Who hacks apart the hacker? Join us as we look at who counters Sombra in Overwatch 2 and the best Heroes for the job.
Sombra is one of those Overwatch 2 Heroes who, despite multiple nerfs is always a threat. This is due in part to mechanics that, at a base level are superior. Mei's Ice Wall, Tracer's Rewind, and more stand above the mere lowering of numbers as a means of balance. And no Hero represents this better than Sombra. Able to hide, call out enemies, single-target stragglers and more. Sombra is always a threat. But, the question reminds: Who counters Sombra?
We're going to throw out some suggestions of what Hero to play and how to play them if you're struggling against the resident hacker of Overwatch 2. She may not see a lot of play right now, but if anything that makes her even more dangerous.
Be prepared, get your firewall ready, and let's learn how to make any Sombra player regret their pick.
Who counters Sombra? Everyone
Okay, this first choice might be cheating a bit. However, it's true: The best defense against a good Sombra is having more than one person actually turn around to engage. So often Sombra is effective at what she does because only one person--or nobody--is paying attention. And by the time you hear her gun go off someone is probably dead already.
This is even more true in a 5 v. 5 world where there's no longer an off-tank to babysit the dummies on your team. If you want to protect your rear then make a plan to be vigilant. There's an American football defensive play that came to prevalence in the 00's that provides a great metaphor here.
The "QB Spy" defense deployed and popularized against former Madden NFL cover player Michael Vick entailed a lone linebacker floating among the defense with a sole assignment: If the quarterback attempts to run then that player takes them out. If you're a DPS player you too can essentially play "Sombra Spy," keeping one ear and eye open at all times.
After all: Only you can prevent forest fires. And, uh, Sombra hacks.
Torb time
We placed Torbjorn at the "situational" tier in our ranking of DPS Heroes for Season 3. Well, guess what: This is one of those situations. After all, who counters Sombra better than a robot sentry with perfect accuracy?
More to the point, what forces Sombra to contend with it first before she can even think about hacking an actual Hero? Yes, the Turret is a canary in the coal mine in this instance. Sure, Sombra will probably destroy our metal friend. However, every Turret she blows up is one Support Hero she isn't murdering. More to the point, in a team fight brawl the Turret will keep a Sombra honest. It's a lot harder to skulk and ping locations when merely leaving stealth is a threat.
Stealth, revealed
The two Heroes able to shine light into the stealth darkness both pose inherent risks. The first and most obvious is that Hanzo and Widowmaker are snipers. Logic stands--unless you're some sort of freak--that up-close encounters are not in your favor. If I was a betting man, seven out of ten times I'd say a Sombra beats Hanzo in a duel, and maybe nine out of ten against Widow.
That said, both Heroes pose a valid threat with their ability to de-stealth Sombra. In the case of Hanzo, his sonar-like arrow ability is great at protecting your back before a big fight or finding out where Sombra is retreating to lick her wounds.
Meanwhile, Widowmaker's Ultimate will remove most Sombra players off the board as they wait out the revealed period. This isn't a guarantee, but popping her Ult at the start of a team fight will make all but the most psychotic Sombra players think twice about getting into the line of fire.
Hammer time
Who counters Sombra? A gigantic hammer, that's who. One of the workplace hazards for the hacker is just getting clipped by errant fire. However, this is doubly true with a wild-swinging Reinhardt player is on the field. More to the point, Rein is one of the more resistant Heroes to Sombra's tactics for the simple fact that she cannot risk getting close to him.
Rein hacked? Fine, here's a hammer swing or a firestrike for your trouble. It's not a perfect solution, but of all the Tanks to turn around the one Sombra players most likely want to see the least is Rein. Use this to your advantage and force Sombra to hack from maximum distance, reducing her efficacy.
Still lost on the question of who counters Sombra? Sometimes the best pick is also the one you're most comfortable on. But, really: Take it from someone who has dabbled in Sombra for years. The most effective counter is just anyone willing to turn around and not let her roam free and uncontested.
Remember that and you too can protect your team from mayhem.
Stay tuned to esports.gg for more esports news and Overwatch 2 guides.