Hanzo Overwatch 2 – Everything you need to know

There are 35 different heroes in Overwatch 2, each of them having their own special abilities, weapons and playstyles. With so many to choose from, knowing how to play each character is paramount to the overall success of a team. In addition to there being 35 heroes, each one also fits into one of three different roles. These roles are tanks that protect their team from danger, supports that heal their teams, and DPS that can dish out punishment to their foes. Hanzo is a DPS character and mid-range sniper that can take out foes with ease in the right hands. Here is everything that players need to know when playing Hanzo in Overwatch 2.

Who is Hanzo in Overwatch 2?

Hanzo is a mercenary and assassin that makes good work of his powerful bow to take out players from extended ranges. With his mobility, he can strike players swiftly from unexpected angles and easily take out those who dare step out of position. While Hanzo remains largely unchanged from the original Overwatch, knowing how to maximize his abilities can help players lead their teams to victory.

Note: You can read about all of the Overwatch 2 characters here.

DPS heroes were reworked in Overwatch 2

There were significant changes made to team compositions from the transition of the original Overwatch to Overwatch 2. In the first game, teams were composed of 6 players. However, in Overwatch 2, this was reduced to 5 players per team, removing 1 tank from each team. Due to this new team composition, all roles in Overwatch 2 were given powerful passive abilities to help balance the teams. For DPS characters, this passive ability is a 25% increase to reload and movement speed on eliminating an enemy. This does not stack, but further eliminations will reset the duration. This can be a huge boost to DPS heroes such as Hanzo.

Hanzo’s abilities in Overwatch 2

In Overwatch 2, Hanzo excels at making surprise attacks from players at larger ranges and can also shut down areas of the map so that his team can push in or make a retreat. The silent nature of his bow also means he can remain relatively stealthy as he makes his way across the map to eliminate his foes. Players can use his ability to take out priority targets and help to secure the leverage their team needs to win team fights.

Wall Climb

One of the things that makes Hanzo so potent as a sniper is that he can climb up walls to get to a better vantage point. When Hanzo uses this passive ability, he can climb up walls by jumping at them. Once on the wall, he can climb up to 4 meters high before he cannot go any higher. In addition, Hanzo has a special jump ability that allows him to double jump.

Lunge/Double Jump

To go along with his ability to climb walls, Hanzo can double jump. When he is mid-jump, the player can press the jump button again to Lunge. Not only can this allow Hanzo to jump further and higher than other heroes, but it can be used to change direction mid-jump which can be great for evading hostile fire.

Storm Bow

Hanzo’s primary weapon is the Storm Bow. This is a powerful bow that grows in strength the longer that the player charges the bow. While it does have unlimited ammo, it will need to be reloaded and charged after each shot. The longer the player pulls back on, or charges the bow, the more damage it will do to targets. On headshots, a fully charged bow can take out certain heroes with 250 HP or less in 1 hit. This makes it a powerful tool for making surprise attacks. 

The bow can be held charged while the player moves, however, Hanzo will suffer a 30% reduction in movement speed when this happens. Therefore, players should be wary when they are walking around with a charged bow.

Sonic Arrow

When fired, the Sonic Arrow will detonate after striking a surface or target. When this happens, it will release a sonar-like device that will reveal targets within a 9-meter radius from where the arrow landed. This means that Hanzo and his team will have an easier time locating targets that have been highlighted by the Sonic Arrow. This can be used offensively to push enemies around corners, or defensively to prepare for an attack. This ability has a cooldown of 12 seconds.

Storm Arrows

Storm Arrows were the one thing that was changed about Hanzo in Overwatch 2. This ability has had a reduction of damage to 65 from 70. When Hanzo uses Storm Arrows, he will be able to fire his next 5 arrows instantly. This is great for quickly bursting down players, and can be used often, only having a cooldown of 10 seconds. However, in Overwatch 2, the burst was a bit too high at 70 damage per arrow and was toned down to make it a little more manageable for enemy players.

Dragonstrike

Hanzo’s Ultimate Ability is called Dragonstrike. When used, Hanzo will fire a massive arrow projectile that can pass through walls and other obstacles. A duo of dragons will swirl around the arrow, dealing massive damage to targets close to the center of the dragon. The ability can do a total of 993.6 damage to a target unfortunate enough to be hit for the entire duration. Each dragon deals damage independently, meaning the 150 damage per second from each dragon is doubled in the center. This ability can take out entire teams that are stacked together if they are not careful.

Tips for using Hanzo in Overwatch 2

Hanzo is a powerful mid-range sniper. While he does not have the ability to succeed at massive ranges like Widowmaker, he can travel silently through the battlefield and easily take out anyone foolish enough to step out of position. He is best played on maps that do not have long open spaces because he does not need as much room to be effective. Players who pick Hanzo may struggle against targets that can make lots of shields, such as Reinhardt, as he will not be able to deal much damage against them. Still, Hanzo can duel with the best of them, able to face off against the likes of Cassidy and Tracer.

Pick up Hanzo in Overwatch 2 to lunge into victory

With Hanzo’s double jump and mobility, he can reach places easily that many heroes cannot. This can give him access to special vantage points to take out his foes. With his ability to gain vision and follow his target’s movements, he can stay one step ahead and quickly take them out when they go to make their moves. Players who want to silently take out their foes can lead their team to victory by playing as Hanzo in Overwatch 2.