Overwatch 2 has finally arrived, bringing substantial changes to Blizzard Entertainment's original hero shooter while retaining the core gameplay. Although team sizes have dropped from 6 to 5, and several new Heroes are on the horizon, players will still be picking between Tank, DPS, and Support in Overwatch 2.
Each DPS Hero is built for a specific role and playstyle, and when it comes to long-range combat, there's no competition for Widowmaker. Widowmaker is Overwatch 2's most deadly sniper Hero, able to put down massive amounts of damage with accurate shots at long range, and with the utility and defensive tools to make up for her low HP.
Updated on October 12, 2022: Now that Overwatch 2 has been out for a couple of weeks, we've had more time to experiment with various heroes. To give players the most up-to-date strategies, this Overwatch 2 guide for Widowmaker has been updated to include information on the Heroes' combos, advantages, and counters.
Widowmaker's Playstyle In Overwatch 2
Widowmaker's playstyle hasn't changed much in Overwatch 2, and she still excels in the sniper role that she's filled ever since the original Overwatch launched. The core of Widowmaker's kit is her rifle, which allows her to deal devastating amounts of damage while scoped-in and fully-charged, particularly with a headshot. However, the speed reduction she takes while scoped-in means that Widowmaker should almost always hang back from fights, picking off Heroes at long range while avoiding being directly targeted.
Widowmaker isn't entirely defenseless at close-range, as she can also fire her rifle in fully-automatic mode, but her low HP and mobility means she's most vulnerable in a close-quarters fight. Fortunately, her Venom Mine can both deal damage and warn of approaching enemies, giving her some protection against fast and agile Heroes like Tracer or Genji. Additionally, her Grappling Hook can be used to evade flankers or to take a superior position for sniping.
Widowmaker's Abilities In Overwatch 2
Widow's Kiss
Widowmaker's rifle is a hitscan weapon with pinpoint accuracy while aiming down the scope. Unlike most weapons in Overwatch 2, Widow's Kiss deals 2.5x damage on a critical hit instead of 2x. This lets Widowmaker deal some of the highest single-shot damage in the game, allowing her to one-shot any non-Tank Hero in the game when fully-charged.
A quick shot with the Widow's Kiss will deal very little damage, so players should definitely take the second it needs to charge up. Low-HP Heroes like Genji can be killed with even a partially-charged shot, meaning players don't always need to wait for 100%.
The Widow's Kiss can also be used in fully-automatic mode, which can be useful for close-quarters defense. Although the weapon has a significantly lower DPS in this mode, its large magazine will allow Widowmaker to keep up a stream of fire to dissuade weakened enemy Heroes from pursuing her.
Grappling Hook
Widowmaker's Grappling Hook can be fired at any mountable surface to pull herself to it and climb up. This tool allows her to both escape Tank Heroes that have come too close, and move to higher ground for a better sniping position. Widowmaker can interrupt her Grappling Hook at any time by jumping, allowing her to abort a dangerous Hook.
Venom Mine
Widowmaker's Venom Mine will attach itself to any solid surface when fired, and then detonate when an enemy moves within 3 meters. The Venom Mine poisons enemies for damage-over-time, and reveals them to Widowmaker for the 5 seconds that the poison lasts. This makes it very useful for detecting flanking attempts, as it will not only warn Widowmaker that an enemy is trying to get behind her, but also reveal who that enemy is.
Infra-Sight (Ultimate)
The Infra-Sight Ultimate ability in Overwatch 2 allows Widowmaker and her entire team to see enemy Heroes through walls for 15 seconds. This is a massive intel bonus, and can be essential for setting up team fights and ambushes, and for allowing Widowmaker to line up head-shots on targets that are about to leave cover.
Tips And Tricks For Widowmaker In Overwatch 2
Widowmaker shines on maps like Junkertown with long corridors and large open areas, but has difficulty when fighting in narrow rooms or areas with lots of flanking opportunities. However, even on open maps Widowmaker should never snipe from the same position for too long. The distinctive sound and tracer of her Widow's Kiss will soon give away her position, allowing enemy Heroes to work around her or set up a flanking attack. Provided that Widowmaker stays on the move and remains aware of flanking attempts, she should be able to pick off the enemy team one by one.
Despite Widowmaker's major bonus to headshot damage, there are certain situations where aiming for body-shots is the better choice. Fast Heroes that are aware of Widowmaker's position will always try to dodge and make it very difficult to land a successful headshot, but this kind of Hero often has low enough HP that two fully-charged bodyshots will be enough to kill them. Even if Widowmaker is unable to make the kill herself, a fully-charged bodyshot often removes enough HP that her close-range teammates can seize the opportunity and finish off the target.
Widowmaker Combos in Overwatch 2
Widowmaker + Ana
Ana is one of the best Supports in Overwatch 2 for long-range characters, and as Widowmaker is the queen of long-range Ana is a great pick with her. As well as being able to easily heal Widowmaker from any distance, Ana can also massively boost her damage using Nano Boost. Under the effects of Nano Boost, Widowmaker can one-shot Tanks with up to 400HP, as well as kill squishier Heroes with a single body-shot.
Widowmaker + Mercy
Following the theme of Supports who can boost Widowmaker's already prodigious damage, Mercy's Caduceus Staff can apply a 30% buff for as long as she keeps it focused on Widowmaker. This buff can allow Widowmaker to make a huge difference in key moments, and Mercy should be able to easily keep up with Widowmaker's mobility using her Guardian Angel Ability.
Widowmaker + Genji/Tracer/Sombra
Once an enemy team knows that Widowmaker is watching an area, they'll be less likely to wander into the open. However, a good flanking DPS like Tracer, Sombra, or Genji can force them to reposition, allowing Widowmaker a clear shot. Slower Tanks like Reinhardt or Sigma can be made to turn by an attack in the rear, dropping their barriers and giving Widowmaker the opportunity to deal serious damage.
Widowmaker + Sigma
As a long-range but fragile DPS Hero, Widowmaker often relies on the positioning and Abilities of her team's Tank in order to avoid taking return fire. Sigma fills this role perfectly due to the flexibility of his Experimental Barrier. While most Tanks lead from the front, Sigma can be played in a mid-range position, using the fact that he can place his Barrier from a distance to protect lone DPS Heroes like Widowmaker. Additionally, Sigma's Gravitic Flux Ultimate can set WIdowmaker up for some easy headshots, if the Sigma player communicates when they're going to use it.
Widowmaker + Winston
Unlike Sigma, Winston is an aggressive Tank that is best suited to close-quarters fights and fast charges using his Jump Pack. These charges will force enemy Heroes out of cover in the same way as a flanking Genji or Tracer, but they can also be used defensively. Winston's unprecedented mobility allows him to clear out enemy sniper positions with ease, and also rush back to provide protection against flanking DPS Heroes.
Widowmaker Advantages and Counters in Overwatch 2
As the premier sniper DPS Hero, Widowmaker is strongest against other Heroes attempting to snipe, Heroes that are close-ranged and not particularly mobile, or those that are forced to expose themselves in order to deal damage. The first category includes DPS Heroes like Ashe, who will almost always struggle in a ranged duel against Widowmaker due to her slow movement speed while aiming down the sights, making her an easy target.
In the second category, Heroes like Mei, Torbjorn, and Cassidy can be easy picks for Widowmaker due to their lack of mobility and need to get close to use their weapons effectively. Finally, flying Heroes like Pharah can be easy for a skilled Widowmaker to pick off due to their predictable movements in the air and complete lack of cover.
Although Widowmaker is strong against close-ranged characters who don't have any way to close the gap, she is weak to close-ranged characters with high mobility. Flanking DPS Heroes like Tracer, Sombra, or Genji can easily run down a lone Widowmaker, and have a definite advantage in close-quarters combat. Similarly, more mobile Tanks like D.va and Winston have the ability to close the gap without taking serious damage, and force a Widowmaker to retreat.
Although these are all serious threats, the greatest counter to a Widowmaker is a better Widowmaker on the other team. Widowmaker is extremely vulnerable to a mirror match due to her slow movement while aiming down the sights. This makes any duel between Widowmakers a simple matter of positioning and precision, with the more skilled player almost always coming out on top.
Overwatch 2 launches in early access on October 4 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.