What an incredibly horrible system.
Sound shouldn’t have a priority system unless it means if they’re getting closer, you have priority on hearing them.
Like every other shooter on the market.
3 Likes
Oh whoops >.<
Shoulda checked beyond the first few seconds or so. Heard the intro and was like “yup this is what I was going for.”
It would help if the ambiance and your character sounds weren’t so dang loud.
This whole footstep issue is getting on my nerves. I don’t even think sounds are based on the threat level anymore like that video explained. I’ve had hanzos come up behind me just about point blank range, and I hear zero foot step sounds, I’ve had symmetras who come up behind me and are microwaving me to death and I don’t hear the beam sometimes, and her footsteps are basically inaudible. Same thing with mcree, reaper especially, roadhog, sometimes tracer, pharahs jets sometimes, all while their sneaking up on me. If an enemy is sneaking up on you at almost point blank range isn’t that your “biggest threat”, so shouldn’t you be able to hear them?
The audio in this game needs a complete overhaul, even the directional audio doesn’t always sound right, or things will cut out mid sound if you turn a certain way. It sucks.
5 Likes
agreed. it’s so awful when the entire cast is completely silent if they’re coming up on you from behind (without crouching, might i add), and yet you can hear the enemy mercy’s footsteps from across the objective. Or, you can enemy rein grunting from being shot at across map, but can’t hear him when he’s ulting point blank or from behind you.
2 Likes
Today had a roadhog stomp and kill someone behind me and I didn’t hear a single peep because people were fighting one level lower.
One might think I should be able to hear footsteps that are directly behind me but apparently its not a priority, haha…
2 Likes
I just don’t like how there’s so many of us complaining about this yet the only response they’ve given us is that it’s a windows bug from a windows update from like August or September, which was fixed in a windows patch like the month after.
And I know it’s not windows because my windows is up to date, and I’ve also completely reinstalled windows last month.
4 Likes
I like how a year later this is still a problem XD
2 Likes
exactly. i stupidly believed them at firstwhen they said it was the win10 update in 2019 that caused the bug. And then I went back a couple months after that statement looking for it again, and instead found complaints of this exact sound bug happening since 2016. Its a shame that the old forums are dead which first documented this issue, that’s a lot of proof and user complaints gone.
they did also give us something in the patch notes a couple months ago that they “fixed” certain sound effects to be louder (but those louder sound effects still don’t play at all from behind).
this problem has been around since sometime in 2016, it’s worse than you think LOL.
3 Likes
Yup, I remember sound being buggy after xmas 2016.
Imagine if the sound remains buggy priority mess come OW2. 
2 Likes
oh I bet it won’t be fixed by then. They haven’t fixed it in 3 years, it’s doubtful they’ll ever fix it since it seems to be extremely low priority.
3 Likes
Compounding the issue is that environment ambiance and your own hero sounds are so dang loud now. Trying to play in the TDM arena Christmas version of Blizzard World is deafening due to the ambient holiday sound effects. And if you’re a hero like Bastion your transformation and walking sounds pretty much block everything else out.
Your brain hides the fact that you can see your own nose in your FOV at all times because it’s USELESS distracting information that is of no benefit. Overwatch should deaden your own hero sounds because it’s USELESS distracting information that is of no benefit. I KNOW that I’m walking, I KNOW that I’m using an ability. It doesn’t have to play at 103dB.
2 Likes
Just a few nights ago I basically threw the game because I couldn’t hear a single sound of the enemy Brig + another enemy behind her stomping through the upper hallway on Numbani point A who then proceeded to combo me seemingly out of nowhere and roll over the rest of my team.
I always play as if I’m on crack, repeatedly looking all over the place to see potential dangers because I don’t trust the sound design. And the one time I stop checking the hallway for literally like 2 seconds, I suddenly have half their team already on me. Like wtf.
3 Likes
Just walk backwards onto the the point and never look forward to heal your team, so you can never get flanked 4head.
3 Likes
It’s annoying to think everything is a-ok then all of a sudden get headshotted by a reaper from behind and dying instantly.
2 Likes
Pretty much normal OW. The only audio that should be priority, is ult voice lines and footsteps. Shut off the god damn bullets if u have to. Because those things have impact markers. What’s the point anyway. When all the gun sounds are overloaded when more than 6 people are fighting.
2 Likes
There’s a rave party somewhere where people duke it out, so when that happens, you won’t be able to hear any flanker footsteps who walks right next to you and BLAM - flash fan the hammer you’re dead.
Every support everywhere basically have had this happen to them, because they want to stay off the rave party so they don’t die, but hold on there’s a pesky flanker walking alone going through another path cuz they want this 6man high noon.
Sounds closer to your own character should be prioritised and not only when they’re breathing down to your neck. It’s pretty absurd that you can only start to hear them a millisecond before they’re practically hugging you and pumping you full of lead. I suppose that’s the faulty priority sound system at work when it suddenly prioritises these footsteps, too bad you’re already dead.
When there’s a team fight going on, especially then I cannot afford to look around for random flanker that’s taking some long route.
2 Likes
It’s even worse when playing Tank. Oh, just get out of Reaper and Mei’s range. If they’re doing that. They’re bad Reaper’s and Mei’s. The good ones are flanking and killing the tank. Especially the tank who has to PAY ATTENTION TO THE ENTIRE TEAM, to get value. AKA Zarya.
Why just flank the tank when you can flank the tank + both supports and just cheese freeze them all? =p
Its not like your team will hear your blight, with the sounds being drowned beneath random garbage.
Footstep noises got bugged a while ago and haven’t been addressed. Reaper should be loud but hasn’t been for a while now.
2 Likes