Overwatch Tips and A Few Tricks: Let’s Improve Your Game

With a game that has been out for 5 years, many players have already figured the game out and found the heroes they love to use. Like many other games, success in Overwatch is typically measured by how much you know about every weapon, character, map, and game mode.

What makes Overwatch a tad bit different from the other first-person shooter games is its emphasis on communication and hero abilities. More specifically, the ‘synergy’ between the various characters.

But if you are just getting into it or gearing up before Overwatch 2 comes out in the distant future, look no further. Here are some solid Overwatch tips and tricks 2021 to get you into the game and make you just a little bit better.

Most of the more established player base almost has the right to stick with their specific hero or class. They have put in the work and will play as a team, regardless of their hero. For you, as a potentially newer player, don’t get that luxury.

You should try to master, or at least be decent, at least one hero from each class. The three (Damage, Tank, and Support) classes and flex between roles depending on what your team needs the most. If you're unsure which might best suit you, take a look at Soldier 76, Reinhardt, and Lucio - they're powerful and fairly easy to use heroes in their respective roles.

This one I can’t emphasize enough. Overwatch is not like other FPS games. It’s not all about your K/D ratio. It is a team game, and you and your team work together to complete an objective, regardless of the hero they choose. Don’t be that guy who doesn’t act like a team player.

Some heroes work better close to or even on the objective. Then, others (like Widowmaker) prefer to hang back and set up shop away from the main fight. Even if the hero you’re playing doesn’t necessarily need to be fighting near the objective, avoid overextending and be ready to contest the point or payload if needed.

Every single hero has their own unique abilities and attacks. The best of them is their Ultimate. Your Ultimate is an ability that charges over time based on factors like damage dealt and amount healed. Some Ultimates are more offensive, while others help buy you time until the rest of your team respawns or an enemy finishes their attack.

Considering how powerful and how little you get to use them, you should only use your ULT when you’re confident your team can follow up with their attacks. This is why communication is so crucial in this game. You have to work as a team.

Like any other FPS, snipers are a part of Overwatch. The two main snipers, Hazno and Widowmaker, have abilities that allow them to see through walls to locate enemy players easier. You don’t want to hand them a kill on a silver platter, so you need to always be on the move. Standing still makes you an easy target for everyone, not just the obvious snipers.

Be sure to have the idea to be constantly bouncing around mid-fight, especially if you're playing a highly targeted Support hero. Even the more stationary heroes like Bastion should always be mindful of how fatal standing still can be.

Trying to rank up in any new game is hard. Especially if you are trying to catch up on these players who have been playing since launch five years ago. Use that as motivation, but don’t obsess over it. You have to find that daily balance.

Give yourself time to learn the game properly. Set up a schedule on how much you want to play per day and what skills you want to practice. The last thing you want is to play for hours on end and wear yourself out. Give yourself mental breaks. It will only help you in the long run. That is how pro esports players become who they are.

This last Overwatch tip is coming from an Esports Overwatch pro. Every good player will tell you this: if you can not rank up - the only real reason is you. It is understandable and easy to make somebody or something else the reason for your problems, but in reality - the issue is always you.

An interesting take, yet it is also very true. If you consider everything said above, there is no reason for you not to rank up. Unless you don’t take the time to get better, you can always track your improvement (especially look for your death rate) on websites like Overwatchtracker. This can help you set goals to get where you want to be.