Searching for that mysterious hissing noise

Overwatch 2’s Battle For Olympus occasion is stay, and a pantheon of Greek god skins have stormed the shop. One pores and skin particularly has precipitated a stir over the previous couple of days although, inflicting gamers to query whether or not they’re paying for an obstacle.

The Medusa pores and skin for Widowmaker is what you’d anticipate: Overwatch‘s spider-themed sniper Widowmaker in Medusa garb. She takes on a serpentine look and, crucially, the locks of her hair change into snakes.

These snake hairs aren’t only for present; they really hiss and make noise in-match. Which is a cool characteristic, that additionally lacks some subtlety when you may want it. Brian St. Pierre, often known as aggressive gamer below the deal with “Kephrii”, posted about this pores and skin final week.

“The brand new Medusa pores and skin is so loud it actively punishes you for utilizing it,” Kephrii wrote. “Not solely are you able to not hear enemy footsteps you can also’t conceal both. The enemy workforce can hear the snakes/hair on the Medusa pores and skin & pinpoint your location from them.”

The brand new Medusa pores and skin is so loud it actively punishes you for utilizing it. Not solely are you able to not hear enemy footsteps you can also’t conceal both. The enemy workforce can hear the snakes/hair on the Medusa pores and skin & pinpoint your location from them. pic.twitter.com/S1P6CxO7Qp

— Brian St. Pierre (@Kephrii) January 4, 2023

For a sniper who may wish to sneak round within the backlines, this clearly isn’t ultimate. When you had been tracked by way of these sounds and brought out, it’d really feel such as you paid for an obstacle, typically short-handed to “pay-to-lose”. However the dialogue hasn’t been totally towards the pores and skin, both.

How to not be heard

As replies to Kephrii level out, Overwatch 2 is a really loud recreation at its default settings. When you’re a Reinhardt participant, the cacophony of hammer swings, missile blasts, and voice line quips may drown out a reasonably quiet hissing sound.

When you can increase your individual sound settings to focus on sure elements, as considered one of my fellow writers identified, there’s additionally the matter of how typically this comes up. Audio is a key supply of knowledge in any recreation, however it’s a good argument to ask whether or not listening to some footsteps is as vital because it is likely to be in different shooters.

Add into the combination that that is an elective pores and skin, one you may pay for but in addition select to not use, and it’s a bit extra difficult. For the high-level gamers, this is likely to be a dealbreaker for a pores and skin. However for the typical Overwatch 2 participant? Perhaps listening to the snakes hiss is value rather less subtlety.