Overwatch Hero Guide – How to Play Junkrat

Junkrat is a defensive character in Overwatch, and the tips included in our Hero Guide will help you learn how to harass the enemy team from a distance. If you’re looking to remain relatively safe while you launch a barrage of grenades and other annoyances at your foes, Junkrat might just be the character for you. Don’t expect to rack up as many kills as an offensive hero like Reaper, but a good Junkrat player can certainly pull his weight on a team.

Frag Launcher

Accuracy is not the name of the game when it comes to Junkrat’s Frag Launcher ability. He tosses out a few grenades that will bounce around a bit before eventually detonating and causing a fair amount of damage to anyone in a small radius around the blast. This attack works best in narrow pathways or when the opposing team is trying to hold an objective. Toss a few grenades in and force the opposing team to scatter around, leaving them vulnerable to attack from your other teammates.

Concussion Mine

Junkrat’s Concussion Mine serves two purposes. When used on Junkrat he can propel himself to great heights, reaching areas previously limited to the link of Widowmaker and a select few heroes with great mobility. Once you have the higher ground you can use the Frag Launcher to rain down a fistful of annoyance on the opposing team.

You can also use the Concussion Mine on an enemy or group of enemies near an edge. The knockback on the Concussion Mine is enough to cause your target to fall of the stage when properly spaced. This works especially well if you need to remove an opposing player from an objective. Placement is key with the Concussion Mine, which means it will take a bit of practice before you’re able to really make the best use of it.

Total Mayhem

When Junkrat dies, he drops a small cache of explosives that will damage any enemies in a small radius around his dead body. This can easily kill a Tracer, Reaper or other close-range enemies that get in your face in an attempt to bring you down. If they’re too close when you go down, they’ll be going along with you. It’s a nice way to get the last laugh when that annoying Tracer finally takes you down.

Rip-Tire

Junkrat’s ultimate ability can decimate an unsuspecting team, especially if they’re grouped together for an objective. When Rip-Tire is used, you take control of a motorized tired filled with explosives. Maneuver the tire to a group of enemies and detonate it to kill any enemies within a fairly large radius of the explosion.

It’s important to note that Junkrat is extremely vulnerable during the attack and will be stationary while you’re controlling the tire. If you’re caught out of position, it will be a quick death. In addition, the tire can be shot and destroyed, avoiding the deadly explosion, so know exactly where you want to place it and get there as quickly as possible.

If you’re looking for a more offensive character, be sure to check out our tips on Genji, Reaper and more in our Overwatch Hero Guide!