Overwatch: On counterplay and team compositions

In the Darkmoon Faire area of BlizzCon, a small group of Overwatch representatives were discussing counterplay strategies for heroes along with potent or unorthodox team compositions. Overwatch was never designed as a game where you stick to just one hero for the entire match. Check out a quick summary or watch the full video below!

On heroes

• Bastion: Symmetra can charge up a shot that goes through a shield. Charge it up and let loose a few shots. You may not be able to kill Bastion, but you’ve just forced the player to move. But try to get around him.
• Tracer: McCree. If you can land a stun on her, she can easily be neutralized especially with team mates. Junkrat can deploy traps and if Tracer is properly lured, she’s a sitting duck. Lucio has a constant heal and can simply outlast her.
• Winston: Reinhardt’s abilities can go through Winston’s shields. Reaper can deal massive damage up close especially with head shots. Zenyatta’s discord orb can also affect Winston but Zenyatta is vulnerable to his jump.
• McCree: He cannot shoot through barriers like Reinhardt’s shield or Winston’s Shield Projector. Winston’s shield can function as a barricade and you can use it to avoid the stun.
• Mercy: Kill her first. Seriously. No matter what happens, go after her first.
• Mei: Coordinating with Symmetra, Bastion, or Torbjorn allows you to set up portals or turrets in unorthodox or typically inaccessible places.

Team compositions and duos

• The Quinston: 5 Winstons and a Pharah. Although, if you’re on the receiving end of a team with multiple Winstons, you can set aside half your team to counter with 3 Reinhardt’s or 2 Reapers and a Zenyatta.
• 2x Winston, 2x Lucio, Pharah, and Mercy: Winstons and Lucios can push and capture points while Pharah and Mercy can help with the damage output.
• Reinhart and Torbjorn: Reinhart can defend Torbjorn until his turrets are setup.
• Zarya and Zarya: They can each shield each other and themselves to survive long enough to get their abilities going.
• Winston and Zenyatta: Really hard to kill Winston with the extra health and healing.
• Pharah and Mercy: Mercy can fly up to and follow Pharah around the map.
• Tracer and Symmetra: Extra health for Tracer with one of Symmetra’s orbs which can make a big difference.
• Bastion and McCree/Reaper: Bastion sets up in turret form while McCree or Reaper massacre anyone that tries to get near.

General game play tips

• Surprise switches are often necessary. Sometimes it’s beneficial to drop back to base without dying just to switch characters. Switching does reset your ultimate charge.
• If you’re hemmed in your own base (and are being spawn camped), do not attempt to solo out on your own. Group up and push together. Roadhog can potentially grab an opposing player and set up a pick. Alternatively, you can attempt to sneak out a Tracer or a Reaper and apply pressure on an objective drawing the other team away.
• For players not used to shooters, there’s a variety of heroes that don’t require precision aiming. For example, Torbjorn can create turrets. Lucio is another solid pick who can buff and heal nearby team members. Bastion can set up and shred through heroes with just a few hits due to his remarkable rate of fire.

My apologies for the video and audio quality!