Widowmaker is the main sniper character in Overwatch 2. Sometimes it can be hard to stand out as a frail French assassin in a game as fast as Overwatch 2. Good mechanics and head click skills can take you a long way, but understanding the basics and using your abilities can help make up for what you may be lacking in the marksmanship department. For the raw target, there is only one right way to improve: practice, practice, practice. For everything else, we’ve rounded up our best teaching strategies and tips, as well as counters and the best cards for Widowmaker in Overwatch 2.
Related: The best reticle setup in Overwatch 2
The Best Strategies for Playing Widowmaker in Overwatch 2
positioning
You can sometimes feel like a turret when playing Widow, so good positioning isn’t just about picking a place to stand. Instead, think about “angles” and “lines of sight” all the time. While high ground advantage is usually a good option, it’s also what the opposition will expect. So think of ways to subvert that and trick your enemies into looking where you might be, while hitting them from a sneaky angle. If possible, find a corner or obstacle to duck or hide behind. Otherwise, you will be easy prey if you miss your shot.
objective priorities
With a fairly slow rate of fire and consuming 3 bullets per shot, choosing your target is vitally important as a Widowmaker. Sure, racking up high damage by hitting tanks with bullets might look good on the scoreboard, but that’s not your job. Its one-hit potential is best used on enemies’ soft targets. Healers should be your number one priority, but their immediate threat DPS characters are an even better target. Once you eliminate this threat, you can shoot everything else with impunity, healers first of course.
Quick Scan
Quickscoping is a shooting technique that requires practice to perfect. Once you get the hang of it, it can turn out to be an invaluable tool in your arsenal. She was much more powerful in early Overwatch when Widow’s reach was faster. These days you want to use it for quick damage, to finish off wounded targets, or when your damage is boosted, like with a Mercy boost on you. To perform a quick scope, the best way is to pre-aim your target and quickly aim with the right mouse button, then immediately fire with the left click, followed by a quick release of the right to reposition.
assault rifle mode
Unlike the snipers in most other FPS games, Widow’s Rifle has an often overlooked assault fire mode. It’s a good idea to practice shooting with it as it’s hard to get used to the dispersion of the spray. This will absolutely save your strained neck, especially if you miss that first sniper shot and the enemy is right in front of you.
grapple
Everyone knows you can use the grappling hook to get yourself into unexpected positions. You’ve probably seen it used for jumps as well. While it’s certainly fun to use it this way (and it also takes practice), there’s more you can do. For example, it’s your only mobility tool, so it’s a good idea to save it for escape if you expect to be pressured. You might not know this, but the claw keeps momentum going, so if you use it horizontally, you can press jump to jump a few more meters forward. Combined with the Vemon Mine and Assault fire mode, you can pose a threat even in retreat.
Gamepur screenshot
Use poison mine
Too many players overlook the humble Venom Mine. Not only does it deal damage, but it can also serve as a trigger warning, as well as a brief wallhack. The most obvious use for the Venom Mine is to place it at an offset angle so you don’t get flanked. Another use is to place it near you if you expect to get blown up, planning to walk away and leave the enemy hero with a nasty surprise. A final, less obvious use is that you can throw it into a developing fight. Mine damage is AoE and DoT, so if you shoot a group of enemies it will damage some of them which can help your team win the fight.
end use
When and how to use a hero’s ultimate is always a good consideration. The same goes for Widowmaker. Try to find ways to benefit your team and yourself – these wall hacks can be a must have for everyone. If you’re countered or under pressure, consider using your ultimate once you know the character has respawned. If you’re dueling another Widow, you might want to save your ultimate for when she explodes hers, to counter it.
Gamepur screenshot
when to change
Overwatch 2 is a game that lets you swap heroes in the spawn room on the fly, and you should always remember that you can take advantage of that. Widowmaker has taken a nerf to her health pool, and with 175hp and the game picking up speed with the return of ‘dive comp’, you risk being targeted and pushed into oblivion as Widowmaker. So you may have to swallow your pride and change for the good of the team. At other times certain sections of the map are just plain hard for Widow to play, so you might want to have a pocket pick for such an occasion. If you really want to stick with the theme of digitizing achievements, consider practicing trades on Ashe, Soldier 76, Cassidy, or even Tracer.
Related: All legendary Widowmaker skins in Overwatch 2
Best Maps for Widowmaker in Overwatch 2
Widowmaker excels on maps with long sight lines and good ground positions. Open sections of the map where you can shoot enemies with little cover can also quickly become your playground. who wants to stand on targets, despite what voice chat wants you to believe. Some of Widowmaker’s best maps and map sections include:
- Ilios (control): An exception to the rule, the Ruins section is excellent for Widow, and Lighthouse and Well are also decent.
- Royal Tour (Escort): Large widow card in defense. However, getting angles of attack can be tricky.
- Havana (escort): Another great Widow map, especially sections 1 and 3.
- Junkertown (escort): Lots of open ground in the 1st section, but the 2nd and 3rd may require a swap if you get stuck or overrun.
- Rialto (Escort): Especially the 1st section. Later, it might be more difficult to maintain.
- Route 66 (escort): Also known as “jump shot heaven” to Widow enthusiasts.
- Blizzard World (Listen): Sections 1 and 2 are excellent for Widowmaker, but Section 3 is much less so.
- Hollywood (Hybrid): Widows have been known to delay progress on their own in the laning phase of this card.
- King’s Row (Hybrid): One of the best Widow cards in the game. Except for that boring laning phase.Colosseum (push): There are some very good sight lines on this map for Widow to thrive on.
Unlike Widowmaker and Overwatch 2
Getting your teammates head or heads blown isn’t always fun when you’re on the side of Widowmaker’s reach. She can be difficult to deal with, especially when her team knows they have to back down to support her. There are quite a few characters that have a good chance of countering Widowmaker:
- widower: The best weapon against a boring widow is another better widow. Sniper duels can be intense, but if one Widowmaker dominates the other, it might be time for a change.
- Genji: Everything in the cyborg-ninja’s kit is enough to deal with an annoying Widowmaker player.
- Tracer: Speed is Tracer’s number one weapon, and that’s also true when it comes to Widow. Sneak up on her and use the close range advantage against her.
- Ashe: What Widow has on Ashe in range, she lacks consistency and fire speed. A good Ashe can beat a Widowmaker and provide better support for her team.
- Hanzo: The king of jiggle-peeks and unreasonable headshots, Hanzo can often beat Widow from a distance.
- Live: Sojourn is a threat in DPS, and with her charged shot, she’s able to easily outsmart Widow who comes out at the wrong time.
- Eco: With good speed and maneuverability, Echo can take on Widow faster than most.
- Winston: One of Widow’s original counters, the monkey scientist can use her bubbles and jumps to constantly put her under pressure.
- TWO: Defense Matrix and Rocket Boosters allow this tank to reach Widow and minimize her damage.
- And: Coupled with lore reasons, a good aggressive Ana player can outsmart Widow and make her think about looking too much again.
- Lucia: His speed and notoriously difficult heading pattern can make him a real threat on the baseline in the hands of a skilled skater.There is: The Japanese support has all of Genji and Hanzo’s best dueling qualities, allowing him to pre-draw Widow with left and right clicks.
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