Overwatch Character Guide: Tracer Roadhog Junkrat

Soldier: 76's abilities are both simple and incredibly useful. His main, low-cooldown ability, Sprint, is exactly what it sounds like: a dedicated button that allows him to run fast. Outside of heroes like Lucio and Tracer, who have dedicated techniques that allow them to move fast, Sprint allows Soldier: 76 to escape battle quicker than the vast majority of heroes out there. If you're someone who despises the fact that Overwatch doesn't have a dedicated sprint function, this might just be the character for you. In addition to this, his other main ability, Biotic Field, enables him to place a small healing area on the ground around him, giving him the chance to regain health and get back into a fight right away. Finally, Soldier: 76's ultimate ability, Tactical Visor, gives him a few seconds of automatic, 100% accuracy aiming (yes, this is a straight up aimbot), and is perfect for eliminating a host of defenders on a given objective. Needless to say, if you're looking for the most balanced hero of the entire roster, you should give Solder: 76 a hard look.

I’ll admit, when I first heard of Overwatch, I didn’t pay much attention, probably because Blizzard games have never really caught my attention in the past (I’m not the biggest fan of RPGs or RTS games). I did, however, take the plunge and tried out the game’s open beta a few weeks ago and walked away pleasantly surprised. Oddly enough, though, it wasn’t the core mechanics or technical polish that caught my immediate attention. Rather, it was Blizzard’s attention to inclusivity that impressed me the most.

What goes into making maps that feel appropriate for all of these heroes at the same time. In terms of creating maps and creating heroes, what is the chicken and what is the egg? Which comes first, and how do you design Overwatch's maps to maintain the balance that's so critical to every moment of its gameplay?

D.Va's first ability, her Boosters, allow her to rapidly fly in whichever direction the reticle is facing for a handful of seconds. Not only is this a wonderful method for getting to an objective or getting out of trouble, but it also allows her to cause a bit of damage whenever she comes in contact with an enemy. In addition to the Boosters, D.Va also has access to the Defense Matrix, which functions as a smaller version of Reinhardt's shield (essentially absorbing all incoming fire).

Solider: 76 is the standard first-person shooter character in Overwatch. Still, despite being a fairly normal, by-the-books character, his normalcy not only stands out in this zany cast of heroes, but it also allows him to be one of the most accessible heroes of the entire group. Equipped with the Heavy Pulse Rifle, a fully automatic assault rifle that excels at medium range, Soldier: 76 is outstanding at sitting back behind tanks and dealing massive amounts of damage. In addition to the standard firing mode, which is also super successful when shot in bursts, the Heavy Pulse Rifle also allows Solider: 76 to fire Helix Rockets, a triple-headed set of explosives that fire without an arc. Unfortunately, for as powerful as the Helix Rockets are, they have a pretty massive cooldown, so make sure that you use them only when advantageous, as you risk letting your foes know that you're without your most powerful weapon.

Roadhog boasts one of the most effective ability combinations of any of Overwatch's heroes. His Chain Hook allows him to pull in any hero to point blank range, meaning that it's pretty much a guaranteed kill for those who nail the timing and accuracy of this maneuver. The most effective Roadhog players will ensure that healers and frustrating characters like Tracer are the main priorities at the start of any given battle, as this will ensure that the opposing team is always at a disadvantage. In addition, Roadhog's second main skill, Take a Breather, allows him to heal a great portion of his own health, allowing him to stay on the front line of battle for far longer than pretty much every other hero outside of Reinhardt. Finally, Roadhog's ultimate is absolutely devastating, though it is equally difficult to control. His Whole Hog skill gives him the ability to transform his Scrap Gun into a massive automatic gatling gun, though the sheer amount of recoil makes this a far better option for close and medium range than long distance engagements. The recommendation here is to use Take a Breather to heal up to 600 hitpoints and then dive right onto the objective before activating Whole Hog.

With Overwatch, the charming hero shooter from Blizzard, launching this week, we want to make sure that you’re as prepared as possible to help your team dominate. Overwatch patch notes’s main focus is clearly on the interplay between its dynamic characters, so in order to become competent, you’ll need to understand how every character works. Throughout the week, we’ll be publishing guides on each of the twenty-one launch heroes, three at a time, with the hopes that you’ll be able to recognize certain patterns on the battlefield.