Overwatch 2: Widowmaker Guide, Trap Your Pray
| Tags: Overwatch
| Author Zlosterr
Widowmaker is one of the most popular heroes in Overwatch 2. So why not learn how to play her better.
Overwatch 2 is finally out! The game we’ve all been waiting for is available for free, so all you need to do is sign up and start playing. After having access to the beta a couple of months ago, Blizzard finally released the game, and we also have access to tons of other things, such as battle passes, heroes, maps, and so on.
Speaking of heroes, most of you are probably eager to learn how to win games with specific names. Even though some players will likely focus on the new names in Overwatch 2, many of you will try to spam their best heroes to gain ranks as fast as possible. Therefore, the first hero we’d like to start by looking at is Widowmaker.
While it is true that this is not the best for solo games, some people like spamming it all the time, whether she is worth picking is a topic for another today, so let’s go through a couple of general tips you can follow if you want to win your games.
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Think carefully about if Widowmaker is actually worth picking
Even though we really want to play a given hero, there are situations where it is better to go for something else. Some DPS and tanks can work in multiple scenarios, but heroes like Widowmaker are situational picks. In other words, this is not a hero that we can use all the time.
Everyone knows that Widowmaker is great when someone needs to kill specific supports or DPS heroes that are annoying to deal with. The fact that she can be miles away and land headshots makes her extremely dangerous. However, there are many cases where she can’t use her power, mainly when enemies are grouped.
Widowmaker is also one of the worst DPS players in the game against shields. Thankfully, Overwatch 2 removed some of the things that were present in Overwatch, which means there aren’t that many shields anymore.
The bad news is that Widowmaker is not as tanky as before. Even though 25 HP probably does not seem much, it makes the hero more vulnerable than before. This is very true when facing some of the bursty heroes and those that can shorten the distance between them and the sniper.
Learn how to position yourself
Widowmaker is Overwatch 2’s sniper. Hence, people who pick her need to know how to position themselves if they want to make the most out of it. Similar to other games, such as CSGO, where you don’t want to be first in line with an AWP, you also don’t want to be in a similar situation.
Widowmaker shines the most when she gets the chance to stay back and land headshots. This is definitely easier said than done because many Overwatch 2 heroes will do everything they can to stop here. This is where your skill should come to play because you need to outsmart them and have good positioning.
A general rule to follow when playing Widowmaker is to change your position as frequently as possible. You may think that staying in a given location will allow you to secure kills repeatedly, but this is usually not the case. Your opponents will eventually learn your movement pattern and use it against you.
Identify your targets
As mentioned a couple of times, Widow is a unique hero that requires you to have specific skills to succeed. Unlike Junkrat, who can deal tons of damage and have an impact simply by spamming his left mouse click, Widowmaker requires you to make decisions and land kills.
Speaking of landing kills, you won’t be able to bring down everyone. Sure, you could possibly land a couple of headshots when you have 100% power, but killing tanks is usually difficult. Things are not accessible in Overwatch 2 either because most tanks are more robust than before.
To put it another way, your job as Widowmaker is to quickly identify the targets you can kill and focus on them. This doesn't mean you shouldn’t attack the tanks at all, but it is way better to bring down the healer or an annoying DPS like Echo or Pharah.
Choosing the wrong target can harm your entire team because you don’t do a lot of damage anyway. So, always be careful and think about which is the easiest opponent to kill.
Keep an eye on those who can kill you
Although this is more or less related to having a good position, we’ve decided to expand on it in a separate paragraph. For better or worse, Widowmaker is not the most mobile hero in Overwatch 2. Sure, she can use her hook and escape from some situations, but this is not a reliable escape mechanism.
The fact that she can’t escape every situation makes her vulnerable and a primary target for those who can swarm her. There are loads of examples here, but some of the most annoying options include Genji, Winston, and Sombra. Although Widowmaker can kill these heroes fast, they can do the same to her, especially when they get close.
To minimize their effectiveness, you should always keep an eye on their position and change yours when needed. For example, if you see that Winston is jumping toward you, use your hook and run away. The same applies when you notice that Genji is climbing the wall next to you because he will most likely try to come close and kill you.
Needless to say, you won’t be able to escape from every situation, but there are certain things that you can avoid. They will allow you to stay alive for longer, which means you will have more impact on the game. Don’t forget that this is one of Widowmaker’s biggest problems – she doesn’t have the same effect as other DPS unless you know how to play.
Pick Widowmaker when you want to counter someone
The last thing we’d like to include about Widowmaker is that this is one of the best counters picks in the game. She might not be that good against tanks, but the hero can do wonders against certain DPS, like Pharah and Echo. The same applies to healers, so keep an eye on your opponents and check whether they use these options.
How to counter Widowmaker?
Counter Widowmaker might seem difficult, but it is not, as long as you have the right tools for the job. As mentioned earlier, there are a couple of heroes that can make her life a living hell. Generally speaking, every option that has high mobility and/or tons of HP is a problem for Widow because she won't be able to score a quick kill.
The easiest way to counter her is by rushing and always try to be “in her face”. Doing this will annoy every player because Widowmaker won't be able to use her scope and get kills.