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Overwatch 2 · Loadouts

What to Pick — And Why

Real Overwatch 2 loadouts, weapon priorities, ability combos, and team-comp synergies. Use these before the round starts so you walk in with the right gun, the right ability, and the right plan.

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Hero Compositions

Team comp archetypes

Pick your comp by looking at the opposing 5. Three core archetypes: dive, brawl, poke. Mismatch = lose.

Archetypes

Dive

Name

Dive Comp

Recommended
  • Winston / D.Va (tank)
  • Genji / Tracer (DPS)
  • Sojourn / Pharah (DPS)
  • Mercy / Lúcio (support)
  • Kiriko / Brigitte (support)
Plays

Coordinated jump on a squishy target. Win one fight, snowball the rest of the team.

Win Condition

Pick off the enemy support before their team can react.

Weakness

CC-heavy comps (Brig, Mei, Cassidy hindering hammer).

Brawl

Name

Brawl Comp

Recommended
  • Reinhardt / Junker Queen / Mauga (tank)
  • Reaper / Bastion / Mei (DPS)
  • Cassidy / Soldier (DPS)
  • Lúcio / Kiriko (support)
  • Brigitte / Ana (support)
Plays

Group up, push as one ball, win through sustain. Reinhardt charges the front line, supports keep the team alive through chip damage.

Win Condition

Out-sustain the enemy in a closed area (chokes, hallways, points).

Weakness

Long sightlines, Pharmercy, dive picks on supports.

Poke

Name

Poke Comp

Recommended
  • Sigma / Ramattra / Orisa (tank)
  • Hanzo / Widowmaker (DPS)
  • Pharah / Echo (DPS)
  • Ana / Baptiste (support)
  • Zenyatta (support)
Plays

Long-range chip damage. Force the enemy into a bad fight before commit.

Win Condition

Enemy tank dies first or two squishies fall before fight starts.

Weakness

Dive comps closing the distance; Winston / D.Va into Widowmaker is brutal.

Ult Tracking

Charge order + combo timing

Knowing when YOUR team has ults — and when THEIRS does — wins more fights than mechanical aim.

Combo Chains

NameZarya Grav + DPS Ult
ChainZarya Graviton Surge → Hanzo Dragonstrike OR Reaper Death Blossom OR Genji Dragonblade
WhenBoth ults available, enemy clustered (around point / payload).
ResultTeam wipe — minimum 3 picks.
NameNano + Genji Blade
ChainAna Nano Boost on Genji + Dragonblade
WhenGenji has clear path to enemy backline.
Result4-5 picks if uncoordinated enemy. Counters: Brigitte stun, Sombra hack.
NameAnti + Dive
ChainAna Biotic Grenade on enemy tank → Winston jump → kill chain
WhenEnemy tank has no Suzu / Immortality up.
ResultTank dies in 2 seconds — fight over.
NameSound Barrier Defense
ChainLúcio Sound Barrier when enemy ults pop
WhenDefensive — hear D.Va / Junkrat / Pharah ult voiceline.
ResultNegates 750 damage, your team survives a wipe ult.

Track Enemy

  • Enemy support ults (Suzu, Immortality, Sound Barrier, Resurrect) FIRST — bait them out before commit.
  • Track enemy tank ult — Reinhardt Earthshatter, D.Va Self-Destruct, Sigma Gravitic Flux are fight-enders.
  • Don't engage when enemy has 2+ ults you don't have answers for.

Counter Picks

Hard counters by hero

When you're losing fights, switch. OW2 lets you swap mid-match — use it.

Counter Table

HeroPharah
CounterSoldier 76, Cassidy, Hitscan DPS
WhyPharah needs sky time — punish from ground
HeroReinhardt
CounterBastion, Reaper, Mei, Junker Queen
WhyBurst damage through shield, anti-armor
HeroWinston
CounterReaper, Brigitte, Bastion
WhyReaper out-DPS at close range, Brig stuns dive
HeroTracer
CounterBrigitte, Cassidy, Mei
WhyBrig hammer outranges blink, Cassidy stun + grenade
HeroGenji
CounterBrigitte, Mei, Symmetra
WhyBrig stun cancels deflect, Mei wall traps blade
HeroWidowmaker
CounterWinston, D.Va, Genji, Sombra
WhyDive in, kill her, leave
HeroSombra
CounterMoira, Brigitte, Reaper
WhyAoE damage breaks invis + hack
HeroAna
CounterGenji, Tracer, Winston
WhyDive squishy back-line support
HeroMercy
CounterJunkrat, Echo, Pharah
WhyAoE forces her off pocket

Cooldown Tracking

When to push

OW2 fights are won on cooldowns, not aim. Track key cooldowns on your team and the enemy.

Track

AbilitySuzu (Kiriko)
Cd15s
ImpactCleanse + immortality — bait it before committing ults.
AbilityImmortality Field (Baptiste)
Cd20s
ImpactSame — must be destroyed or wait.
AbilityDefense Matrix (D.Va)
Cdsustained
ImpactEats projectile ults. Wait for it down.
AbilityReflect (Genji)
Cd8s
ImpactSends Hanzo arrows back. Wait it out.
AbilityWhip Shot (Brigitte)
Cd6s
ImpactStops dive. Bait, then dive.
AbilitySleep Dart (Ana)
Cd12s
ImpactCancels Genji blade, Reinhardt charge — track her cooldown.

Stadium

Round economy + builds for the BO5/BO7 mode

Stadium is round-based 5v5 with a per-round Cash budget you spend on hero-specific Powers (4 total chosen across rounds 1/3/5/7) and stat Items (Common/Rare/Epic). Build path matters more than mechanical aim past Diamond — picking the wrong Power chain or stat curve loses rounds even with a 60% win-rate hero.

Format

Length

Best of 7 — first team to 4 round wins takes the match. Rounds alternate offense/defense where applicable (Push, Clash). Control variants flip side every round.

Cash Per Round

Win: ~3,500–4,500 Cash. Loss: ~2,500–3,000 Cash (loss bonus prevents snowball). Eliminations and objective contribution add bumps (~100–250 per kill, +500 for round MVP).

Power Rounds

Powers are unlocked at rounds 1, 3, 5, 7 — 4 total per hero. Cannot be undone; picking the wrong Power early can lock you out of synergy.

Item Shop

Open between every round. Items have 3 tiers: Common (1k–2k), Rare (3.5k–5k), Epic (7k–10k). Selling items refunds ~75% of cost minus a small fee.

Hero Pool

Stadium has a curated hero subset (not the full roster) — refreshed each season. Tanks have lower DPS contribution requirements but higher health-multiplier Item value.

Economy Rules

  • NEVER full-spend in round 1. Save 1,000–1,500 Cash to top up after round 2 — round 1 Items don't carry the snowball most players think.
  • Loss bonus is a feature, not punishment. Throwing round 1 to stack Cash for round 2 is rarely correct — the comp difference compounds. Play to win, then buy with the loss bonus.
  • Buy your Power synergy items BEFORE you unlock the Power. Example: if you're going Soldier 76 Anti-Gravity Volley, stack Weapon Power before round 3 so the Power lands at peak DPS.
  • Don't over-stack one stat. Diminishing returns kick in hard past 3 stacked Common items in the same category — switch to Rare/Epic.
  • Save 2,000+ Cash for the final round if down 2-3 — Epic Items in the last shop can flip a fight even without a Power refresh.

Item Categories

NameWeapon Power
What% damage boost on primary fire. Stacks additive (4× common = ~24%, 2× Rare = ~30%, 1× Epic = ~25% + secondary effect).
Good ForHitscan DPS (Soldier, Cassidy, Ashe, Sojourn), Tracer, Reaper at close range. Tanks gain less because of hero-tag damage reduction.
Skip ForMei, Symmetra, Sym/Mei kits scale better with Ability Power.
NameAbility Power
What% damage / healing / utility-effect boost on cooldown abilities. Scales spell-heavy heroes massively.
Good ForAna (Biotic Grenade + Nano), Sigma (Hyperspheres + Accretion), Mei (Blizzard + Wall), Junkrat, Symmetra, any hero whose damage is in abilities not the gun.
Skip ForSoldier, Cassidy, Hitscan-aim-checked DPS — Weapon Power is the better spend.
NameArmor / Health
WhatFlat HP boost or armor layer. Armor reduces incoming damage by ~30% on shots ≤10 damage (the bullet-armor rule).
Good ForTanks (Reinhardt, Mauga, Roadhog), brawl DPS (Reaper, Junker Queen-flex). Armor specifically punishes hitscan because most shots are <10 dmg.
Skip ForGlass-cannon DPS (Tracer, Genji, Pharah) — your survival is from positioning, not HP.
NameCooldown Reduction
What% off ability cooldowns. Multiplicative with hero base cooldowns.
Good ForBrigitte (Whip Shot), Ana (Sleep Dart + Nade), Lúcio (boops), any hero whose cooldown IS the value.
Skip ForReinhardt, Pharah — main mechanics aren't cooldown-gated.
NameLife Steal
WhatHeal for % of damage dealt. Stacks with healing received.
Good ForSustain DPS (Reaper, Mauga, Mei). Lets you 1v1 in unfavorable trades.
Skip ForBurst DPS — you're not in fights long enough to benefit.
NameMove Speed
What% boost to base movement. Doesn't affect ability movement (Lúcio amp, Genji dash).
Good ForFlank DPS (Reaper, Sombra), positioning-heavy supports (Lúcio without amp).
Skip ForStationary heroes (Bastion, Widowmaker, Junkrat sentry).

Archetype Builds

NameReinhardt — Brawl Tank
PowersRound 1: Charging Rhino (Charge cooldown reduction), Round 3: Steadfast (charge knockback resistance), Round 5: Earthsplitter (Earthshatter AoE expansion), Round 7: Crusader Resurgence (heal on Earthshatter hit)
ItemsR1: Armor x2 Common, R2: Cooldown Reduction Rare, R3: Armor Epic (Bulwark), R4: Ability Power Rare (Earthshatter scaling), R5: Cooldown Reduction Epic, R6: Top up Armor + 1 Move Speed Common
Win ConditionSurvive longer than the enemy tank in a closed fight. Earthsplitter + Resurgence turns Earthshatter into a fight-deciding wipe.
NameSoldier 76 — Hitscan DPS
PowersRound 1: Steady Aim (recoil control), Round 3: Anti-Gravity Pulse (helix knockback), Round 5: Stim Sprint (sprint heals), Round 7: Tactical Visor Overload (longer Tac Visor, faster fire rate)
ItemsR1: Weapon Power x2 Common, R2: Weapon Power Rare, R3: Life Steal Common, R4: Cooldown Reduction Rare (Helix), R5: Weapon Power Epic (Crit Bonus), R6: 1 Armor Common
Win ConditionOut-DPS the enemy DPS in mid-range duels. Tac Visor in round 5+ should win the round outright.
NameAna — Spell Support
PowersRound 1: Eye in the Sky (Biotic Rifle scope speed), Round 3: Nano Boost: Combined Arms (Nano gives Ana damage too), Round 5: Sleep Dart: Lullaby (sleep duration + AoE), Round 7: Mother (Biotic Grenade pulses heal twice)
ItemsR1: Ability Power x2 Common, R2: Cooldown Reduction Rare, R3: Ability Power Rare, R4: Cooldown Reduction Common, R5: Ability Power Epic (Nano scaling), R6: 1 Move Speed Common
Win ConditionWin the support 1v1 by sleep-dart trade. Mother + Combined Arms in round 7 makes you a third DPS while supporting.
NameTracer — Dive DPS
PowersRound 1: Quantum Entanglement (Recall heals), Round 3: Pulse Bomb: Final Blow (Pulse Bomb crits boost cooldown), Round 5: Blink: Slipstream (3rd blink), Round 7: Pulse Maelstrom (Pulse Bomb at half cooldown)
ItemsR1: Weapon Power x2 Common, R2: Cooldown Reduction Rare (Blink), R3: Life Steal Common, R4: Weapon Power Rare, R5: Cooldown Reduction Epic, R6: 1 Move Speed Common
Win ConditionPick off enemy support twice per round. Slipstream + Pulse Maelstrom turns you into a back-line wipe machine.
NameD.Va — Anti-Dive Tank
PowersRound 1: Boostrr (Boosters refresh on kill), Round 3: Defense Matrix: Reformat (DM regen rate), Round 5: Micro Missiles: Resupply (faster cooldown after kill), Round 7: Mech Rage (Self-Destruct armor while charging)
ItemsR1: Armor x2 Common, R2: Cooldown Reduction Rare (DM), R3: Armor Rare, R4: Weapon Power Common, R5: Armor Epic (Bulwark), R6: 1 Cooldown Reduction Common
Win ConditionDeny enemy DPS by eating their burst with DM. Reformat keeps DM up 70% of the fight by Round 5.
NameReaper — Brawl DPS
PowersRound 1: Soul Globe Generosity (Soul Globes heal more), Round 3: From The Shadows (Wraith damage reduction), Round 5: Death Blossom: Lifeblood (Blossom heals on hit), Round 7: Shadowstep: Phase Lurk (faster Shadow Step + invisibility on arrival)
ItemsR1: Life Steal Common + Weapon Power Common, R2: Weapon Power Rare, R3: Armor Common, R4: Life Steal Rare, R5: Weapon Power Epic (Spread reduction), R6: 1 Move Speed Common
Win ConditionOut-sustain tanks in close range. By round 5+ your Death Blossom is a guaranteed 2-pick + full heal.

Common Mistakes

  • Picking a Power for raw damage without checking if your Items support the scaling — Anti-Gravity Pulse with no Cooldown Reduction is a 12-second cooldown the whole round.
  • Over-stacking Common items past round 4 instead of saving for a Rare/Epic. Diminishing returns mean 5 Common = 3.5 Common effective.
  • Throwing round 1 for loss bonus — the comp/Power lead from a round 1 win is worth more than the 500–1,000 extra Cash.
  • Tanks buying Weapon Power early. The hero-tag damage reduction makes Weapon Power on tanks the worst stat per dollar — buy Armor/Cooldown first.
  • Saving Cash for the final round but never spending — you should ALWAYS enter round 7 with ≤1,000 Cash. Unspent Cash doesn't carry past the match.

Role Priorities

Tank

Armor > Cooldown Reduction > Ability Power (or Weapon Power for Mauga). Powers should always extend survivability — picking damage-boost powers on tank loses you the round.

Dps

Weapon Power > Life Steal (brawl) or Cooldown Reduction (ability-heavy) > Armor. Pick one damage-vector power and stack toward it.

Support

Ability Power > Cooldown Reduction > Armor. Powers should scale your CC / heal output — supports who pick raw damage powers feed the enemy DPS.

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