Tips, Tricks and Secrets
Overwatch is lightning fast game, with deaths happening in an instant, and enemies waiting for you around every corner. It also happens to be riddled with secrets, nods to other games, and other fun things for those players who take a moment to look around.
Below are some tips to not only help out your gameplay, but also point out neat secrets, and hidden objects.
Gameplay Tips
Below are some tips and tricks for general gameplay.
Who says you need Bullets?
Killing an enemy with your weapon isn't always necessary when easier means are around the map. Many locations have pits, or edges that you can fall off, and that means you can also knock people off!
Characters like Winston and Reinhardt have great knock back abilities. See someone in a bad position? Then rush them and send them flying off the map!
Pushing the Objective Backwards
Something the game fails to tell you, is that on maps where you need to push an objective, the opposing team can push it backwards! It doesn't move as quickly, but if you clear out all the people around it, the other team can push it backwards, buying themselves more room!
Payload is Your Friend
An unspoken fact about the Payload game type, is that standing by the Payload will actually heal you! It's a minor heal, around the same strength as Lucio, but it's very useful for staying in tip top shape as you push the objective forward!
Overtime is Worth Fighting For
Did you run out of time while trying to capture a point? Well, if you're close enough, the game will go into Overtime. So long as one member of your team remains near the objective, the match will not end. During Overtime, it's worth it to be more aggressive, and throw yourself at the objective. If you can stall the game long enough, someone might be able to pull off a crazy Ultimate and save the game, allowing you to win!
Assess Your Needs
One of the big things in Overwatch is character swapping. Anytime you die, be aware of why you did, and if changing your character would benefit both yourself and your team. For instance, if the enemy team keeps annihilating you and your team, perhaps you need more Tanks or Supports. Simply switching your character one time can be enough to turn around your performance, and maybe even save your team!
Supports are the Key to Victory!
Is your team struggling? Check to see if you have a support! They are very powerful, but often overlooked as they tend to sit on the back lines and not get into as much action as the other characters.
Don't think this has to always be the case! Lucio for instance is a great front line support, who can move around quickly, and participate in fights. Zenyatta is another support who can heal, deal decent damage and debuff enemies all at the same time!
A Balanced Team is a Successful Team
When you're picking your characters, take into consideration what Characters are already chosen. A team of all the same character won't do as well as a team that has proper healers, tanks and powerful offensive heroes.
Generally speaking, a team should always have a Support, a Tank, and a mix of other characters. This won't always be true, but is a good rule of thumb to follow.
Role Tips
Below are some tips and tricks for playing specific roles.
Roles Aren't Set in Stone
Depending on the map and round your teammates might have certain suggestions like "Switch off of Widowmaker on attack you noob!" And while you should atleast consider their advice, know that defense heroes can still be used to great effect during the attack round and visa versa.
No One Role to Rule Them All
In Overwatch, there is no 'Best Role'. From map to map, and fight to fight, a team and the characters currently on them could be stronger, or weaker at that moment. It's important to be mindful of this, and what roles and characters your team might be lacking, or has an over-abundance of, and then shift things around to better balance the group.
Tanks Need to Be Aggressive...
If you're playing a Tank, don't be shy, jump right into the fight and start laying into people. It's your job to cause chaos, confuse the enemy, and provide an enticing target to shoot at while your allies do most of the killing.
...But Supports Should Always Hang Back
On the flip side, a Support character should be hanging back. With the exception of Lucio, you generally want to be out of sight, and well protected by your team. If a Support character is the first one running in a fight, it's likely going to end poorly for you!
Offense Doesn't Mean You Can't Defend
Just because a character might be classed as an Offensive character, this doesn't mean they can't be a good defender. Soldier 76 is a great defender for example, thanks to his long range, mobility and self heal.
Defenders Can Make Excellent Attackers
On the flip side of that coin, a Defense character doesn't have to stick to just Defending. Widowmaker is a great example of a character, who when played aggressively, can be just as strong on offense or defense. The style in which you play your character will often trump the classification they have been given.
Protect Your Supports
Supports are generally weak, squishy characters, so if you see one of them getting attacked, help them out! It can't be stated enough how valuable even a single support is, so letting them die is a huge mistake!
Character Tips
Below are tips for playing particular characters.
Genji: Deflection Master
Genji has a skill called Deflect, that many people will use to deflect incoming basic attacks, which is perfectly fine. However, did you know it can deflect nearly any projectile in the game? With the proper timing, you can deflect almost anything, including some Ultimate Attacks, like Hanzo's dragons. Additionally, it will send the projectiles wherever the cursor is aiming and you can use it to send an opponent's attacks right back at them or even at another enemy!
Genji: The Dashing Ninja
When possible, secure kills with your dash because kills reset the cooldown of your dash ability.
Genji: Shuriken Thrower
Genji’s may have some travel time, but they are unerringly accurate and have tremendous range. Use them to harass snipers like Hanzo and Widowmaker, and to damage stationary Bastions and Torbjorn turrets from relative safety.
Tracer: Rewind Queen
Tracer's ability to rewind time isn't only useful for getting out of a bad situation. It can also be used to remove any negative effects being applied to you, like an Orb of Discord from Zenyatta. It can also save your life from falls, or let you warp back to a higher ledge that you had recently jumped off of!
Reinhardt: The Walking Wall
Reinhardt has many tricks up his sleeve, but his bread and butter is the energy wall he can project, that can absorb 2000 damage. There are many basic ways to use the wall, but you should also consider doing some more unorthodox tactics at times. For instance, does your team have a couple Bastion players? Stand in front of them, and you'll protect them as they rain death on your enemies. The same can be done for Torbjorn and his turrets. Sometimes your best offense as a Reinhardt, is protecting those around you!
Reinhardt: Flame Strike’s Piercing Properties
Flamestrike deals sizeable damage, has very long range, and pierces straight through Reinhardt’s shield, or Winston’s barrier. This makes Reinhardt a surprisingly excellent choice for foiling Torbjorn turrets, Bastions, and anyone standing still behind another Reinhardt to aim because they think they are safe.
Reinhardt: The Earthshatter Wombo Combo
Reinhardt’s ultimate, Earthshatter, knocks down all enemies in a wide line in front of him. To make the most out of this, line up a Flame Strike to hit all your downed opponents afterwards, and finish with a charge to pin and kill the first target, while sending the rest sailing through the air.
Reinhardt: Put Down Your Shield
Seriously, put it down. Whenever you and your team aren’t immediately taking fire, give your shield a chance to regenerate instead of keeping it up at all times. You’ll have more energy in your shield when you actually need it this way. Also, don’t let it break, as this will add a few seconds of cooldown before it can begin regenerating.
Widowmaker: Spider Widow
Widowmaker is a very weak character. She has low health, and is an easy target while sniping, so it's up you to find a sneaky place to snipe from. That's where her grappling hook comes in. Use it to get into odd spots on the map, where players have a tough time reaching, or can't get to at all without their own grappling hook.
On top of that she has her spider mine, which when detonated releases poison gas that slows and damages the person who set it off. You can use this as an alarm, placing it behind you in case someone manages to sneak up on you. Alternatively, fire the mine aggressively into a group of enemies, and it'll likely go off before anyone is able to shoot it, slowing and damaging them for a few seconds.
Widowmaker: One Zen Shot, One Zen Kill
Normally, a fully charged shot from Widowmaker’s sniper rifle deals 150 damage, which means the only characters you can one-shot with a center-mass hit are Tracer and Zenyatta, but Having Zenyatta on your team changes all that. If marked with Zenyatta’s Orb of Discord, you can add Soldier 76, Pharah, Genji, Junkrat, Widowmaker, Hanzo, Lucio, Mercy, and Symmetra to that list.
Widowmaker: Zipping Around
Widowmaker’s zipline isn’t just for getting up to a sniper perch, but from quickly relocating from one perch to the other to keep from being flanked and/or harassed. The elevated platforms on either side of capture point A on Volskaya Industries are just one of many areas where Widowmaker can use her zipline to easily switch between two sniper perches on a whim.
Soldier 76: Pinpoint Accuracy
Soldier 76’s main weapon, the heavy pulse rifle, has perfect accuracy for the first few shots it fires before the reticle begins expanding, and the reticle begins shrinking as soon as you stop firing. In other words, if you fire in short bursts you can keep up relatively sustained fire with perfect accuracy over long ranges. Firing like this will dramatically improve your effectiveness in mid- to long-range engagements.
Soldier 76: The Ultimate Soldier
Looking for an easy-to-play guy? Soldier 76 is the man for you! He is very strong in all categories, and is an excellent starting character for learning the game, hence why he is in the tutorial mission! Don't rely on him too much though, as he can be easily countered by the likes of Genji, but he's a great starter character for fresh players.
Soldier 76: Helix Rocket is Your Friend
Helix Rocket is a versatile, powerful tool. With a direct hit from it and a quick burst of follow-up fire, Soldier 76 can take down any non-Tank in the blink of an eye. It’s particularly great for taking down a Torbjorn turret in a flash, or for putting a big enough dent in a Bastion to make him move or heal, which means he isn’t shooting you or your friends.
Soldier 76: Gotta Go Fast
Soldier 76 is the only hero in Overwatch with a sprint ability, and it allows him to disengage from bad initiations, rapidly flank, or race to the objective at the last second to force overtime. In fact, if you find yourself on offense with time ticking down, and you’ve died with another character, switching to Soldier 76 for his sprint could be the difference between a loss and a last-second stand for a win.
Pharah: Super Rocket Jump
Pharah can obviously take to the sky at-will, but she can get even more height and forward momentum by shooting her Concussive Blast ability at her feet behind her as she takes to the air. This allows her to get to some previously unreachable places.
Pharah: The Flying Powerhouse
Pharah is an absolutely devastating character to deal with. She does tons of damage, and her barrage skill rains death down on the enemy. She is particularly good as a team player, capitalizing on her enemies when they are trapped or in closed in places.
Roadhog: The One Man Hooking Machine
The beefy character of Roadhog is one of the few characters who can operate independently of his team. He has his own heal, which is very strong and on a low cooldown, so he is able to roam the map, hook targets, take some damage then heal up and carry on. This is often the best way to play him, as your're able to surprise people by flanking them.
Zenyatta: Orb Healer
Something that might not be apparent at first is that Zenyatta actually needs vision for the Orb of Harmony and Discord to work. Once you toss an orb onto someone, make sure you keep an eye on them at all times, as there is only a 3 second grace period for you to look away, before the orb will shut off and return to you.
Hanzo: Bow of Destruction
Hanzo has a lot of tricks up his sleeve, but did you know his Scatter Arrow ability can be used for more than clearing a room? If the arrow impacts right beside beside a player(usually at the base of their feet), all the splitting pieces will hit them, virtually guaranteeing a one hit kill.
Hanzo: Sonar Arrow
Enemy staying behind cover? Stick one with your sonar arrow and when they return you can see exactly how many are back there.
Reaper: Death Blossom Doesn't Make You Invincible
One big misconception with Reaper is that his Ultimate makes him invincible. This is far from the truth! You can still be shot, and a fast acting Widowmaker can ruin your fun in a heartbeat with a well placed headshot. Although Death Blossom is a great skill, you still need to be careful where you use it!
JUNKRAT: RIP-TIRE CAN CLIMB WALLS
Junkrat has a strange Ultimate, as he whips out a giant wheel and drives it around the map. A fun fact about this wheel though, is that it can climb up most small walls and ledges, allowing you to reach players who might be in the air, or up high on the roofs of buildings!
JUNKRAT: Concussion mine propulsion
MEI: THE ICE QUEEN
Mei is a very unique character as she is very self sufficient, but also incredible as a team player. Her main attack freezes you in place, making headshots very easy, and her Ultimate attack can freeze a huge area, while also dealing damage. Combo that with a Graviton Surge from Zarya, and you have one very stuck, very dead enemy team.
Mercy: Beams of Healing and Power
Mercy is a great support, with her ability to fly to allies and heal them. You may spend so much time healing, that you forget you can also buff your allies. Her alternate fire powers up your allies, allowing them to deal bonus damage.
This buff should not be taken lightly. You increase their damage by a substantial amount, and can turn even the weakest character into a powerhouse. This buff applies to all attacks that person does, so if you see someone about to use an Ultimate, connect your blue beam to them to maximize their damage!
D.Va: No Reloads Required
It's easy to forget that D.Va has unlimited ammo while in her mech. Use your boosters to get up into the enemies face and hold down the fire button until that enemy dies. However, shooting while your shield is up will cancel the shield. Don't shoot until the enemy reloads, or until your shield times out.
McCree: Flashbang Combo
McCree has one of the simplest and most effective one-two punches in Overwatch. His flash-bangs are a perfect setup for a quick hammer fan. Throw a flash, then clean up with hot lead. It'll devastate most enemies at medium range.
Soldier 76: Being a Good Soldier
Soldier: 76 is as generic as they come, but his pick-up-and-play FPS feel makes him a great entry point and he's actually pretty good. The healing ability is especially useful in tight squeezes and he can engage most foes at most ranges. Use Dash to escape from tactically-problematic situations.
Bastion: Stick and Move
Good players and teams are going to learn where you are and take you down with ease, so instead of staying in one optimal spot, keep transforming and relocating. Think about where they’ll want to go in order to counter your current position, and move somewhere that counters theirs.
Torbjorn: Mobile Turret of Doom!
Torbjorn is already a force to be reckoned with his powerful turret, but what if it could move? Well, when you're playing a Payload game type, there will be an object you have to protect as it moves across the map. As Torbjorn, hop on top of the object, then place your turret here. Now you have a mobile turret that will destroy all enemies it sees!
Bastion: Built to Last
With 300 base health, 100 of which is armored, Bastion is more survivable than any non-Tank hero, and he has an unlimited-use, incredibly efficient self-heal to boot. This gives him terrific survivability in a traditional firefight. By sticking to cover, taking pot shots, and hiding to heal when necessary, you can soak up a lot of damage and attention from the enemy team.
Bastion: Mid Air Transformer
Bastion is really, really good, but he is even better when you get the drop on players with a mid-air transformation!
Bastion can transform while falling or jumping, so if you get above the enemy team, leap into the air and hit your Ultimate, you'll land already in tank form, and be able to tear them up! This also works for the turret form, although obviously you can't roll around as the turret.
Bastion: Free Ammo
Bastions weapons reload whenever he transforms, so don’t waste time reloading your sentry gun before switching to recon mode, as it will be automatically reloaded whenever you switch back. Keeping this in mind, think about maybe transforming and moving next time you want to stop firing to reload.
Winston: Get In, Get Out
Winston’s leap ability has a short 5 second cooldown, much shorter than the duration of his protective shell. Don’t be afraid to jump into a key enemy position, drop a barrier, shoot off your tesla gun a bit, and then peace out before your barrier is down. This causes chaos, forces your opponents to scatter, and gives teammates a chance to advance, all while keeping Winston relatively safe.
Winston: Chaos Jumper
Winston is a powerful character, but not strictly due to his damage output. Winston causes chaos everywhere he goes. He's a huge gorilla, that can leap around a map, dropping shields, and smacking people off the map. When played aggressively, you'll find the enemy team running in fear, which allows your allies to come in behind you mopping them up!
Winston: The Beast Within
Winston’s ultimate isn’t a high casualty producer, it just allows him to be more aggressive and disruptive than usual. When it’s ready to go, be sure to leap into trouble, pop your barrier, and be as much of a pain as you can, and then when you are on the verge of death, pop his ult to instantly heal to double your maximum health. Keep in mind that the cooldown on his leap is only 2 seconds in this form, so use it liberally.
Winston: Leaping Tall Buildings in a Single Bound
By angling your aim upwards before activating your leap, Winston can cover immense stretches of ground rapidly, even jumping up to rooftops and landings that ordinarily require stairs. This ability is on a short 5 second cooldown, so use it constantly to disrupt and bully enemy snipers, or supports hanging out in the back.
Countering Bastion
Bastion is an absolute pain thanks to his regeneration abilities and turret form. However, there are several ways to counter him:
Countering Bastion With Genji
Genji's reflective powers allow him to bounce bullets back a the immobilized turret form of Bastion, who can't get out of the way of his own fire.
Countering Bastion With Reaper
Reaper's mobility allows the hero to pop in behind an immobile Bastion and quickly take him out. Reaper's teleportation seems custom-made to deal with Bastion.
Countering Bastion With Tracer
Tracer can likewise appear behind a bullet-spewing, distracted Bastion for a quick take-down
Countering Bastion With Roadhog
The chain hook is murder on Bastions turret mode. Roadhog's Chain hook pulls Bastion towards you as normal, but also takes him out of turret mode and forces him to switch back into his recon mode. This allows you to almost always take down that Bastion that is supressing your team.
Pharah: Death to Turrets
The long range, perfect accuracy, and heavy damage of Pharah’s rockets make her a clear counter to Bastion and Torbjorn. Once you know where they are set up, find some cover nice and far away, peek out, fire, and dip back into cover, then repeat. It’s a simple, safe way to bring these deadly defenders to heel quickly.
Countering Other Characters
Many annoying heroes can be countered with the proper techniques or other heroes.
Countering D.Va
D.Va is a close range powerhouse, and has a free escape due to her mech. To counter her, you want someone with range, and ideally an AoE. Pharah works well, as does any strong, long range character like Soldier 76.
Countering Genji
Genji is a one man wrecking crew. He can take on nearly anyone in the game, except one chilly lady, Mei. Her ice gun will freeze him solid, allowing you to pop him with an icicle, killing him quickly.
Countering Hanzo
Taking out the bow master can be tricky due to his high damage, but he suffers from the same weakness as Widowmaker, he isn't good at dealing with close up combatants. Winston and Reaper are great at getting in his face, and a fast acting Tracer can blink circles around him as he tries to line up shots.
Countering Junkrat
Junkrat can be one of the most annoying characters in the game, due to his simply grenade spamming, and various traps left around the map. Countering him then, is best done at range. Pharah works well as she can fly over him, and people like Soldier 76, Hanzo and Widowmaker can all take him out from afar.
Countering Lucio
Being a Support, you're usually going to find him in the back of the group, so the best way to take him out is with either a long range character like Widowmaker, or a fast moving close range character like Tracer or Reaper.
Countering McCree
The cowboy is one of the strongest close range Characters in the game, so to take him down, you want to be at a distance! Any character who can pummel him from afar is a plus, especially if they are fast moving, as McCree's one downfall is his very slow movement speed.
Countering Mei
The Ice Queen Mei is a tough close quarters combatant, much like McCree, so if you want to take her out, do it from a distance. Due to how her character works, she often has to stand still or at the very least, move slowly, so a Widowmaker who is fast on the trigger can land a headshot and take her out.
Countering Mercy
Much like Lucio, catching Mercy and killing her relies on long range, or fast characters. Widowmaker can snipe her from a distance as she chases behind an ally, while Tracer and Reaper can appear next to her and kill her in the blink of an eye.
Countering Pharah
Pharah is a long range, damage dealing machine. The best way to deal with her is from the shadows, at a safe distance. Widowmaker can often times snipe her as she flies through the air, as can Hanzo and Soldier 76. When she's on the ground, Junkrat is a great counter, as his trap can lock her in place as you pummel her with grenades.
Countering Reaper
The spectre that is Reaper is a devastating close range fighter who can take out even the likes of Winston in mere moments. This means taking him out should be done from very, very far away. Widowmaker is an obvious choice, but even characters like Bastion, Torbjorn and Soldier 76 can get the job done.
Countering Reinhardt
Never stand still...that's a huge help. But perhaps the best way to deal with the big lug is Mei's freeze ability. If you can work around the shield with Mei, you've pretty much spelled the end for Reinhardt. You can also counter him quite well with Widowmaker, since she can often times shoot around his shield, and Torbjorn works as his turret requires Reinhardt to lower his shield, or else have it blown apart.
Countering Roadhog
The large, slow moving Roadhog's main weakness is his size and short range. Any character who can deal medium to long range damage can counter him fairly well. Close range characters can also get the job done, but they must constantly be moving. If he lands even one hook on you, you'll die, so speed is of the utmost importance when fighting him. Lúcio's alt fire can be used to survive a pull as Roadhog's shotgun will not deal lethal damage if knocked back appropriately.
Countering Soldier 76
Taking down the Ultimate Soldier can be tough, but Mei is the lady for the job. Without his heal, Soldier 76 will quickly crumble to her as she freezes him solid and smashes him. Widowmaker and Hanzo are also quite good at taking him out, as a headshot on him will be a one hit KO!
Countering Symmetra
Taking down Symmetra is less about being the right character, and more about being a mindful player. Her skill set is designed around laying traps and helping her team, so use characters that can isolate her like Roadhog, or can take her out from range like Widowmaker. If you are rushing her, be very careful, as she likely has her laser turrets protecting her. Tracer is good for this, as you can quickly rewind time if you suddenly get bombarded with laser beams.
Countering Torbjorn
Taking out the pesky turret builder can be tough due to the strength of his turret. Reinhardt is an obvious choice, as he can use his shield to deflect the bullets while others destroy him and the turret. Tracer can also zip in, bomb him, then zip out. Long range characters like Pharah and Widowmaker can snipe him and the turret from well out of range of the deadly machine.
Countering Tracer
The best way to take out this speedster is to slow her down! Junkrat can lock her in place with his traps, Mei can freeze her given enough time, and Roadhog can hook her then one shot her. Due to her low health, other longer range characters can also blast through her, like Widowmaker with a quick headshot, or Bastion who can just spray bullets as she blinks around.
Countering Widowmaker
Widowmaker's great range makes her a true pain, especially in the hands of a player who is disciplined in keeping well-separated from the melee. Thus, the key to taking her out is killing her up close by surprising her. Characters like Reaper, Pharah and Winston are great for this, as they can suddenly be in her face, while Genji, as with most things, is great as a counter since he can deflect her shots while slicing her up.
Countering Winston
Due to his very limited range, the best way to deal with this gorilla is to take him out from a distance. Thankfully he is quite large, so he makes an easy target even at long distances. When engaging him though, be mindful of his jumps, which can suddenly close gaps, or get him to safety. Mei and Junkrat are excellent at cancelling that, locking him in place as he gets pummeled but all those around him.
Countering Zarya
Zarya, like most tanks, is a close range fighter so your best option is to take her out at range. Do keep in mind her shield absorbs damage and makes her stronger, so anytime the shield is up, you shouldn't be firing at her. Much like Winston, anyone who can keep Zarya locked in one position is an asset.
Countering Zenyatta
Zenyatta is the weakest of the supports, making him an easy kill if you can see him. Widowmaker can easily snipe him, while Reaper and Tracer can quickly appear behind him and blast him to bits. Do be careful though, that he doesn't tag you with an Orb of Discord, which increases the damage you take by nearly 50%!
Secrets & Easter Eggs
This section covers general secrets, easter eggs, and other referential stuff.
D.Va is a Pro Gamer
A fun little fact you can learn by reading her biography, is that D.Va is actually a South Korean professional gamer who was recruited by her country's military to fight off an omnic monstrosity.
Hanamura, Home of the Easter Eggs
The map Hanamura is full of little Easter Eggs, which can easily be missed in the heat of battle. The first is the 16 Bit Arcade, which houses many different arcade cabinets, most of which are based on popular Blizzard franchises.
The next is right outside. Look at the store in front of the arcade to see it's a Rikimaru Ramen shop.
Lastly, at the other end of the map is a dojo where Genji and Hanzo once trained.
Inside, you can see the signs of battle, as the banner has been cut, and there are throwing stars lodged into the wall.
Temple of Anubis
Ever take the time to look at the vehicle you spawn in while playing on the Temple of Anubis? On the inside, you can find the skull of a Hydralisk from the Starcraft universe, and on the outside, there is a spraypainted picture of a Murloc from the Warcraft universe.
Also, if you look at the various hieroglyphs on the map, you will occasionally see the emblem for the Horde from Warcraft.
Hollywood
Around the map, you occasionally will see promotional posters for various movies. Some of the movies are based off characters from the game, but an even deeper Easter Egg exists!
Take a look at the company behind the movie. Goldshire Productions! Goldshire is the name of a town from World of Warcraft.
Not only that, but if you look at a camera, you will see that it's got the name Kilrogg on it, who is a character from Warcraft.
Lucio the DJ
The fast moving Lucio always has his music going to either heal or speed up the team, but did you know the songs he plays actually have full versions?
They do! His in game tracks are just tiny clips of full songs that can be heard on the Blizzard Soundcloud.