Overwatch servers are about to get faster on PC

Blizzard Entertainment is updating Overwatch to support high bandwidth across all modes on Windows PC, it announced in a community update. That means that players of the high-speed hero shooter can look forward to the game doing a better job of keeping up with its players, satisfying those who have long complained about Overwatch’s tick rate.

"In Overwatch, our high bandwidth option adjusts the game’s client update rate (the frequency at which your client gets updates from the game server) from 21 updates per second to 63 updates per second," a community manager wrote in a post. "This reduces the amount of time between when you complete an action and when your client hears back about the result, which in turn will help make the game feel more responsive. "

Whether Overwatch’s servers run at a full 63 updates per second depends on a player’s internet connection, however. The update will scale how quickly the client refreshes based on internet speed, and there will be an option to adjust this rate manually in a later patch.

PC players worldwide will begin to receive the high bandwidth update starting today, although the full process could take weeks, Blizzard said. PlayStation 4 and Xbox One players will have to wait as the company looks into whether it can make the option compatible with the console versions of Overwatch. (Console fans at least have the Summer Games to keep busy with as consolation.)

At launch, some players bemoaned Overwatch’s low refresh rate, attributing deaths and bungled plays to the game client’s inability to keep up. The video below shows off "how bad 20 tick really is," according to some players. Still, others called this complaint just an easy excuse for players who just weren’t quick-witted enough to survive the match. Whatever the case may be, few can complain about an update that brings the game up to speed for everyone.