Reaper Overwatch 2 – Everything you need to know

With the addition of 3 new heroes joining the roster in Overwatch 2, there are now 35 total heroes that players can choose from. Each and every hero brings their own unique playstyle, abilities, and weapons to the fray. In addition, each hero belongs to one of three roles that help to further define them in combat. These include tanks that can help to defend their team, supports that can keep them healed, and DPS that can deal massive damage to the enemy. Reaper is a DPS hero that specializes in dealing close-range burst damage to his foes. Here is everything that players need to know about using Reaper in Overwatch 2.

Who is Reaper in Overwatch 2?

Reaper is a close-range oriented flanker, who is one of the most deadly characters at short ranges. As a ghostly figure, he can teleport and shift into the void in order to get the drop on his foes or evade a firefight. His abilities are focused on getting in close to his enemies and being able to finish the job when he arrives with his dual-wielded shotguns. Players who pick Reaper will want to avoid any long-range engagements, but by having teammates that can bring enemies in close, they can easily win any team fight.

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

DPS heroes received a rework in Overwatch 2

One of the biggest changes in Overwatch 2 was the complete rework of how teams were composed. In the original Overwatch, players engaged in 6v6 combat. However, in Overwatch 2, this was changed to become 5v5 matches. Because of this, each role was given a special passive ability that lets them be more effective in combat. For DPS characters such as Reaper, this passive is a 25% increase in movement speed and reload speed for a few seconds after they score an elimination. This effect cannot stack, but additional eliminations can reset the timer. For characters like Reaper, this passive can cause them to easily rack up eliminations.

Reaper’s abilities in Overwatch 2

Each of Reaper’s abilities didn’t really change too much for the newest addition in the Overwatch series. In fact, players who played him during the original game will feel right at home. However, one of the few changes Reaper did get was a slight reduction in the amount of damage his shotguns do, as well as increasing the spread. This will push him into a much more close-combat-oriented role, as doing damage at range decreases massively with his shotgun’s spread. However, by carefully using his abilities, players can become one of the deadliest heroes on the battlefield, even with his recent damage nerfs.

The Reaping

As Reaper does damage to his opponents, whether that be from his shotguns, melee, or even environmental effects, he restores 35% of that damage as health. This is due to The Reaping passive that is built into his kit. This effect can be very strong, and when Reaper is dealing massive damage in close range he can stay in the fight for a long time with his self-healing. However, characters that can reposition and avoid damage, like Pharah, Genji, and Mercy can make him not be able to hit them, and hence he will not gain life and be an easy target.

Hellfire Shotguns

As Reaper’s primary way of dealing damage, the Hellfire Shotguns can pack a powerful punch in close quarters. In his signature style, Reaper dual-wields these deadly guns, dealing 5.4 damage per pellet that hits his enemy, with each shot firing 20 pellets. This means if every pellet strikes his foes, he will deal 108 damage and heal for 38 health. With the rate of fire of his shotguns, he can down even large targets like Reinhardt quickly if he catches them off guard. The Hellfire Shotguns hold 8 ammo between them and take 1.5 seconds to reload.

Wraith Form

Being in close quarters can be a risky endeavor, and Reaper has Wraith Form to help him escape. When he uses Wraith Form, he becomes invulnerable and gains a 50% increase in movement speed. This effect lasts for up to 3 seconds but can be canceled early. In addition, when Reaper enters Wraith Form, he will reload his Hellfire Shotguns to full ammo. While he cannot attack or use other abilities while in Wraith Form, he can pick up health packs to get back in the fight. Wraith Form has a cooldown of 8 seconds.

Shadow Step

Getting in close to enemies is one of Reaper’s talents. He can accomplish this even easier with Shadow Step. When used, Reaper can teleport instantly to any destination within a max range of 35 meters. After casting, he will disappear at his current location and then reappear at the targeted area. This movement takes 2 seconds to execute, and during this time Reaper cannot take other actions. In addition, while it can get players in close, it does make a sound that can alert players to Reaper’s location. Therefore, players should try to use it to come from unexpected angles. Shadow Step has a cooldown of 10 seconds.

Death Blossom

As Reaper’s Ultimate Ability, Death Blossom transforms him into a whirling tornado of death. When used, Reaper will quickly spin in a circle, firing his Hellfire Shotguns quickly in all directions. This deals 170 damage per second in an 8-meter radius around him. Reaper can move during this ability, though he suffers a 50% reduction in movement speed. Previously, Reaper could be stunned during this effect, which would end it early. But now, with the removal of stuns, he does not have as many abilities that can stop his Death Blossom, which makes it much stronger in Overwatch 2.

Tips for using Reaper in Overwatch 2

Reaper is certainly a fun character to play, and can easily do a lot of damage quickly to the enemy team. His high burst damage and self-healing make him a real threat to anyone who dares to get too close to him. However, without much mobility besides Wraith Form to use when he is in close range means that he can get overwhelmed if he has too many targets nearby. In addition, he can easily be out-ranged because of his Hellfire Shotgun’s poor effectiveness at mid-long range.

Players who want to use Reaper should try to approach their enemies from unexpected angles. Using his Shadow Step can get them quickly behind enemy lines to set up an ambush of an unsuspecting enemy. Players can go in for an elimination and then quickly Wraith Form out of danger to get back to their team. Used properly, Reaper can be a powerful force on any battlefield, particularly with the maps in Overwatch 2 having more room for him to navigate in.

Pick Reaper to help the team reap a victory in Overwatch 2

Reaper is a solid choice for any Overwatch 2 player. Fans of the series will love replaying him in Overwatch 2, and new players will find him easy to pick up and play. Knowing chokepoints and ambush spots can help players score more eliminations, and after some careful practice, Reaper can allow any team to reap a win in Overwatch 2.