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Overwatch's first major update (1.2.0) since its public release three weeks ago adds over 150 improvements and a ton of fun! Grab it now..

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First Major Update (1.2.0) Released!

What is Overwatch?

Overwatch is a cooperative multiplayer FPS/RTS hybrid powered by the Source engine and based on the Half-Life 2 universe. It pits a team of rebels playing cooperatively in first-person (the Resistance) against one player who assumes the role of commander to the Combine forces (the Overwatch), controlling units and the environment around them from a bird's-eye view.

Find out more about Overwatch by following this link, and by watching the trailers on this page.

What's New in 1.2.0?

1.2.0 is the first major update since our public release, with a focus on map improvements. It features complete overhauls of both official maps (Citadel and Breach) and a slew of new additions and changes to the overall game.


[+] In the Spotlight

Citadel Improvements: You will barely recognize it. With a brand new opening sequence and exciting finale, and big changes to the overall layout, capture areas and lighting, Citadel has truly evolved into a fun-filled level. We feel it is nearly complete and the gameplay is just right, which means Citadel will be moving into its final stage of development (textures!) very soon. We'd love to give you more information, but we'd rather keep it all a surprise. When you're done playing this weekend, let us know what you think!

Breach Improvements:
Two key aspects of Breach's overall layout have been improved: 1/Cap points are now placed in areas that are much larger and a bit easier to defend, and rebels can now take cover behind walls, counters and props instead of bunching up in a very small cap zone. 2/The street and train station areas now make a lot more sense. We got rid of some of the corridors and staircases and turned some areas into shops, cafés and lounges. Each area now has a randomized objective, ranging from the classic console capture point, tossing grenades at a generator and the all new lining up of explosive canisters at the base of a generator before blowing it all to pieces. You'll never know what to expect with each new round you play!

Spotting Feature: The first version of this feature allows Rebels to see fellow players on their HUD and Minimap as small green triangles, or big red +'s when they need to be revived. You'll no longer need to guess where your fallen comrades are hidden!

Hints Feature: Important objectives, items or locations will now be marked with a "hint" indicator, giving you a brief description of the target.

New & Updated Music Tracks: Both official maps have updated ambient music, as well as new tracks for their finales.


[+] Notable Changes

  • Game (Client/Server) › General

    • [Feature] Implemented a first iteration of the Spotting feature (Resistance):

      • Rebels that are alive now display a green triangle above their position in the map (HUD) and on the Minimap;
      • Dead rebels now display a red health icon (+) above their position in the map (HUD) and on the Minimap.
    • [Feature] Implemented a first iteration of the Hints feature (Resistance):
      • Hints can be used to display information about any entity within the game;
      • An arrow will point to target's location until the target is within view;
      • Text can optionally be used (as opposed to using an icon alone).
    • [Feature] Enabled the +use physics props pickup system (you can now pick up certain predefined objects using +use).
    • [Improvement] GM buttons will now fade when they are beneath the GM's HUD.
    • [Improvement] Added checkbox in MP Options > Advanced to turn Rebel minimap on/off by default (uses ConVar "ow_overview_defstate (0|1)").
    • [Improvement] Change text colour of tooltips for currently inactive buttons.
    • [Improvement] GM's chat box has been moved to a better location (the minimap was overlapping it).
    • [Improvement] Reduced the NPC SMG1, Buckshot (Shotgun), AR2 and Sniper damage defaults (skills).
    • [Improvement] NPC (Combine, Metro and Manhacks) starting health has been lowered slightly.
    • [Improvement] Player Minimap will now start on by default.
    • [Improvement] Player sprays are now disabled client-side by default.
    • [Bug Fix] Fixed an extremely annoying (but rare) issue where a player selected as the GM (Overwatch) would get a near-horizontal view, instead of top-down. This time, we approached it differently and implemented a fix client-side instead of server-side.
    • [Bug Fix] Round end (victory) panel no longer blocks normal game input (chat and scoreboard are no longer blocked).
    • [Bug Fix] Teammate positions on the minimap will now update no matter where the players are in the map.
    • [Bug Fix] Eight players can now join the Resistance until a GM is selected (then the limit is 7 players on that team).
    • ...
  • Game (Client/Server) › Maps
    • [Change] Maps from 1.1.0 have been renamed to ow_breach_classic and ow_citadel_classic to make room for the new ow_breach and ow_citadel levels. Classic maps are not included in the map cycle by default (server admins can add them to mapcycle.txt in the root /overwatch folder).
  • Game (Client/Server) › Map: ow_breach
    • [Overwatch] Made all GM traps go on cooldown at the same time.
    • [Overwatch] Increased the cooldown of all traps from 20 to 30 seconds.
    • [Overwatch] Made unit spawns not disable behind players. The GM can now flank rebels from behind.
    • [Overwatch] Added metrocop spawns to the first alley and the bathroom.
    • [Overwatch] Added a manhack spawn on the east side of the street.
    • [Overwatch] Added a manhack trap to the train station.
    • [Resistance] Added some extra healthkits.
    • [Resistance] Disallowed players from throwing grenades through unit spawn room force fields.
    • [Objectives] Made destroyable generators use health instead of number of times damaged (progress bar has also been flipped). Generator health is 900, it will now take at least 5 grenades to blow it up.
    • [Objectives] Made destroyable generator indicators disappear as soon as the progress finishes.
    • [Objectives] Made console capture areas bigger, that are indicated by a floor texture rather than an outline.
    • [Objectives] Moved the escape objective to the new employee exit corridor.
    • [Objectives] Added the first version of the canister objective as one of the possibilities for the objectives. The players need to gather up five canisters and bring them to the generator, and then shoot at them to complete the objective.
    • [Layout] Added the two flanking corridors back near the first objective.
    • [Layout] Added walls that Rebels can breach with explosive charges.
    • [Layout] Added an alley near the middle and another one near the north end of the street.
    • [Aesthetics] Added triggers to start action music with a transition when the fourth objective is completed.
    • ...
  • Game (Client/Server) › Map: ow_citadel
    • [Overwatch] Added another spawn for the GM located at the north-east corner of the map.
    • [Overwatch] When the central capture point is activated, the cooldown for spawning soldier units is reduced to 15 seconds.
    • [Overwatch] Metrocops now have 2 manhacks each.
    • [Overwatch] SMG Combine now have grenades.
    • [Overwatch] Made Elite soldiers spawn as additional members to the SMG and shotgun squads during the finale.
    • [Overwatch] Decreased trap cooldowns from 30 to 20 during the finale event.
    • [Objectives] Added a new Final Objective to the center of the map. This last objective can only be capped once the previous 3 consoles have been capped.
    • [Objectives] Increased the capture area sizes.
    • [Objectives] Increased capture area height so jumping on the consoles won't cause capping to pause.
    • [Layout] For the basement cap, an alternate route for the GM has been added and the console has been moved to the opposite wall. There is now also a door and window peering into the cap room.
    • [Layout] For the balcony cap, an alternate route has been added allowing players and the GM to approach the cap from a different angle.
    • [Layout] Added elevators. The rebels spawn inside these at the beginning of the round as they move up towards the playable area.
    • [Aesthetics] Changed the lighting so areas are darker as to contrast with the brightness of the centre area.
    • [Aesthetics] Added soundscapes (background noise).
    • [Aesthetics] Added more music relevant to the progress of the round. When the centre point becomes activated, ow_ambience2 will fade out and ow_transition2 will play followed shortly by ow_action2. Once the final cap has been taken, ow_action2 will fade and ow_finale1 will play until the explosion.
    • ...
  • Updater Utility › General
    • [Improvement] "Update is available" is now more obvious (green colour).
    • [Bug Fix] Errors returned by the "Checking for updates" feature have been reduced drastically (it should no longer fail unless there's a serious problem).

Note: A complete list of changes is available here.

1.2.0 is still to be considered a very early release. Work on Overwatch only began a bit over a year ago, and we still have a ton more to add to it! If you would like to keep track of our progress, head over to our blog and read our Development Reports.

Update Using the Updater Utility

Already have Overwatch installed? You can use the included Updater Utility to update to the latest version with only the click of a button! Click here for more information and for instructions.

Note: The Updater doesn't currently display a progress bar when downloading files. If you don't see anything happening, don't worry! It's downloading the package, which could take a bit of time depending on the speed of your Internet connection. Just let it go, grab a cookie, and it'll be done before you know it!

Game Servers

Trinity Gaming

[+] Server List

  • North America (West)
    • 66.150.221.47:27015 Overwatch [1.2.0] DAL01/TX-US
    • 66.150.221.47:27016 Overwatch [1.2.0] DAL02/TX-US
    • 66.150.221.66:27019 Overwatch [1.2.0] DAL03/TX-US
    • 66.150.221.66:27023 Overwatch [1.2.0] DAL04/TX-US
    • 66.150.221.63:27024 Overwatch [1.2.0] DAL05/TX-US
    • 66.150.221.64:27024 Overwatch [1.2.0] DAL06/TX-US
    • 66.150.221.65:27024 Overwatch [1.2.0] DAL07/TX-US
    • 66.150.221.66:27025 Overwatch [1.2.0] DAL08/TX-US
  • North America (East)
    • 208.43.97.183:27015 Overwatch [1.2.0] DCA01/DC-US
    • 208.43.97.176:27015 Overwatch [1.2.0] DCA02/DC-US
    • 208.43.97.179:27016 Overwatch [1.2.0] DCA03/DC-US
    • 208.43.97.180:27016 Overwatch [1.2.0] DCA04/DC-US
  • Europe (UK)
    • 87.117.195.16:27015 Overwatch [1.2.0] LON01/LN-UK
    • 87.117.195.16:27016 Overwatch [1.2.0] LON02/LN-UK
    • 87.117.195.15:27016 Overwatch [1.2.0] LON03/LN-UK
    • 87.117.195.12:27017 Overwatch [1.2.0] LON04/LN-UK

Note: Can't see any servers in the in-game server browser? Make sure the Show Map List option is not selected (you can find it at the bottom-left corner of the server window).

More Wallpapers!

Click to Enlarge


What's Next?

We will be waiting for your feedback once you have had a chance to play 1.2.0. If the feedback for the new Citadel is positive, we'll be giving it a few art passes very soon (textures!) to get rid of all the orange and make it feel like you're actually in the Citadel.

Breach has two more sections planned for it (after the train station area). We have worked on some of it already and hope to finish the rest soon.

We have also already begun work on the next major release (1.3.0) in which we hope to include more maps and some of the features listed in the Being Implemented section of the latest Development Report (or all of them if they don't give us any trouble).

Be sure to visit our blog and community forums as we will be posting more frequently there than we do here.

Time for Fun!

Overwatch developers will be scheduling events on our Steam group every now and then, so if you would like to play against them, be sure to keep an eye on that calendar!

We look forward to playing with you all. Have fun!

Post comment Comments
DarkLiberator
DarkLiberator

Could you please put out wallpaper 1600 x 900? It'll be much appreciated by me.

Reply Good karma Bad karma+4 votes
AndY Author
AndY

Sure thing. OverwatchMod.com

Enjoy!

Reply Good karma+2 votes
DarkLiberator
DarkLiberator

Thanks!

Reply Good karma Bad karma+1 vote
Skylar15
Skylar15

Are you ever going to add textures to the maps and make new maps?

Reply Good karma Bad karma+3 votes
Hamtaro
Hamtaro

The updated maps look great, the updater works like a charm (at least for me), all in all: the mod gets better and better.

Reply Good karma Bad karma+1 vote
Velancious
Velancious

Not for me, the Mod crashed whenever I put "Find Servers"...********. The Mod worked perfectly before I updated it.

I am currently reinstalling it to see if it fixes the problem.

Reply Good karma Bad karma+1 vote
AndY Author
AndY

Hi ZombineJenks,

If you're still having problems, hop on our Chat and I'll be happy to help: Webchat.overwatchmod.com

Reply Good karma+1 vote
Sharkz
Sharkz

Wow, played quite a bit already and really loving the unique gameplay (though I'm a terrible Combine player). I'll be keeping a close eye on this. Impressions at Modsentry.com

Reply Good karma Bad karma+2 votes
AndY Author
AndY

Awesome, thanks!

Reply Good karma+2 votes
Sharkz
Sharkz

Keep up the amazing work on this, I'll be sure to keep playing it :D

Reply Good karma Bad karma+1 vote
Dragon-Guard
Dragon-Guard

hmmm, my ingame updater doesnt seem to work, does work when i run it directly but if i run it from inside the game the dos window will just close again without doing anything.

Reply Good karma Bad karma0 votes
Phalxor
Phalxor

no one is ever on any server ever. I idled a server for 4 hours and no one joined.

Reply Good karma Bad karma+1 vote
AndY Author
AndY

There are a few servers that are full. Did you make sure that "Show Map List" is not selected and that you don't have any filters?

Reply Good karma+1 vote
blahblahblah12333
blahblahblah12333

Wow looks REALLY good. Downloading now...

Reply Good karma Bad karma+1 vote
blahblahblah12333
blahblahblah12333

Quality MOD, but the experience is kinda ruined by the default HL2 weapons (which are total ****).

Reply Good karma Bad karma+7 votes
cheesemoo0
cheesemoo0

Agreed. I am so tired of the half life 2 weapons.

Reply Good karma Bad karma+6 votes
Zeltrax
Zeltrax

Sorry but why arn't the maps textured?

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A1win
A1win

We are still working on finalizing the map layouts. If we'd texture them on every release, it'd take much longer to get the maps ready. Once we feel the gameplay is right, we'll start working on art passes for each map.

Reply Good karma Bad karma+3 votes
Sharkfucker
Sharkfucker

I love the mod and I think the only way to make it even more awesome is to port it over to the CSS and DODS universe.

Reply Good karma Bad karma+3 votes
xXMaNiAcXx
xXMaNiAcXx

Congratulations for this sweet release, now, work on some new maps please!

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A1win
A1win

We have already been on that for quite some time. Two new maps should be ready for a first release soon.

Reply Good karma Bad karma+1 vote
Boogiepingas
Boogiepingas

Please tell me the combine barrier magically attached to the crowbar is just a placeholder for the shield. That looks awful, aswell as the default HL2 weapons.

Reply Good karma Bad karma+1 vote
AndY Author
AndY

Of course! As we've mentioned before, it's still a very early release and our entire focus has been on gameplay and not visuals.

Reply Good karma+3 votes
Gnostic
Gnostic

So this is just like Moddb.com ?

Reply Good karma Bad karma+1 vote
MrCake
MrCake

or this one Moddb.com

Reply Good karma Bad karma+1 vote
Panzer_Cop
Panzer_Cop

good mod. ^)

Reply Good karma Bad karma+1 vote
Panzer_Cop
Panzer_Cop

Good fashions, I wait for project continuation, when the following exit a fashion? :)

Reply Good karma Bad karma+1 vote
cahemdue
cahemdue

nice music in the trailer. mod looks a little boring, think i'll pass

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