Overwatch 2 is not a simple game by any means. It is quite easy to get into but can be quite frustrating to master the game with all the things you need to be cognizant of. Especially since the game is constantly evolving. So how on earth do you improve at Overwatch 2? Here are some Overwatch 2 pro tips to help you get better at the game. The tips and advice come from pro players as well as me personally (master 2 rank flex player), which should help you rank up in Overwatch 2.
Specialize First, Flex Later
If you are new to Overwatch 2, I recommend sticking to one class of heroes at first before dipping your fingers in every single role. All roles in the game serve different purposes, therefore it is complicated to keep up with all of them at the same time, at least when you’re starting out.
You can practice all you want in casual modes, but only take your best heroes to competitive play. That being said, it is good to have more than one hero you’re comfortable with in a single role too, so you can adapt to different situations in every match.
Once you become more experienced and get the hang of the game, try flexing to different roles to get an even better understanding of Overwatch 2. Knowing every single role will also teach you how to play better against other heroes. If you can adapt to any situation in a match, you will automatically start ranking up.
Study Maps
This tip is also for players new to Overwatch 2. There are dozens of maps in the game and even more are coming every now and then. This can be overwhelming for a new player, especially since some maps are quite large and you can easily get lost.
For that reason, I recommend hopping into a custom game and loading up maps that confuse you the most. Find out the quickest way from spawn to the objective, look at all health pack spots, discover flank routes, places with the most cover, viable high grounds, practical shortcuts, and more.
Knowing a map better than the enemy team will win you more team fights. Become so well-versed with a map that you can even navigate them while walking backward.
Memorize Sound Cues and Cooldowns
This is something that automatically comes with experience, but nonetheless, it is an extremely important skill to have. Each ability in Overwatch 2 has a sound cue that can help you recognize it without seeing it. You can even tell apart the sound of the footsteps of all heroes if you pay attention. Keep in mind that enemy footsteps are always more prominent than friendly footsteps.
Similarly, most abilities have a cooldown of their own, and knowing how long it takes for an ability to recover is a necessary skill. You don’t have to memorize the exact numbers of each ability, but having a general idea should help you get more kills.
For instance, you see an enemy Winston jump in, so knowing his jump cooldown will help you decide how much time you have before he gets away again.
To learn sound cues and cooldowns, you can head over to the Practice Range and play as all heroes. Keep an eye on the cooldown timer in the bottom right corner and listen to all the sound cues for abilities and ultimates.
Lab Test Everything
There are a lot more uses for the Practice Range than simply warming up or looking at cooldowns. You can play every single hero here, even the ones you have not unlocked yet. Use this to learn the properties and damage/healing of each ability and primary/secondary fires. It even gives you distance numbers on the floor, so you can find out how far a skill travels to judge its effective range.
Additionally, you can practice combos for specific heroes and a lot more. For instance, Junkrat can one-shot most non-tank heroes with his primary fire + Concussion Mine combo, but it can be hard to line up without practice. Also, Winston has a new secondary fire + melee + Jump Pack land combo that takes some practice to learn.
The Practice Range is paramount if you want to get used to these things.
Workshop and Custom Games
Workshop and custom games can let you take your solo practice to the next level. These let you do everything from DPS aim practice, Winston juggle training, Reinhardt 1v1s, Dva bomb placements, and much, much more.
However, creating your own workshop game mode can be a bit complicated, but there are already endless games created by other users over the years. You can load up a workshop game by simply heading over to Custom games > Create > Settings > Import Codes. Simply add the code you want to get started.
You can find these codes anywhere on the internet, but here are a few to get you started. Widowmaker 1v1 practice (PYDEY), Baptiste healing trainer (A9B2N), Sigma reaction practice (J7CX7), Hanzo predictive projectiles (KJRR5P).
Keep in mind that these are a few years old, but you can always find new and updated ones online through YouTube and gaming forums.
Overwatch 2 Pro Tips from Pros
What better way to get Overwatch 2 pro tips than directly from the high-ranked players? Most top-level players and streamers have played on a professional level and therefore are the most reliable source for Overwatch 2 pro tips.
Top 500 support player KarQ makes some of the most educational and informational content on YouTube and Twitch. Hanzo champion Arrge has a dozen of aim guides for all heroes and ML7 is known as one of the best Ana players in the Overwatch 2 pro scene. Flats and Super are also some of the best tank players we have.
That being said, avoid random TikTok content creators and their “hot takes”. Most of them have terrible advice and tips, though some of them, I will admit, do have some genuinely good content.
Watch Replays
Playing consistently is the primary way to rank up in Overwatch 2, but what most players don’t realize is that they’re not paying attention to their mistakes and only playing games over and over. We all get unlucky every now and then, but trust me, 90% of the time it’s just us and our own limitations that prevent us from ranking up.
Therefore, it is good practice to review your own gameplay every few matches. Seeing your games again helps you notice a lot more things that you may have missed before. This way, you can catch your mistakes and make sure they don’t happen in the future.
You can watch your own games by heading over to Career Profile > History > Replays. You can save specific matches by pinning them and you can also share them with friends through a code.
Effective Use of Voice Chat
I’m sure you’ve been told to use the in-game voice chat already, but there is an effective way to use it as well. We all know the basics. Call out enemy positions, ability usage, low-health targets, etc, but you should also keep it as short as possible and add urgency if you need someone’s immediate attention.
Nearly every hero or ability has a shorter version of its name for quick callouts. For instance, you should stick to saying “Rein” instead of “Reinhardt“, every single time. Baptiste’s Immortality Field is simply called “Lamp” and Ana’s Biotic Grenade is shortened to “Nade”. It’s important to keep the comms clear after all.
Secondly, as mentioned earlier, urgency can not be understated here if you need someone’s immediate attention. Simply saying “Genji behind” is not going to alert any of your teammates. But saying “Genji’s on me. Help” is more likely to alert your team. If you are in immediate danger, you should even repeatedly say “help” if needed. But doing this all the time might get you muted.
And remember, yelling in the voice chat is a bad idea too. Being able to communicate effectively should also help you get better at Overwatch 2.
Teach What You Learn
Last but not least, passing on your experience to others will always help keep your own game sense in check. The best way to do so is to help your lower rank friends through the game. Watch their replays, recommend the right heroes for different situations, and play alongside them if you can. Helping others improve at Overwatch 2 should indirectly help you rank up.
