Overwatch has been out for over three years now, however, it only recently made its way to the Nintendo Switch. For those new players, you may be on the hunt for some essential Overwatch tips while playing for the first time.
As someone who has played since launch day on PC, clawed through various ranks in competitive mode and bought more loot boxes than I care to admit, Overwatch is a game that I feel I have a pretty good grasp on.
If you are new to the game and are looking for some tips to improve your experience with the game, look no further. Here are five essential Overwatch tips if you’re playing it for the first time:
Find Your Main in Each Class
Overwatch is a class-based hero shooter, this means that there are multiple variations of characters in the same class type. This ensures that there is (hopefully) at least one character in each class that you can feel comfortable with. Finding a main in each of the three classes is an essential Overwatch tip.
In Overwatch, there are three different archetypes: Tanks, Damage Dealers, and Support characters.
Although it might be fun to just grab a damage dealer like Soldier 76 or Reaper and attempt to rack up eliminations all game, that isn’t always the best strategy.
Overwatch is a game all about team synergy, and making sure that you are capable of playing a hero in each class is paramount to having success.
If you are just starting out with the game, pick a couple of characters in each of your least played classes and give them a whirl in skirmish mode.
If you are mainly a DPS player, getting comfortable using a Support or Tank character will not only make you more versatile, but it strengthens your knowledge of the game and the other character’s abilities as well.
Here are a couple of the more straight-forward characters in each class that you can start out with:
- Damage: Soldier 76, Reaper, Bastion
- Tank: Reinhardt, D.Va, Orisa
- Support: Mercy, Lucio, Moira
Once you are comfortable playing a character in each class, you will be far more prepared for competitive play and you will become a much better teammate in the long run.
Play The Objective
Overwatch is not your typical FPS where the goal is to rack up as many kills as possible, it is an objective-based game that requires great communication and team effort in order to win.
The four main game types in Overwatch are Assault, Control, Escort, and Hybrid.
In Assault, you and your team must capture two points on the map in sequential order while the other team fights to defend them. Control is somewhat similar, but rather than one team playing offense or defense, both teams are targeting the same point of control until one side gets it to 100%.
Escort requires the team to follow a payload to the end of the map in order to win. Finally, Hybrid is a mix of both Assault and Escort, where you will capture a point, then escort a payload to the end of the map.
One of the most frustrating things for any team is to have someone who is fixated on getting eliminations rather than playing the objective. Do not be that player!
Stay with your team, attempt to group up with others and communicate to your team so that you can orchestrate a well thought out plan of attack.
Always focus on the objective first, then worry about getting eliminations as they come. Sure, getting 50 kills is great for your personal stats, but if you lose the game, does it really matter?
Communication is Key
As I have said before, Overwatch is first and foremost a team game. Communicating with your team is a key component to having success.
If you have a mic, don’t be afraid to use it to call out where an enemy is or how close you are to getting your ultimate. If you don’t have a mic, Blizzard has implemented a way to communicate without it by using their call-out system by pressing the down button.
By looking at different teammates or map objectives while pressing down will cause the call out to change slightly. For instance, while playing a support character, looking at a teammate that has low HP and saying “Need Healing” will notify them to come to you to receive health.
Alternatively, other communication lines such as “Group Up” will notify the team to group up near you so that you can launch a full out 6-man attack. This is especially useful for tank characters such as Reinhardt or Orisa.
Overall, teams that communicate effectively and listen to each other are far more likely to be successful and get a win rather than a team that doesn’t group up or uses callouts effectively.
Attack Together – Never Alone!
While it might feel really good to get a six-man wipe using D.Va’s ultimate or by sneaking up behind the opposing team using Reaper and getting a couple of unsuspecting kills, its usually never a good idea.
Overwatch, again, is a team game. This means in order to be at your strongest, you need to stay in a group and attack together.
Sure, there are some characters that excel and breaking through the opposing team line and picking off a few characters to get the numbers advantage, but when going for objectives in-game modes like capture or escort, its always best to stay with your team so that you can attack at full strength.
This is an essential Overwatch tip for anyone who wants to take their game to the next level.
Keep in mind that your healer can’t heal you if you are halfway across the map. Your Reinhardt can’t shield you from damage if you are constantly running past the rest of the team.
Staying in a group allows you to take full advantage of every character’s abilities, making you even stronger in the end.
Take Breaks
Taking breaks after a long session might just be the most essential Overwatch tip on our list.
After playing for a while and learning the maps, the heroes, and devising strategies for each of the modes, you might start noticing that not everyone is being the best team player.
Your Reaper might be scurrying off looking for kills, or your Widowmaker might be hyperfocused on sniping rather than staying on the payload.
Before you get on your mic and scream at them for not following the objective or playing the game like its team deathmatch, understand that it isn’t going to help anyone by taking out your anger on them.
Overwatch has a tendency to put people on tilt. If you find yourself getting overly frustrated, aggravated, or raging at someone, I strongly advise that you take a break.
Overwatch can be a beautiful experience when you have a great team and everyone is communicating effectively and doing their part. On the flipside, Overwatch can also be a brutally ugly experience when you are paired up with someone who doesn’t want to help the team or refuses to play the objective.
Rather than taking your frustrations out on the mic or rage quitting, simply call it quits for a while until you are able to calm down. This is an extremely important mindset to have once you finally dip your toes in competitive play.
Because Overwatch is such a team-focused experience, your success is not only determined by how well you play, but also by how well your teammates play.
Raging at someone or telling them to switch characters never works out for the better. It fosters an environment of hostility and makes everyone on your team more likely to be on tilt as well.
Instead, be a teammate that leads by example, provide positive comments and encouragement rather than verbally attacking someone and I promise, your team will play much better for it.
That’s all the essential Overwatch tips we have for new players! Keep these tips in mind when you fire up the game and you are sure to find much more success than you were previously.
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