Five Ways to Become Better at Overwatch

Overwatch is, without a doubt, one of the most popular video games to date, with a player base of over 35 million and even a secured spot on ESPN with their professional scene, called Overwatch League. Overwatch League features the best of the best players from all around the world. The world of eSports has grown so much that adults can now not only survive off of these careers, but actually thrive!

While this isn’t a huge surprise, since other games such as League of Legends, have had many players go pro and live long, successful careers. The game has become so popular that fans are now even making money off of betting on players and entire games!

Now, it is wonderful that we live in a day and age where this is an option, but in order to even come close to getting to that level, it’ll take a tremendous amount of time, effort, and luck. This is not a guide on how to become a professional at Overwatch. However, it will help you become better, and that will be a step in the right direction!

Communication

A match of Overwatch consists of six players versus six players. Once again that is six human beings working against you and your goals. No matter how skilled you might be, openly communicating, and being open to the communication of others will help out, no matter the situation.

Informing others of a potential plan, weakness, or even just that you have your ultimate ready, pulls your team together. Having a mic is the absolute best option because you can form more complex ideas. However, there are already in game options available that’ll allow you to call out to your team.

On the opposite end, if someone is trying to communicate with you, be willing to respond and help them out. Obviously, if the chat of your team becomes toxic, it would be much better to simply mute the offenders so you won’t get distracted. However, being an example of good communication can often set the tone for the match, overall.

Don’t give in to toxicity

Sometimes the hardest aspect of a match is not your enemies, but your allies. We all come to Overwatch for our own reasons, whether it’s for serious gaming or a casual session. Even more on that same topic, players will have varied skill levels that they bring to the table with a randomized match up.

You’ll no doubt experience your fair share of players who actively hinder you or where you hinder others. How everyone involved handles themselves will turn the tide of the match.

You have the ability to not tear others apart when things don’t go as planned. The less pressure your team feels, the more attention they can give to a match.

If you know something helpful they can improve upon, you should absolutely offer that advice because it’ll help them grow as a player, and may even show immediate benefits.

Be a Team Player

We all have our favorite champions, and may even be great at them, but if that character is taken or the situation calls for some other tactic, then you need to be willing to budge.

Even playing an okay defender or support role when the team desperately needs that aspect will help. Voicing your request to play a character has a much better success rate than passive aggressive comments or outright harassment.

Understanding the Meta

As the old saying goes, “Knowing is half the battle!” If you want to take the game seriously, then you need to take the time to understand what characters have been enhanced, which have been hindered, and if any abilities act differently. Going beyond this, understanding which characters will counter others will help you in your character choice.

If a sniper is taking down your teammates, a thick shield might be required to get them safely to the objective. If a thick shield is protecting your enemies then you may need a character to disable that shield or use an antitank character to shatter their defenses.

If you refuse to look at the patch notes or understand the game as whole, you’ll find yourself easier to be overwhelmed; especially when you enter the ranked scene and memorizing the counter characters becomes as common as their popular voice lines.

Dedicate Time to Having Fun

On the road to becoming your best self, you’ll find communicating, adapting to difficult situations, mastering new techniques, and researching better players will be taxing. If you are not careful, you’ll find yourself hating the game you once were so in love with, and even begin tearing apart dear friends for minor mistakes or for fooling around.

The stress of always doing your best is a heavy burden to bear and can only ever be alleviated by simply chilling out. Use whatever character you want and do whatever you want. Throw entire matches away for a simple cool trick, just because. Be okay with lowering your standards for your more casual friends, or even help teach new players how to be better.

That way, when you flip the switch to play seriously, you’ll be more level headed!

These have been five ways to become better at Overwatch! Have fun gaming and we hope to see you rise up the ranks!