Hello,
I have a similar problem. I have been using Dolby Atmos (the windows app, not the in game option) and ever since the Reaper event update, it doesn’t work anymore.
I checked in other games like Lost Ark or The Witcher 3 where I also use Dolby Atmos and it still works perfectly fine.
I would also appreciate a solution because this sudden change to default audio is really hurting my experience after using Dolby Atmos for years.
Thanks
Hello, I’m posting this just to say that I have the same problem: after the new Reaper skin’s patch the sound in Overwatch changed completely and is very annoying. I use Dolby Atmos app too and later I tried to modify the sound from there hoping i could get something similar to the original sound that was in the game, but it didn’t work. As the guys above my post, I don’t have any new audio problems with my PC and my other games too, so it’s definitely something with the latest game’s patch.
I hope the developers will check this. Thank you for reading.
Hello, me and my friend have the same problem. Weird, muffled sound. Surrodund not working. I hear characters from behind even if they stay in front of me. I trying to reinstall game, drivers. Turn off Dolby change settings switching to other language. Nothing helps. Problem exist since reaper update.
I have the same issue.
Since the Reaper Code of Violence update, from last week my audio isn’t working properly anymore. No surround sound, bad audio overall and really really quiet game sound focused on one point.
Every other game works perfectly fine. I have this issue only with OW and it started just recently when the update went live. Before I had no problem with audio at all.
So pretty much Overwatch audio was perfect before, the patch came, surround sound disappeared.
I’ve tried re-installing drivers, Overwatch and changing my settings. Nothing fixed the issue as MVP said.
I have the same issue
Since the Reaper Update the surround sound is gone.
What i have done:
no luck.
I tried the following tools
No luck 
Hey everyone,
We are looking to gather some additional information regarding this issue and our engineers/QA are looking for some system information in the form of a Dxdiag.
You can follow the steps here to create and post your Dxdiag:
or
You can follow the steps here to create an Msinfo and DxDiag to be emailed:
Once you have the files, create and email:
To: Techinfo@Blizzard.com
Subject: Overwatch - No Surround Sound Feb 22nd Patch
Attach the files, and in the body feel free to include any troubleshooting you have tried and a link to this forum thread.
My sound cuts off after a super loud buzzing audio static like a damn horror movie. Every time this happens i have to stop playing and check my closets and under my bed and then check to see if any of my kitchen knives are missing. Can you fix this and maybe also fix it so the waste not want not achievement registers correctly. Also its hard to count 7 ppl during an ult but pretty sure moira achievement isnt tracking either. Been a while since ive gotten any achievements so maybe they are just all broken? Wtf did you do to this game? Next time just release the skin and dont push yourselves too much trying to make an event out of it. That obviously isnt working out and just causing more harm than good.
Rainbow, This topic is for surround sound not working properly and contributing to low or missing specific audio cues. Your issue is not related. Please do not hijack unrelated threads. If you are experiencing an issue and do not see a currently active topic on that specific issue, create your own post with the issue listed in the title and details, attempted troubleshooting and data mentioned in the pinned topics on this forum (dxdiag, connection data etc…) to allow for the community to assist.
How do i know if it is related or not? Sound issues happening at exactly the same time in the same patch where there were none before. Are you saying these two sound issues that occurred at the same time are unrelated with 100% certainty? If that is what you are saying then fine, ill remove my post and forget about it. I think the time of it and the nature of the issue seem very related though.
I’ve sent a mail to the tech support yesterday (01.03.2022) but here is also my dxdiag in case someone has an idea what the reason could be to cause these issues.
If there’s anything else I can do, let me know, please! @Kershew. Thank you so much for your answer. I really appreciate your help.
The dxdiag has too many bodies so I am not allowed to post it even though I tried to use four (~).
Here’s a link to it.
DXDIAG 01.03.2022:
https://pastebin.com/Nii4tU2NDXDIAG send to the mail address.
I also sent my dxdiag and msinfo32 files to the mail address.
Just following up. We have received your dxdiag/msinfo submissions and those are being investigated. If anyone else is experiencing this same issue and has not already done so, feel free to email your dxdiag/msinfo as described in my earlier request. Any such information will help with the investigation.
No ETA on a solution as of yet but we will update this thread with any information we get when we get it.
Thank you so much for the heads-up. I really appreciate it! 
Since the most recent update (15/03/2022), I’m able to choose my playback device again. However the audio issue is still existing.
Just a quick Heads-Up.
Since the most recent Version: 1.70.0.0.94910 (released 15.03.2022) I’m able to pick my Playback Device again.
Yet, I’m certainly sure the sound issue hasn’t been fixed yet, as mentioned above. The game is still very quiet, with almost no fx sounds, no surround sound.
Screenshot about the OW audio settings:
https://imgur.com/zFJXYOIHey everyone,
The surround sound audio issues are still being looked into and we wanted to try and get some additional details about how/when you are seeing them.
Is this constant? as in no matter what the issue is the sames? Does it come and go? Do you experience it in some modes but not others? Does it ever work at all? etc… The more details about the when, where and how you can think to provide, the better.
Additionally it looks like in many cases (if not all) we are seeing that HW level acceleration is set to emulation only or basic.
Can you confirm that to be the case, and what happens if you change that to standard/full?
Hello @Kershew,
thank you so much for your reply and heads-up!
The audio issue is basically constant to me.
There has been absolutely no audio issue prior Overwatch Reaper - Code of Violence update (Version: 1.69.0.0.94236) - 23.02.2022 Europe.
But straight after updating the game and hearing the music in the lobby I already recognized that the audio changed.
I literally can’t hear the fx sound if you hover over a button in the main menu. I can’t track a Pharah anymore since every sound is in the same position on my headphones, for example. Footsteps are basically non-existing since every audio is focused on one point.
The game overall went a lot quieter so I have to turn up my windows volume a lot. Before the update, I even had the volume lower in OW to ~80. Now everything is on 100 and I have to turn up the windows volume too. There’s just no… depth to the sound anymore if this makes sense.
I’m using a Strix Sound Card which helped me a lot to hear the fx sounds, voice cues, footsteps and stuff clear and louder. But all those things disappeared. It feels like I’m using two loudspeakers in front of me - somehow. Yet, all sounds in other games are the same as usual.
TL; DR:
Regarding DirectSound Hardware-Acceleration and SRC Sliders:
I’m not able to find the Advanced button in the Sound Playback list. I’ve tried to find other guides and videos but still wasn’t able to figure it out. Neither my friends could help me find it.
Is there another command to get to the Advanced button right away? Or maybe I don’t have the button since I’m not using Realtek Audio Drivers?
While searching for the Advanced Button. I’ve found some changes to my Strix Sound Card on 24/02/2022 which could be a coincidence but yet would fit the first time I’ve launched the Reapers - Code of Violence update.
I’m not sure if it means anything at all or if I just tried to fix the audio issue on my end at this date. However, I thought I will upload some pictures, maybe it can help solve the issue.
1: https://imgur.com/nFqRtsb
2: https://imgur.com/a/Bj9SKJq
3: https://imgur.com/a/QhNs0ZZ
4: https://imgur.com/a/AVNu8O1
5: https://imgur.com/a/husG7Uk
If I leak any sensible data, I would appreciate it if you could delete a certain screenshot. Thanks ♥
Thank you so freaking much for your help. I really really do appreciate it.
i also do not find the slider. Sound Issue still persists.
Thank you so much for you help
Same here, never had any audio problems with overwatch or any game for the past 4 years (been playing since beta) until the reaper update. It is constant and sounds really bad, its very hard to hear helpful things but its possible to hear voice lines and such.