Blizzard Entertainment's recently released Overwatch 2 wipes the slate clean for veterans of the original, and opens the door to newcomers in its free-to-play state. There have been many content changes and rebalancing to the beloved hero-shooter, including an updated graphics overhaul, reworked characters, and a brand new objective mode!
All players, new and old, have had to start again in Overwatch 2's competitive mode with the new tier ranking system. With so many new players lacking experience, it can be quite difficult to climb up through the ranks and reach that shiny and elusive Masters rank. With some mechanical skill and experience, here are pro-tips to help players improve their ranks in Overwatch 2.
10 Practice Range
This may seem like a basic tip but if match queue are too long, players can warm up and train their aim in the Practice Range. The Practice Range is full of slow-moving AI bots where players can test out a characters full kit without the pressure and stress of being in an actual game versus other players.
This is the perfect way to a get a grip on different character abilities and how they work, like Mercy's Super Jump or test out damage-dealing combos. There's nothing worse than getting into a game with a character and having no idea how they work! This is one of the best ways for new players to master a character and figure out who their main heroes are.
9 Tweak Player Settings
One of the first things players should do upon launching Overwatch 2 is tweaking their settings to personalize it towards their preferences. Players should aim to be reaching high frames-per-second for a smoother gameplay experience. The smoother the game runs and the higher their fps is, the smoother the players aim will be.
Crosshairs are also an important alteration, and can be changed individually for each character on the roster. For example, it might be best to have a small crosshair for Widowmaker due to her pinpoint accuracy, whereas Reaper may benefit from a larger crosshair due to his shotgun weapon's spread. The color of the reticle can also be changed, so players can see where they're aiming against bold backgrounds. Bright colors like red or magenta are recommended.
8 Utilize Communication
Like all team-based FPS games, communication is crucial to winning a game. Blizzard's hero shooter is lucky enough to have several forms of Communication for players to use. Players can communicate through team chat using a microphone, or typing using quick chat. Even if they don't have a microphone, players can still convey messages to their team.
The all-new updated ping system allows players to ping enemy locations, or warn teammates to fall back from danger. The pings are contextual, so if players ping a specific enemy, the player character will call which hero they have spotted. Good communication almost always results in a win, so don't be afraid to join team chat even without a micro; it is helpful ti just listen! Players that communicate will often receive endorsements from their teammates at the end of the match!
7 Learn The Basics Of Each Hero
With such a sizable roster of characters, there is much for players to learn. To avoid being stumped in the midst of battle, players should make sure to learn the basics of each hero, like knowing which hero counters who and what their basic abilities do.
For example, Ana has her Biotic Grenade, which amplifies healing for her own team while negating and preventing enemy healing for a short duration. There is no point healing a teammate who has been hit by an enemy Ana Grenade. Learning small details like this can turn the tide of teamfight and prevent silly mistakes.
6 Play The Objective
Players coming from traditional FPS games like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive or Valorant may be used to playing for kills in Team Deathmatch scenarios. Overwatch 2 may be a hero-based FPS, but it is a team-based objective game requiring players to work together to escort a payload, or claim a control point instead of racking up kills.
The objective should ideally be the place where most teamfights are focused, so make a beeline for the objective and play around it. Many players lose matches in the last few seconds because they have abandoned the objective in favor of kills.
5 Positioning
Leading on from the previous point, positioning is king to winning any engagement. Overwatch 2 features characters that can grapple hook to high vantage points, wall climb and double jump to attack from all sorts of different angles. Player should consider their positioning when going up against the enemy team, like figuring out if they have any flankers, snipers, or an opponent planning a surprise ambush. It is also best to plan potential escape routes in the event the fight becomes one-sided.
The sole Tank of the group needs to essentially be the Team Coordinator leading the charge, and should always be in the frontline unless they are peeling to protect their Supports. Supports need to position themselves close to their Tank for protection while also staying hidden from any snipers that can easily pick them off. Damage dealers need to follow their Tank into battle to create space and assist them during an aggressive push.
4 Know When To Switch
Team synergies and counters are critical in Overwatch 2; a well-built team that compliments each other is what will take them to victory. Ultimates and abilities that can combo well together will make a huge difference, like Ana's Nano Boost and Genji's Dragonblade, or an airborne Mercy is the perfect Support to heal a Pharah.
Bearing this in mind, it is also important to know when to switch heroes if that is required, and assess the enemy team and their composition. Players may be getting countered by the enemy, like a flanking Tracer and switch to Cassidy to prevent this. Conversely, players may need to switch to counter someone on the opposing team, like Tank may need to switch to D.Va or Winston to counteract a skilled Widowmaker.
3 Role Diversity
The archetypes for character roles in Overwatch 2 is split into three categories: Tank, Damage, and Support. There are several reasons to master several characters across all three roles, to ensure players don't get caught out by something choosing their main hero, or the enemy countering their pick.
Especially when queuing for Open Roles, it is best for players to learn a few characters from each of the three roles. To counter the enemy team, players may be forced to take a character they are unfamiliar to balance the playing field. A real skilled Overwatch 2 player will need to be flexible in what heroes they can play, and be able to help their team with whatever is required.
2 Figure Out Priority Targets
In a 5v5 battle, players need to prioritize who their targets are. For a Support, they should ensure they heal their sole Tank first, particularly if they are critically low Health because the team will fall apart without a frontline Tank, leaving an opening for the enemy to bulldoze through.
Damage dealers should focus their fire onto the enemy Supports in the backline and harass them or look for an easy kill. Supports are the backbone and literal lifeline of the team and without them, the enemy will have to fall back and regroup.
1 Timing Is Key
Ultimates charge up quicker while dealing damage, or healing if playing as a Support. This doesn't mean that player should immediately blow their Ultimate as soon as it is fully charged. Timing is critical to winning a teamfight, and can be combo'ed with other teammates abilities and Ultimates for a much bigger impact.
It may be tempting to launch D.Va's Self Destruct immediately upon it becoming available, but is best sometimes best to exercise patience, as it is best paired with several other abilities like Sombra's Hack or EMP, Mei's Blizzard, and others, to secure more kills. Communicate with the team to find the optimal time to coordinate Ultimates for a more devastating impact.
Overwatch 2 is free-to-play on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.