In the Lab today we are covering the basics for heroes, Offensive heroes! We’ll dive into specializations for each hero, who they synergize with, and how to build a team with these offensive heroes in different scenarios! We’re going in depth to talk about Tracer, Solider 76, Reaper, McCree, & Pharah.

News & Patch Notes: (5 min)
*Beta Test Weekend Recap:
*Closed Beta Testing ends April 25th 10:00 Pacific (1:00am April 26th Eastern)
*Developer Update Video: The Road to Launch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoYGzPtehBQ 
*Reminder Dates: 
May 3-4 is early access Beta Time for those who pre-purchased Overwatch before April 29th
May 5-9 is Open Beta (even for consoles)
*Confirmed: All player progress achieved for Closed and Open Beta accounts do NOT carry over when the game launches. You will all begin at level 1 with no rewards.
*Changes will not be drastic until just after launch
*Immediately looking for more competitive mode changes, features, and iterations
*Spectator Mode is something they’re looking to do also
*Free Heroes and Maps is also something to look to post-launch
*Pacing for changes in the game will be evaluated after launch to keep it fresh.

*Patch Notes:
*No more White Portraits! Everyone is Bronze for levels 1-100.
*Removed a few less popular sprays.
*Hanamura temporarily disabled for spawn issues.
*Route 66: Payload slowed by 10%
*Route 66: Adjusted health pack spots
*Volskaya Industries: Moved Spawn points further back 

TOPIC: General Offense
Team building and composition in Overwatch can go quite in depth and requires a certain knowledge of the different heroes and their nuances to really grasp it. 
Knowing each Hero’s strengths, weaknesses and synergies opens up a lot of creative potential when building a team.

*Competitive Example: (Control, Lijiang Tower) - Cloud9 (2 Tracer, 2 Winston, 2 Lucio) Vs Luminosity (2 McCree, Bastion, Zarya, Mercy, Lucio)

Offense:
General Purpose: 
Single Target and Splash Damage Output, Mobility and Infiltration
Offense Heroes tend to trade off survivability in favor of mobility and an upfront  damage edge. 

*Tracer: The Harasser. 
*S76: Frontline Soldier.
*Reaper: Close Range Flanker. (Shotgunner)
*McCree: The Skirmisher. (1v1 me Bro!)
*Pharah: Airborne Assault (Splash)
*Genji: Silent Assassin, Flanker and The Counterplayer.

 

THIS JUST IN: 
http://us.battle.net/forums/en/overwatch/topic/20743464347

Link of the Week:
*The Story of Overwatch (by Gamespot) 
--Very moving story of “The Fall of Titan”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jq-HwvYjLLg&feature=youtu.be 
--For extra Nostalgia, you can watch the announcement at Blizzcon 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8955xnjJ1E

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