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Roadhog stood as one of the most imposing tanks in all of Overwatch, thanks to his ridiculous damage output and his ability to one-shot certain characters with his hook-and-scrap-gun combo. Players that were looking for a solid off-tank could always rely on the masked brute to pull nuisance DPS, pick off healers, and stun certain characters out of their ultimate. Players that could reliably land hooks with Roadhog were something to fear (as the hook was notoriously broken at times in the original release). Thankfully, for Roadhog enthusiasts, the Tank hasn't changed much in Overwatch 2.

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While that's bad news for many Roadhog haters, the new meta shines a different light on the big man. Gone are the days of two tanks (in traditional queue quick play and queue ranked, at least) as Overwatch 2 has shifted to a 5-vs-5 structure that has teams shedding one Tank. Because of this, Roadhog no longer serves as a devastating off-tank and must instead push himself to the frontlines as the main tank, soaking up all the available damage for his team while simultaneously dishing out damage. Players shouldn't get it twisted, Roadhog is still very dangerous in Overwatch 2, but his playstyle has shifted slightly to accommodate being the only Tank on the field. Here's a look at how to get the most out of Roadhog in Overwatch 2.

Roadhog's Playstyle In Overwatch 2

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Roadhog can best be classified as a Bruiser. When it comes to "shielding teammates," the big man himself is nothing more than a large target for incoming fire. Unfortunately, Roadhog doesn't have much in the way of blocking damage, aside from standing in front of it. That said, he makes a mighty fine meat shield, and some of his abilities will help players keep nuisance DPS and other tanks from ripping through their team.

His great self-healing capabilities and massive short-range damage output will keep most enemies from straying too close. Roadhog's "presence" on the battlefield is what makes him such a useful Tank, even in a 5-vs-5 situation in which he is the only Tank available. His Hook ability and Scrap Gun can make quick work of almost any DPS or Support in one or two shots when face-to-face. He's also capable of battling at mid-range with his alternate fire. This makes him a great tool to capture objectives and push the payload. Thanks to his massive health pool, a Roadhog with dedicated healers can be difficult to take down, which can be quite the headache for teams that don't have a lot of damage output.

Although he's not a shielding tank, Roadhog can still knock back enemies with his ultimate, and his Hook is capable of stunning players right out of their ultimates, allowing him to shut down abilities like Reaper's Death Blossom to keep his team safe. Those that are looking to get the most out of Roadhog in Overwatch 2 should be sure to focus on objectives this time around. With Roadhog being the only Tank on the field in most traditional queue game modes, it's important that players focus on using his kit to deal damage to harassing DPS and Supports so that his team has a better chance of surviving each team fight. This will include things like focusing on specific nuisance characters, hooking them to eliminate them, and protecting Supports from gunfire by standing in front of incoming fire. Roadhog's best "Tank" ability is simply his body, thanks to his massive frame and health pool.

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Roadhog's Abilities In Overwatch 2

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Scrap Gun (Weapon)

The Scrap Gun is Roadhog's main damage dealer. This manmade concoction operates much like a shotgun with its primary fire, blasting enemies and dishing out serious damage at close range. The junk-firing weapon is capable of taking out squishier heroes in just a couple of shots, and even Tanks will see their HP drain if a Roadhog player is landing consecutive headshots. The weapon makes Roadhog's Chain Hook ability even deadlier, as players will find themselves pulled as close as possible to the brute before taking a punishing Scrap Gun shot.

Thanks to the weapon's alternate fire, it can also act as a sort of mid-range weapon. The alternate fire will shoot out a "ball" of concentrated junk that travels quite a bit further than the primary fire. This more accurate shot requires better aim but can tag enemies at farther range and is capable of decimating squishier enemies if a headshot connects. These two fire types give Roadhog great utility as both a close-range and mid-range tank, giving players options when deciding what opponents to focus their fire on.

Take A Breather (Active)

Take a Breather is perhaps Roadhog's best ability when it comes to tanking damage. The active skill won't give players any sort of damage reduction buff, but it offers them a rather powerful heal that can be activated while in battle, helping to keep their HP up and allowing them to absorb even more damage. Pair this fairly-low-cooldown ability with a dedicated healer, and it's easy to see why it's so difficult to take Roadhog down.

Take A Breather takes a few moments to "activate," as the health won't instantly be available and instead fills up over a short period of time and players should be aware of this when trying to keep themselves alive during team fights. This ability was actually buffed for Overwatch 2 and will now fill a staggering 350 health back to Roadhog's HP bar.

Chain Hook (Active)

The Chain Hook is one of the most useful abilities in Overwatch 2. The fast-fire Hook is thrown out toward enemies when activated (wherever the player is aiming) and if it comes in contact with them, it will pull them close to Roadhog, allowing him to deal out damage face-to-face. This is particularly useful for players that attempt to stay at the mid-range. But Chain Hook's usefulness extends far past simply pulling players a bit closer. It's the ultimate tool for snagging frustratingly-fast characters like Tracer, Lucio, and Genji. It's also capable of stunning certain enemies out of their abilities or ultimates. The Chain Hook sees a fairly low cooldown and gives Roadhog players a solid amount of CC to deal with nuisance DPS that may be harassing their team.

Whole Hog (Ultimate)

Roadhog's ultimate has been revamped for Overwatch 2 and has been changed from a Channeled Ultimate into a Transform Ultimate. Rather than spew out an endless amount of junk that must simply be aimed, players will now pull out the filled Scrap Gun and have the freedom to fire it as they see fit. The reason this is important is that the "pauses" in firing allow players to use Roadhog's other abilities, like Take A Breather and Chain Hook.

It's important to note that this new Transform Ultimate means that players must hit the Fire Button again to begin firing after the ult has been activated. The change also makes it impossible for Roadhog to be stunned out of the ult, giving players much more stability and maneuverability when using Whole Hog.

Roadhog's Combos In Overwatch 2

Due to the nature of his ult, which has quite a bit of knockback, Roadhog doesn't have many ultimate combos that he can utilize with other heroes. That said, there are still some good choices for players that want to synergize well with their team.

  • Roadhog + Ana -- Ana's Nano Boost ultimate can turn Roadhog into even more of a menace, increasing his damage, health, and movement speed. Paired with the Whole Hog ultimate, this duo can dish out quite a bit of damage to the enemy team.
  • Roadhog + Mei -- Mei is very helpful for Roadhog players as she makes it much easier for them to land their hooks. As Mei hits enemies with her weapon, they will slow down dramatically, giving Roadhog an opening to snag them.
  • Roadhog + Zenyatta -- Roadhog and Zenyatta pair well together thanks to Zenyatta's Discord Orb. Each time Roadhog manages to hook an opposing player, a quick Zenyatta can toss a Discord Orb onto them, so Roadhog's Scrap Gun will deal even heavier damage at close range.

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Roadhog's Advantages & Counters In Overwatch 2

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Roadhog is one of the best tanks in the game for dealing with frustrating and speedy DPS characters. Players that find themselves struggling to battle against a mid-range Soldier 76 will be able to pull him away from his self-healing Biotic Field and make quick work of him with the Scrap Gun. Even a turret-mode Bastion is no match for a well-placed Chain Hook, which will stun the robot and put him face-to-face with a blast of damage-dealing junk. Roadhog is also perfect for snagging elusive Support characters like the speedy Lucio, floating Mercy, or dodge-heavy Moira. All of these characters will be hard-pressed to dish out enough damage to knock Roadhog out before his Hook and Scrap Gun combo makes short work of them.

As powerful as he is, Roadhog isn't without his counters. He will struggle quite a bit against a good Ana player, as she can completely negate his Take A Breather ability with her Anti-healing grenade. He will also struggle mightily against Reaper, who will chew through his massive health with ease thanks to his immensely powerful Hellfire Shotguns. Reaper also heals based on his damage output, making him a nightmare for Roadhog players that miss their Chain Hook. Mei also provides quite the headache as her weapon will slow down Roadhog dramatically, and her Ice Spikes can out-range the alternate fire of the Scrap Gun. Her wall can also block Roadhog's line of sight and make it hard for him to use his Chain Hook. There are even a couple of Tanks that provide problems for the big brute. Zarya's damage-negating bubble shields make it hard for Roadhog to dish out consistent damage and D.Va has a much easier time dealing the Tank thanks to her movement, armor, and damaging rockets.

Tips & Tricks

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As we've covered above, Roadhog works best at close-to-mid-range and is one of the best possible Tank choices if players are dealing with a team of speedsters or some particularly annoying DPS. Although Roadhog lacks the ability to shield his allies, he more than makes up for it with an immense health pool and large frame, which lets him stand in front of his team and soak up damage. Players should be careful not to become too reliant on their healers, as it can take quite a bit of time and resources to fill Roadhog's health bar, meaning they should use Take a Breather if their health dips too low to help the healers keep them patched up, especially those that are taking an immense amount of damage from the enemy team.

Players should be incredibly careful when using Take A Breather in the presence of an Ana. If they're struck with an Anti-healing grenade, their ability will cease giving them health, even if it's in mid-activation. This can make Roadhog a sitting duck, especially for teams that have long-range capabilities. Players will have a hard time dealing with long-range targets like Widowmaker and Ashe and should instead try to keep their heads down and allow their teammates to take care of these threats.

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Because Roadhog finds himself as the main Tank in queue game modes, players should be sure to stick in front of their team and push objectives and payloads. Roadhog's presence on the battlefield will keep other players in check, as one misstep can see them trapped by a hook and one-shotted by his Scrap Gun. Players should use this psychological advantage to be a bit more aggressive, pushing up when they can to keep squishier opponents at bay. Players should also practice the "Chain Hook Combo." Once players have successfully hooked an enemy, they should be able to get off a melee attack and a Scrap Gun primary fire blast if they're fast enough. This combo is deadly and can eliminate many lower-health characters instantly.

Although his Whole Hog ultimate has a ton of spread, it's not particularly powerful as it pushes enemies back. It can be a great tool to push enemies off of a point to help cap, or to push grouped enemies away from one another to create openings. It's also great for forcing enemies off the edge of a map. The lack of damage can be accounted for with a well-timed Nano Boost from Ana or if players use the ultimate in close quarters. By using Whole Hog to pin an enemy to a wall or other object, they can move closer to them and dish out quite a bit of damage in a short period of time.