Pharah Overwatch 2 – Everything you need to know

Overwatch 2 is a team-based first-person shooter that features a roster of 35 different heroes, each with their own unique weapons and abilities. In addition to having different abilities, each hero also has their own special playstyle and fills one of three different roles for their team. These roles are tanks that can shield their allies from harm, supports who can heal their team, and DPS who can deal a lot of damage to their targets quickly. Pharah is a DPS character who can soar across the battlefield and rain destruction down on her foes. Here is everything that players need to know about using Pharah in Overwatch 2.

Who is Pharah in Overwatch 2?

Pharah is a hero that uses the power of rockets in multiple ways. For one, she uses a jetpack that can propel her upwards and across the battlefield, allowing her to take aim at her foes below. In addition, her preferred method of dispatching foes is firing rockets at them. With this playstyle in mind, players will need to be quick to dodge incoming fire and take out unsuspecting enemies from the air. A well-placed Ultimate from Pharah can be all a team needs to make the push toward victory in Overwatch 2.

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

Rework to DPS heroes in Overwatch 2

In Overwatch 2, one of the biggest changes was the way that teams are organized. In the original Overwatch, players competed in 6v6 matches against each other. However, for Overwatch 2, these teams have been reduced to 5v5 matches, with each team having one less tank. To compensate for this change in how teams are composed, each role in the game received their own special passive ability to aid them in combat. DPS heroes, such as Pharah, received the ability to gain a 25% movement and reload speed buff upon eliminating an enemy. This ability does not stack, however, consecutive eliminations will reset the duration, which can cause Pharah to cause mass chaos from the skies.

Pharah’s abilities in Overwatch 2

Pharah’s abilities have stayed fairly consistent from the original Overwatch. In fact, she has mostly seen an improvement in her abilities, which include a boost in her Rocket Launcher reload speed, as well as increased damage on Concussive Blast. These two buffs should help her stand out from the crowd as she takes to the skies to clear the way for her team’s victory.

Hover Jets

One of the main draws to playing a hero such as Pharah is the ability to soar through the air. The Hover Jets allow Pharah to hover in the air when holding the jump button. However, Pharah has a fuel gauge that she must keep an eye on that determines the amount of height she will be able to go. It does recover over time, however, with proper use of her Jump Jets, she can hover indefinitely.

Rocket Launcher

Pharah’s weapon of choice, the Rocket Launcher shoots exploding projectiles at her foes that explode into splash damage in an area. These rockets will cause 120 damage on a direct hit, and up to 80 from splash damage hit, depending on how close the explosion was to the target. The rockets travel at a speed of 35 meters per second, and the Rocket Launcher itself can hold 6 rockets before needing to be reloaded. With the buff in reloading, Pharah responds .25 seconds faster to running out of rockets in her Rocket Launcher, causing the overall reload speed to improve.

Jump Jet

For players who want to get high up in the air, Jump Jets can propel them quickly at 11.55 meters vertically. This can not only let Pharah get a better vantage point in the match, but can allow her to get the high ground, or just to make an escape if she needs to leave quickly. However, with a cooldown of 10 seconds, players may not always have the ability to use it when they want to. Getting caught without mobility can have devastating results for Pharah.

Concussive Blast

In the event that an enemy does get too close, Pharah has a backup plan with Concussive Blast. Recently the damage of this ability was updated to cause 30 damage in addition to knocking the target back. For those that can score a direct hit, the knockback will be increased. This ability can not only be used defensively to give Pharah a bit of damage and some room but it can be used offensively as well. If Pharah notices an enemy too close to an edge, she can knock them off and get an easy elimination from it as well. Concussive Blast has a cooldown of 9 seconds.

Barrage

Pharah’s Ultimate Ability is Barrage. When used, Pharah will fire out a massive continuous volley of mini-rockets at her foes. The ability lasts for 2.5 seconds and fires 31 rockets per second. Each rocket deals 40 damage on a direct hit, and up to 30 on splash damage. This means that the potential for damage with Barrage is very high. However, not only can Pharah damage herself with the rockets (meaning she needs room to use it) but when she uses them while in the air she will remain stationary. This leaves her as an easy-to-hit target for hitscan heroes such as Soldier: 76 and Windowmaker.

Tips for using Pharah in Overwatch 2

Players who choose Pharah will want to try to stay off the ground as much as possible. Though Pharah’s Rocket Launcher is a capable weapon, it can deal damage her if used too close, so getting distance is paramount to success. In addition, hovering can create some much-needed space for her to deal some damage. Heroes that use hitscan weapons, like Cassidy and Soldier: 76 can really do some damage to her if they catch her in the sky, however. For this reason, if Pharah can have an accompanying Mercy, she can really amp up her gameplay.

Barrage can single-handedly wipe out entire teams with ease, however, players should take caution when using it. Overall, Pharah is a capable hero able to deal with multiple threats from the safety of the air, provided she can dodge the enemy’s attacks. Once players get a good vantage point, they can help their team clear the way to victory.

Pick Pharah and help the team take flight towards victory

There is no doubt that Pharah controls the skies. However, it’s also a double-edged sword, and players will need to check their surroundings at all times. Getting good vantage points and the high ground with some cover can greatly increase a player’s chance of success. However, with careful planning, Pharah can take out her foes with ease and soar into a victory with her team.