Fans of Overwatch are no strangers to the game's frequent updates and tweaks. In fact, the relatively new "Experimental Mode" even offers players a chance to test-drive potential updates that have yet to be finalized. With so many changes being made to the game, it's no surprise that glitches and bugs often find their way past developers' and designers' eyes.
The latest version of Overwatch seems to feature another one of these notorious exploits on the Japan-inspired map, Hanamura. Redditor u/trelicity has taken to the forums to point out that Sombra's translocator can actually be tossed behind one of the boulders in Hanamura, remaining active but effectively out of sight.
This issue only affects a single character, so it isn't quite as game-breaking as other recent competitive exploits in Overwatch, but still: Sombra's translocator is arguably the bread-and-butter of most strategies involving the sneaky hacker. Once placed on the map, the translocator beacon allows Sombra to instantaneously return to its location at the touch of a button (provided another player hasn't already found and destroyed it). So needless to say, one of the main obstacles facing Sombra players is ensuring the safety of their translocator - anybody who's played Sombra is all too familiar with the gut-wrenching feeling of realizing their translocator's been eliminated while already in the heat of battle.
This newly discovered glitch allows for players to leave their translocators behind the safety of an immovable obstacle, while still allowing them to teleport back to it as normal. Even the teleporting DPS character, Tracer, lacks the ability to clear obstacles, so this is definitely worth noting. The boulder in question is located just outside of the gates to "Point B" in Hanamura. If approaching "Point B" from the attacking side, the boulder is tucked away in a corner, directly to the left of the entrance to "Point B."
Once players are atop this boulder, they can toss their translocator just behind it, where it remains intact, and out of sight. If triggered, players will simply teleport onto the boulder, instead of being trapped behind it. More importantly though, as demonstrated in the video, it seems that other players are unable to strike the translocator once it's behind the rocks. Perhaps some of the new Overwatch shotgun adjustments allow for bullets to reach the hidden device, but that's most probably not the case.
Of course, the hidden translocator would still be difficult to find/see in the first place, but nonetheless, it's reassuring to know that enemies are actually incapable of destroying it while it's hidden there. Given that the boulder is just meters away from a large health pack, which can also be hacked, players should be particularly wary of this new exploit.
Whether players are facing an enemy Sombra, or teamed up with a friendly version of the hacker, they should be aware that Sombra may actually be hiding her translocator in an impossible spot. Fans of the shady character are particularly aware of Overwatch's occasional Sombra bugs, seeing as, ironically, a good number of them have directly concerned her. So, if it seems like Sombra's been appearing out of nowhere more so than usual, it may be worth camping out at this new hotspot, just to be safe.
Overwatch is available now on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
