changes based on PTR feedback in this patch cycle.

Please note that the below patch notes only include changes currently available for testing on the PTR. While many of these changes will also be available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in a future patch, the PTR is PC-only and therefore will only reflect changes coming specifically to that platform.

To share your feedback or report and issue, please post in the PTR Feedback or PTR Bug Report forums.

(PTR patch notes last updated: Tuesday, December 7 @ 4:45pm PT)

HERO UPDATES

Genji

• Added green detail textures on Sparrow Genji's sword scabbard when the golden weapon variant is equipped

BUG FIXES

General

• Fixed a bug in Elimination mode that caused players to spawn as a random hero at the start of a match instead of the one that was highlighted
• Fixed a bug that caused the overtime music to continue playing after capturing the first point on Assault/Escort maps

A.I.

• Fixed a bug that caused Roadhog Bot to get stuck in the spawn room of the Oasis: City Center stage

Heroes

• Fixed a bug that sometimes caused Doomfist to fall through the ground when using Seismic Slam on an  inclined surface
• Fixed a bug that prevented Doomfist’s Rocket Punch from destroying breakable objects
• Fixed a bug that caused Doomfist’s Rocket Punch to not always deal damage when an enemy hits a wall
• Fixed a bug that caused Doomfist’s Rocket Punch to not always stop an enemies' movement when they impact a wall
• Fixed a bug that prevented Doomfist’s Rocket Punch from correctly pinning targets to walls
• Fixed an issue that canceled Doomfist’s Seismic Slam when it was unable to reach the targeted location
• Fixed an issue that caused Doomfist’s Seismic Slam to trigger instantly when the ability was used to travel up inclines
• Fixed an issue that prevented D.Va’s Micro Missiles from destroying breakable objects
• Fixed a bug that allowed Genji to deflect projectiles through walls
• Fixed a bug that prevented Hanzo’s Storm Bow reload from canceling if he used a melee attack after using his wall climbing ability
• Fixed a bug that sometimes caused Snowball’s antenna to stretch out of proportion when Mei’s Beekeeper skin was equipped
• Fixed a bug that allowed Mercy to cast Resurrect on a player that was in the process of being resurrected by another Mercy
• Fixed a bug that prevented Mercy’s Caduceus Blaster from reloading if the Resurrect was activated without a target
• Fixed a bug that showed Mercy's Guardian Angel targeting UI on allies while it was already in progress on a selected target
• Fixed a bug that prevented Hanzo’s Storm Bow reload from canceling if he used a melee attack after using his wall climbing ability
• Fixed a bug that allowed Moira’s Biotic Orb to pass through terrain and structures
• Fixed an issue that prevented Moira’s self-healing statistic from being collected and displayed in the game stats
• Fixed an issue that prevented players from using Moira’s Biotic Orb’s regeneration option when primary fire was disabled
• Fixed a bug that prevented Moira’s Biotic Orb from depleting over time after being deflected by Genji
• Fixed an issue that prevented the beam on Moira’s Biotic Grasp from tracking targets correctly
• Fixed a bug that prevented Moira’s Coalescence from healing an allied Reaper in Wraith Form
• Fixed a bug that prevented Moira’s Biotic Grasp heal over time from refreshing properly on allies
• Fixed a bug that prevented Moira’s Biotic Grasp from destroying breakable objects
• Fixed a bug that sometimes allowed Reinhardt’s Charge to escape abilities that should prevent movement (e.g. Zarya’s Graviton Surge)
• Fixed a bug that prevented Sombra's Hack from interrupting Tracer's Pulse Bomb if it was being thrown
• Fixed a bug that prevented Widowmaker’s Grappling Hook from pulling players to moveable objects, even when they were stationary (e.g. the window on the Eichenwalde Castle doors)

Maps

• Fixed an issue that allowed some heroes to hide on the Junkertown payload when using sit emotes