Overwatch – Which Character to Play First

The next Overwatch Beta period begins tomorrow, and fans are excited to get their hands on the game again. While many people played Overwatch at Bizzcon and during the previous Beta periods, a lot of new players will be getting their hands on the game for the first time. With 21 characters available in the Beta it can be difficult and even daunting to determine which character you should play first. We’ve made that decision a bit easier for you by detailing some of the characters and their play styles so you have a better idea of which character will fit your play style the best.

Offensive

Soldier: 76

Many new players getting into the Overwatch Beta are coming from a first-person shooter background. Soldier: 76 is the closest character you’re going to find that feels like you’re playing Call of Duty. His primary attack is a Heavy Pulse Rifle, which is a rapid-fire machine gun, while his secondary offering Helix Rockets, which is essentially a rocket launcher from CoD. He can even self-heal (which also helps teammates), and he has the ability to sprint. There are other offensive characters that pack a bit more punch, but Soldier: 76 should be one of the easiest to pick up first.

Defensive

Widowmaker

If you were a camping sniper in other FPS titles, Widowmaker is right up your alley. Her primary weapon is the Widow’s Kiss, a machine gun that helps her stay safe and effective at close range. However, her secondary weapon is where she truly shines. The Widow’s Sniper is just what it sounds like, a deadly sniper that allows Widowmaker to inflicts significant damage from considerable range. If that weren’t enough, she has a grappling hook that allows her to quickly scale vertical terrain and get to a sniping point, as well as Venom Mines that stick to any surface and keep her safe if anyone tries to sneak up on her camping position.

Tank

D.Va

When playing as a tank you want a character that has lasting power. While all of the tanks in Overwatch have additional health or other means to keep them alive, D.Va fights in a huge mech. If the opposing team is able to take down the mech, she ejects, essentially giving her a second chance at life. While she’s in human form she has a rapid-fire, long-range Light Gun to take down enemies from a safe distance while she waits for her mech ability to recharge. In the right hands D.Va is extremely difficult to take down.

Offensive Support

Zenyatta

Playing as a support character is a lonely job. Most people like the big guns of the offensive characters, which is why Zenyatta is the support character of choice for newcomers. He has the ability to mount a decent offense with his Orb of Destruction primary attack and Charged Orbs secondary attack, but it’s his Orb of Harmony that really makes this character. It attaches an orb to an ally (generally the tank) and continuously heals them as long as Zenyatta stays alive. His Ultimate, Transcendence, turns him into a healing beacon that’s immune to damage. This is the support character for people who don’t really like playing support.

Dedicated Support

Lúcio

If you take pleasure in keeping your team alive and not focusing much on damage (the typical support player), Lúcio is the character for you. He can heal allies or give them a movement speed buff with his Crossfade ability, he can shield everyone around him with his Ultimate, Sound Barrier, and he has great movement options. If you’ve played Titanfall or the latest Call of Duty titles, Lúcio can wall-run to move around the map much easier. While he doesn’t have a lot of offensive power, he can move around behind enemies, then use his secondary, Soundwave, to knock them into his team.

We’ll have more on Overwatch in the coming weeks as players get more accustomed to the new Beta. In the meantime, check out our strategic preview of the game, and how we think it will fair in the esports scene after it releases this June!

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