Ultimates in Overwatch are quite powerful. With the right sense, they can be quickly recognized and reacted to.
Enemies are louder than allies – Make use of this knowledge!
In Overwatch, there are numerous ways to quickly meet your demise. However, the most obvious kill-bringers are definitely the ultimate abilities of the various heroes, commonly referred to as “Ultimates”. But precisely because these abilities are particularly strong, they also have a relatively long “charge time”, as you only gain access to the corresponding ability after dealing, blocking, or healing enough damage.
Even when the ultimate is triggered, it is usually very obvious, as every character utters a special line when using their most powerful ability. Everyone is probably familiar with McCree’s typical “It’s high noon…” when he prepares for his headshot or Reinhardt’s “Hammer down!” when the big stun cone comes crashing down on the enemies. This video shows how you can react to the different abilities:
It is also important to know that you hear the voices of enemies much louder and clearer than your allies. Therefore, even in the heat of battle, it is quickly recognizable whether a friend or foe is triggering their ultimate. Also noticeable: When allies use an ultimate, they may also deliver “alternative” lines (Reaper can shout “Clearing the area!” and Mercy can say “Heroes never die!” both in English and German), whereas enemy ultimates always play the “original sound” to help you familiarize yourself with it.
The Ultimates of Overwatch in detail
Genji’s Dragonstrike is accompanied by a loud, Japanese exclamation, after which he draws his sword and can deal massive damage in close combat. However, he loses his ranged attacks during this time. The only salvation is to create distance between yourself and Genji, kill him from afar, or simply “wait out” the ultimate.
Announced by “It’s high noon…” McCree activates his Deadeye ability. He targets all enemies in his line of sight and delivers a headshot after a short delay. While he is aiming, he is significantly slowed down. Kill him quickly or break line of sight so he cannot hit you. A stun will also end the ultimate.
Pharah’s Barrage is heralded by the phrase “Justice rains from above!” after which she fires numerous mini-rockets that cover entire areas with high damage. However, she cannot move while doing this – shoot her down quickly from the sky or take cover.
The Deathblossom of Reaper is accompanied by the infamous “DIE! DIE! DIE!” Be cautious when Reaper positions himself “in the midst of the enemy group”; he usually wants to unleash his ultimate. He deals high damage in an area around him, and the only salvation is to break line of sight, kill Reaper quickly, or use a stun.
The Tactical Visor of Soldier: 76 gives him a top-notch aimbot. As long as the player is generally looking in the direction of an enemy, all of his bullets will hit an opponent. Simply back away during “I’ve got you in my sights.” and take cover, or kill him quickly. You will rarely survive a “fair” gunfight.
Tracer’s Pulse Bomb can be initiated by several lines and is hard to counter. Once the bomb is placed anywhere, a thick warning appears on the screen so you can dodge it. If the bomb “sticks” to you, then only an immunity ability can help.
Bastion’s Configuration: Tank is initiated by the loud beeping of the robot. For 8 seconds, Bastion is a tank and can fire explosive, powerful projectiles. Typically, a duel is not a good idea, and dodging is the right strategy. With a stun, you might be able to take him down quickly.
Hanzo’s Dragonstrike, like Genji’s, is initiated by a Japanese phrase and the subsequent loud roar of the dragon. The dragon flies in a straight line across the entire map and through all obstacles, causing high damage. However, you can easily evade it by simply stepping aside; the danger will pass after a few seconds.
The RIP-Tire of Junkrat is announced with a loud “Fire in the Hole!” before the whirring and buzzing of the tire is heard across the map. At the press of a button, the tire explodes and kills everything in its immediate vicinity. However, if the tire is destroyed beforehand, the explosion will not occur. With good hearing and quick reactions, the explosion can thus be prevented.
Mei’s Blizzard begins after she shouts a Chinese formula. Her little robot is deployed and freezes all enemies in a medium radius. If you are at the edge of the ability, you can still dodge with a movement ability; otherwise, you are unfortunately left to fate and must pray not to be shot during the stun.
Torbjörn’s Molten Core is recognized by the loud “MOLTEN CORE!” For 10 seconds, Torbjörn’s turret is at level 3, deals massive damage, and should be avoided at all costs. The hero himself fires at an increased rate, has additional armor points, and can repair his turret extremely quickly. Sitting it out and hiding is the strategy here.
Widowmaker’s Infra-Sight grants the entire team the ability to see enemies through walls. The ultimate is not loudly announced but only lasts for a few seconds. There is no real counter to it, other than waiting a few seconds.
D.Va’s Self-Destruct begins with the loud “Nerf this!”, after which she exits her mech and it starts to glow. After a few seconds, it explodes and kills everything in a massive radius. There is usually enough time to take cover, just break line of sight with the mech, and you will not take any damage.
The Earthshatter of Reinhardt is initiated by the loud “HAMMER DOWN!” and then it’s already too late to react. The stun affects all enemies in a cone-shaped area in front of Reinhardt and leaves them helpless for a few seconds. If you fear this ability is coming, either keep your distance or break line of sight with Reinhardt.
Roadhog laughs pretty crazily when he pulls out his Chain Hook. For several seconds, he causes high damage and repeatedly knocks all enemies in his line of sight back. However, he is quite slow during this and cannot heal himself – a flank attack can quickly take him out, otherwise breaking line of sight is enough.
The Primal Rage of Winston is distinguished by the red-sheated monkey that screams loudly. During this time, Winston has a lot of health points but can only jump, perform melee attacks, and push people around. Do not stand near edges so that he cannot push you off, otherwise concentrated fire will quickly take down the wild primate.
Zarya’s Graviton Surge is accompanied by a Russian phrase. After this, all enemies in the target area are captured by a gravitational vortex. A movement ability may save you with some luck; otherwise, an immunity effect. When in doubt, shoot as much as you can, as during the duration of the ability, you are easy prey for other enemy ultimates.
Lúcio loudly calls out “Let’s drop the beat!” and then grants all allies a strong shield that diminishes over a few seconds and then disappears. There are hardly any counter-options except to quickly shoot down the additional health points or simply wait a few seconds.
The Resurrect of Mercy is executed after loudly announcing “Heroes never die!” All of her allies who fell in the last 10 seconds are revived at the place of their death. Mercy herself is temporarily trapped in this animation, so she can be quickly killed. The best protective measure against this ultimate is to simply ensure that Mercy dies first.
Symmetra’s ultimate is not announced by herself but by someone on the opposing team. Someone from your own ranks warns you with a statement like “The enemy has a teleporter…” so that you are informed. The Teleporter allows Symmetra’s team to return directly from the spawn area into the fight. Find and destroy the teleporter (shoot the technology on the ground, not the “blue portal”) so that no further reinforcements can arrive.
Zenyatta’s Transcendence is announced with a loud “Pass into the iris.” Zenyatta is completely immune to all effects for a few seconds and massively heals allies in his vicinity, making them (almost) immortal. Just wait until the ability is over and use the time to regroup.
We have prepared additional guides and articles for you here:
- Lucio – the best healer in Overwatch?
- Reinhardt – how to swing the hammer properly
- The 4 best heroes for beginners
Find more news and articles about Blizzard’s hero shooter on our Overwatch game page.
