Hey everyone,
In 1.28 we’ve reworked how parts of our aim assist algorithm works on console and wanted to take the time to detail what has changed. We believe these updates will make the controls more intuitive for a better gameplay experience.
Previously, once you were close enough to aim at an enemy target, aim assist did two things:
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It would decrease your controller’s sensitivity input to allow more precision when trying to track a target.
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Aim assist would automatically adjust your crosshairs slightly toward the direction the target moved around you, to make up for the lower sensitivity described above.
The new aim assist takes the prior two mechanisms and expands on them with some more functionality:
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Now, we incorporate how you are currently turning with the aim stick when determining how the enemy is moving relative to yourself. In practice, this means if you are perfectly tracking a target aim assist will not activate. It also means that the speed you turn at when outside of combat versus actively tracking a target will be much more aligned.
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The way we decide which target to use as the aim assist target has been improved by choosing the target you are already most accurately tracking. This should reduce instances where your aim could be pulled away from your focused target if another enemy crossed your path.
There is a new Aim Assist Ease In setting under Controller, nestled under Advanced Options. This allows the aim assist system to ramp in its strength as you get closer to your targets, giving less jarring sensitivity changes. At a setting of 0, there is no ease in, and full strength is given immediately while a setting of 1 gives a linear ramp to full strength. The default value of 0.5 gives a curved ramp that we’ve found works best with the widest range of heroes.
When using aim assist with projectile heroes that require more leading of the target (e.g. Hanzo and Orisa), it might be helpful to move the Aim Assist Ease In slider closer to 0, while for hitscan heroes (e.g. Widowmaker and McCree) it may be helpful to raise it closer to 1. Feel free to experiment and find a value that works well for you! For heroes that you’d like to play using a particular sensitivity, you can save your preferences under Controls > Hero Controls > Hero (then select your preferred hero) > Controller > Advanced Options. vs Controls > Controller > Advanced Options.
If you try out the new system and it doesn’t appeal to you at all, you can switch back to the old legacy aim assist mechanisms with the Aim Assist Legacy Mode menu option (this can be found under Controller > Advanced Options).
We’ll be watching feedback closely on these changes, so please let us know what you think after trying them out!