Doomfist - first reactions and the new highlight system explained

Overwatch players can finally play as Doomfist, albeit in the PTR. People seem to like him. The patch that brought the latest Doomfist into Overwatch also packed the new highlights system and some changes to the game's lootboxes.

So the 25th Overwatch hero is available in the PTR. What else...Oh yeah, it's Doomfist. The Doomfist we've been waiting for since the cinematic trailer for Overwatch dropped in November 2014.

Blizzard teased their latest hero , and now he is officially confirmed. Jeff Kaplan talked him over in a Developer Update and he makes an appearance in the PTR patch notes. No sign of Terry Crews though. Sahr Ngaujah is the man behind the gauntlet.

Blizzard Overwatch - Doomfist

Mr. Kaplan and the PTR notes had this to say about The Successor: First off, he is one of the leaders of Talon. Doomfist is "driven by a belief that conflict is essential to humanity’s progress". Akande Ogundimu's abilities include: Hand Cannon, Seismic Slam, Rising Uppercut, Rocket Punch, The Best Defense and Meteor Strike.

Since he's been available in the PTR for a minute there, we have the first Reddit reactions to the long awaited hero. 

{
  "dataId": 1,
  "configuration": {
    "id": "e800660861g",
    "dataId": 1,
    "isInline": false,
    "alignment": "center",
    "content": "
Comment from discussion Developer Update | Doomfist | Overwatch.
"
  },
  "isInline": false,
  "id": "e800660861g",
  "type": "widget/system",
  "alignment": "center",
  "componentName": "GenericSystemWidget"
}

Actually, he works "pretty damn great" with Zarya. People seem to like Doomfist very much:

{
  "dataId": 1,
  "configuration": {
    "id": "e1121246358",
    "dataId": 1,
    "isInline": false,
    "alignment": "center",
    "content": "
Comment from discussion Developer Update | Doomfist | Overwatch.
"
  },
  "isInline": false,
  "id": "e1121246358",
  "type": "widget/system",
  "alignment": "center",
  "componentName": "GenericSystemWidget"
}

Blizzard Overwatch - Doomfist

Some are already making new strategies:

{
  "dataId": 1,
  "configuration": {
    "id": "e1072495596",
    "dataId": 1,
    "isInline": false,
    "alignment": "center",
    "content": "
Comment from discussion Developer Update | Doomfist | Overwatch.
"
  },
  "isInline": false,
  "id": "e1072495596",
  "type": "widget/system",
  "alignment": "center",
  "componentName": "GenericSystemWidget"
}

While others have already started to discuss the next hero:

{
  "dataId": 1,
  "configuration": {
    "id": "e357758156Y",
    "dataId": 1,
    "isInline": false,
    "alignment": "center",
    "content": "
Comment from discussion Developer Update | Doomfist | Overwatch.
"
  },
  "isInline": false,
  "id": "e357758156Y",
  "type": "widget/system",
  "alignment": "center",
  "componentName": "GenericSystemWidget"
}

Honestly, some people just can't enjoy the moment. That said, let's see what else is new: Loot box updates. Seems like the decrease in duplicates that was talked about is now becoming a reality. Also, some "major" changes have been made to the highlight system:

• The game will continue to automatically generate highlights for you based on your recent gameplay. These auto-generated highlights—now categorized as “Today’s Top 5”—will be surfaced on a daily basis and persist for a full 24 hours (or until the game client is patched, whichever happens first).
• Players can now generate their own highlights! The ability to capture 12 seconds of your own gameplay has been added to the game, and can be bound to a single button of your choice (or a button per highlight slot) in the Options menu under “Request Highlight.” These player-generated highlights will be saved under a new section called “Recently Captured” and will persist until the game client is patched. Players can have up to 36 recently-captured highlights stored at one time.
• With the above, players can now record any of their “Top 5” or “Recently Captured” highlights, exporting them as a video file to their gaming platform’s designated media library (on console) or directory (on PC). On PC, players will also have the option to select the quality at which these highlights are exported, supporting up to 4K at 60 FPS for Windows 8 or higher operating systems, and up to 1080p on Windows 7.

Some general updates and changes to the UI have also been released into the wild that is PTR. Read the full notes .