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Reaper is easily one of the most iconic and recognizable characters in Overwatch. The brooding and somewhat edgy "biological weapon" has been terrorizing Overwatch's heroes both on and off the battlefield for some time. As a leader of Blackwatch, the enigmatic shade is a great pick for players that prefer to do their fighting in an up-close and personal manner. On top of that, his passive ability makes him a bit of a menace for those that are incapable of bursting his health pool down quickly, as he will simply heal up over time as he dishes out damage.

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Reaper hasn't changed much in Overwatch 2, except for some small changes to his Hellfire Shotguns. To better help new and returning players master the Shadow Stepping villain, the following guide dives into his playstyle, abilities, counters, advantages, and more.

Reaper's Playstyle In Overwatch 2

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Although there are many characters that offer an in-your-face play style that rewards aggression head-on, Reaper plays his best as a "flanker." In the original release, the Blackwatch icon spent most of his time in the shadows, wrapping around enemy teams to punish their backline. His playstyle is somewhat similar in Overwatch 2, although players do need to be aware of the slight change to the game's structure, which sees 5v5 setups instead of 6v6.

The original "meta" saw an even split of two damage, two tanks, and two healers. This new 5v5 structure has teams dropping one tank, meaning there is no "off-tank" in this situation. This can make it a bit more difficult for Reaper to remain in the enemy's backline areas for too long as the team won't be near as "distracted" with only one tank to eliminate. The 5v5 setup moves quite a bit faster than the original release, so players that are planning to wrap around the enemy need to be sure they move quickly and have an escape to retreat back to their team if needed.

It's also important to note that Reaper is a close-quarters fighter only. Players will see a large amount of damage fall-off from his shotgun at the mid and long ranges. Reaper excels in tight quarters and his shotguns dish out a ton of damage, even with body shots. Although Reaper is fairly well-equipped to help bust up tanks, thanks to his immense close-range damage and heal-on-shot capabilities, he's best used as an "assassin" to take out squishier targets and non-mobile healers and damage-dealers. Players should put most of their focus into sneaking around enemies and picking off smaller targets (which Reaper can make short work of at close range) with a priority focus on healers.

Reaper's Abilities In Overwatch 2

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Hellfire Shotguns (Weapon)

Reaper's damage dealers come in the form of two rather aggressive-looking shotguns, and he will pursue enemies with one in each hand, shooting them in an alternating fashion with each pull of the trigger. These weapons can punish players at close range, especially targets with a lower health pool. Players that manage to land some critical shots with the Hellfire Shotguns can quickly lay waste to almost any non-tank enemy. That said, players will need to be within only a few feet of the target in question. These shotguns see a massive damage reduction at range and this will force players to be up close and personal on the battlefield.

Comparative to the original Overwatch, Reaper's Hellfire Shotguns have seen a small "nerf." Their overall damage per pellet was reduced from 6 to 5.4, but the pellet spread increased one jump from 6 to 7. This means the shotguns will hit more targets in a fight but do even less damage the further that Reaper is from his enemy. This makes it even more imperative that players are as close to their enemy as possible before firing.

Wraith Form (Active)

Players that want to get the most out of Reaper will want to try their best to flank enemies whenever possible, which can be pretty dangerous if they're "caught." Thankfully, Reaper comes equipped with a sort of "get out of jail free" card. By activating Wraith Form, players will become completely immune to damage and crowd control abilities, and will also gain a serious boost of movement speed. During this small window of time, Reaper is unable to shoot, making Wraith Form an escape tool more than anything else. If players feel as if they're going to lose a fight, or find themselves outnumbered, they can pop Wraith Form to quickly retreat toward their team or to a nearby Health Pack.

Although it is primarily a defensive ability, Wraith Form can also be used to gain a small boost of speed when pursuing an enemy. This makes it a great tool to close the gap on a low-health target that is attempting to escape.

Shadow Step (Active)

What good would a sneaky player be without an ability that helps them prowl around the map? Although Reaper doesn't have any movement abilities that increase his speed outside the short boost from Wraith Form, he does gain access to a teleport in Shadow Step. Players can activate Shadow Step and then aim to show a special hazy mist-like marker that indicates where they can teleport. Accepting the teleport will cause Reaper to disappear from his current location and reappear at the chosen destination. Players do need to be aware that the ability is a bit "flashy" in that it shows a swirling red mist-like object to the enemy and Reaper is completely vulnerable for the short period of time when he is teleporting.

Because of this, players should be careful and choose when and where to use Shadow Step. It can be a fantastic tool to get the jump on an enemy, allowing Reaper to access areas of the map that other characters cannot. It can also be used to escape from pursuing enemies if it's used soon enough, giving Reaper a semi-quick getaway under the right circumstances.

The Reaping (Passive)

Although Reaper is a "squishy" damage dealer, he has a bit more staying power than other characters in a similar role. This is primarily due to his passive, The Reaping. A very straightforward ability, it heals Reaper for a small percentage of health based on the damage he deals. This can make him a bit of a nightmare in a team fight, as his increased Hellfire Shotgun spread means he can tag more targets at once to increase his damage (and healing as a product).

Players will have a better chance in 1-vs-1 situations against certain characters as Reaper can keep the pressure on them, healing for a small amount with each shot that lands. Players that are engaging in a team fight can quickly turn their attention to any nearby tanks and sap away some much-needed health by peppering the larger target with the Hellfire Shotguns. Those that learn how to position away from enemy gunfire, dipping in and out during team fights and skirmishes, will benefit the most from this health-stealing mechanic.

Death Blossom (Ultimate)

Reaper's ultimate ability is Death Blossom, a large AOE ability that sees him spinning and shooting his Hellfire Shotguns in all directions. This ultimate can quickly lay waste to lower-health targets by quickly draining their small health pools. It is possible for Reaper to be stunned or hacked out of this ultimate but, with fewer stunning and CC abilities present in Overwatch 2, players should have an easier time dishing out damage with the attack.

That said, it is important to note that many tanks are large and imposing enough to outlast a Death Blossom and can still attack Reaper while he is in mid-ult. Because of this, players will want to ensure that they position their Death Blossom onto groups of squishier enemies, while also avoiding characters like Ana, Sombra, and Roadhog, which can instantly end the ult with a well-timed sleep dart, hack, or hook. Reinhardt and Sigma can also block a majority of Death Blossom's damage with their shields. The best course of action is to use Death Blossom when the tank is off the field or behind the tank where they can not adequately protect their teammates.

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Reaper's Combos In Overwatch 2

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Reaper works well with heroes that can complement his up-close-and-personal play style. Those that are looking to get the most out of the damage dealer can pair him with other Overwatch 2 heroes to create combos that will work alongside his abilities. Here's a look at some of the heroes that pair well with Reaper on the battlefield.

  • Reaper + Sombra -- This combo works exceedingly well if players can get both ults off at the same time. Sombra's EMP ultimate will leave the enemy without the use of their abilities, allowing Reaper to swoop in with a team-clearing Death Blossom that the enemy will have a much harder time defending against or escaping from.
  • Reaper + Ana -- Ana's Nano Boost ultimate can turn Reaper into a much deadlier foe, with or without a Death Blossom at the ready. Those that time the Nano Boost with Reaper's Ultimate will have a much easier time scoring multiple kills but players shouldn't sleep on a "Nano'd" Reaper without ult as he still receives greatly increased damage, speed, and health, giving him the ability to whittle down a team or clear multiple squishy targets in a short period of time.
  • Reaper + Zarya -- Zarya's ultimate is the perfect catalyst for Reaper as it gives him the best possibility for a close range Death Blossom. Players that get caught in Zarya's ult will be bundled up, allowing reaper to jump directly into the middle of them, or near them, to activate his Death Blossom for maximum damage potential.
  • Reaper + Kiriko -- Kiriko provides interesting support for the back line flanking Reaper as he is often too far out of reach of a healer to receive much assistance. Although he doesn't need it usually thanks to his passive, and the ability to swoop away with Wraith Form to grab health packs, he can still benefit from a Kiriko on his team. Her ability to teleport to a player, even through walls, allows her to leap to Reaper and help him secure a couple of kills. Teams with great communication would benefit most from this pairing.
  • Reaper + Orisa -- What may seem like overkill at first is actually a necessary evil for stronger teams with a lot of healing potential. Orisa's new Overwatch 2 ultimate gives her the ability to pull enemies inward before slamming her spear down to damage them. If a Reaper manages to hit the Death Blossom at the same time, he should effectively clean up any stragglers not destroyed by the blast, or soften them up for Orisa to finish off on the downswing.

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Reaper's Advantages & Counters In Overwatch 2

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Reaper excels at dishing out massive amounts of damage to close-range targets, making him the prime choice to combat those that don't have much movement or escape. If Reaper can manage to flank around behind an enemy team and catch a lone Mercy or an unaware Zenyatta, they should be able to make quick work of them with only a few shotgun blasts. Reaper also works well as a tank buster, thanks to his large damage output, and can usually eliminate a Reinhardt or a Doomfist with ease so long as he stays out of their reach, and away from their abilities.

Conversely, because Reaper is a close-quarters fighter, he will struggle quite a bit with characters that excel at long and medium range. Although Reaper is capable of taking down heroes like Ashe, Hanzo, and Widowmaker without much of a struggle, he will need to catch them unaware and avoid engaging them head-on as they can easily take him out from distance. He will also struggle quite a bit with characters that can escape his range easily. Cassidy's ability to roll away makes him a headache for Reaper, especially if he can land a headshot or a grenade afterward. He will also struggle against characters like Sojourn and Parah as they can quickly jump away. It should also be noted that Sombra and Roadhog can be a bit of a headache for unexperienced Reaper players as they can stop his Death Blossom with either a hack or a hook.

Tips & Tricks

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The key to playing Reaper effectively relies a lot on positioning. Unfortunately, the cloaked shotgunner doesn't have any answers when it comes to ranged combat. This forces Reaper players to be tactical about their approach both in and out of team fights. How Reaper is played during engagements will differ a bit from how he is played when attempting to flank the enemy team.

Those that are looking to branch off on their own and score some kills from the backline should get used to finding untraveled routes in each map. Reaper's ability to Shadow Step onto various ledges and areas makes him a nightmare to keep track of, and the best Reaper players will attempt to find different routes each time they attempt to flank the enemy, which will keep opponents constantly guessing where he might be. Just the "idea" that a Reaper could be skulking around in the back lines is enough to help disrupt healers and squishier foes. Players that spend time in the backline should be aware that the 5-vs-5 structure makes it much more likely that they'll be spotted (without another Tank around soaking up damage and providing a distraction). Because of this, they'll want to ensure their Wraith Form is off cooldown before engaging, allowing them to slip away from an unwinnable fight or retreat to a health pack if needed.

In a team fight, Reaper can provide solid damage if he's up close and personal. It's smart for him to use his own Tank as a barrier, sticking closer to him and dishing out damage to the enemy tank and other players if they push too close. Reaper can be a viable tank buster for players that are used to his gunplay, especially those that can land close-range headshots. Sticking nearby the enemy tank and friendly tank also gives Reaper a better option for siphoning health. Because his health siphon ability is based on his damage output, Tanks provide a "feeding ground" for him, as they're much larger targets and have bigger health pools to draw from.

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That said, Reaper should always try his best to focus on eliminating healers and squishier targets, especially those that have a difficult time escaping his barrage of shotgun blasts due to a lack of mobility. Wraith Form is the best tool in a player's arsenal for closing gaps or escaping danger, so Reaper players should be sure to learn how Wraith Form works, as well as how long it lasts.

Finally, players should be very picky about where and when to activate Death Blossom. Although it's a great ultimate for clearing groups and scoring multi-kills, it's also easily avoidable for players that are on high alert. Reaper should be careful not to activate Death Blossom with a Tank around, especially one that can block the damage or stun him out of the ultimate entirely. Tanks won't go down nearly as quickly during a Death Blossom unless they are already at low health. Instead, Reaper should activate his Death Blossom near whatever target he wants to eliminate first, like a healer or a squishier damage dealer. Players should also be careful where they activate Death Blossom as the shotgun blasts will not go through walls, so it's best to avoid areas with a lot of obstacles.