Soldier: 76 Overwatch 2 – Everything you need to know

Overwatch 2 is a team-based first-person shooter that features 35 different heroes that players can choose from. Each one of these heroes has their own special abilities, playstyle, personality, and weapons. In addition, each one of these heroes fits into one of three different roles. These roles include tanks that can defend their teams, supports that can heal them, and DPS that can deal devastating damage to their foes. Choosing the right hero for the job is important to make sure a player can lead their team to victory. Soldier: 76 is a DPS hero that specializes in having access to high-tech and reliable weaponry to dish out pain to his enemies. Here is everything players need to know about using Soldier: 76 in Overwatch 2.

Who is Soldier: 76 in Overwatch 2?

Soldier: 76 is a hero that uses his powerful hitscan pulse rifle to deal steady and accurate damage to his foes. He has abilities that can help him increase his accuracy in combat as well as allowing him to sustain himself longer than many other DPS heroes in Overwatch 2. These abilities allow him to be a devastating force on the battlefield, and if he gets a high vantage point he can easily mow down enemy players with ease.

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

Rework to DPS heroes in Overwatch 2

In Overwatch 2 there were some changes made to the game as it updated to the latest generation. One of the biggest changes to the game is that the teams shifted from being 6v6 to be 5v5. Because of the reduction in team size, each team has one less tank to work with. This means that each individual player will need to contribute more to their team to ensure success. To help with this, each role was given its own special passive ability. DPS heroes, such as Soldier: 76 received the passive ability to gain a 25% increase in movement speed and reload speed on securing an elimination. This ability cannot stack, but further eliminations can reset the duration and help Soldier: 76 dispatch foes even faster.

Soldier: 76’s abilities in Overwatch 2

In Overwatch 2, Soldier: 76 stays mostly the same as he was in the original Overwatch. Fans who play him in this iteration will notice he plays pretty much the same and is still a reliable and easy-to-use hero. However, there were some changes in the amount of damage that Soldier: 76’s pulse rifle puts out, as well as changes to his Ultimate Ability that will bring him more in line with other DPS heroes. Overall, he is still a solid choice and can fit into almost any team composition in Overwatch 2.

Heavy Pulse Rifle

As Soldier: 76’s signature weapon, the Heavy Pulse Rifle is an accurate and reliable hitscan weapon. This means that players do not have to account for projectiles, and because of this, it becomes very reliable to hit fast or airborne targets such as Pharah and Mercy. In addition, it is very accurate even with its high fire rate, though it does have vertical recoil, even though the official description of it says otherwise. The Heavy Pulse Rifle fires fully automatic and has 30 rounds in the magazine. Each round does a total of between 6-18 damage (reduced from 20 in the original Overwatch). It does best at mid-ranges and experiences damage falloff between 30-50 meters. Because of this, players will not want to duel with longer-range heroes such as Widowmaker.

Helix Rockets

As the secondary fire mode for Soldier: 76’s Heavy Pulse Rifle, the Helix Rockets can do massive damage to targets in their area of effect. When used, Soldier: 76 will fire out the rockets in a single burst, dealing 120 damage on a direct hit, and up to 80 splash damage in the 3-meter area of effect. Soldier: 76 can damage himself with these rockets as well, and should take caution using it at close ranges. However, Helix Rockets can be used to secure an elimination on a target at low health with ease or to simply add some burst damage to Soldier: 76’s arsenal. Helix Rockets have a cooldown of 6 seconds.

Sprint

Sprint gives Soldier: 76 access to a quick and reliable method of simply moving faster. When used, Sprint gives Soldier: 76 a 50% movement speed increase. The duration lasts as long as Soldier: 76 moves forward without taking other actions. There is no cooldown to using Sprint and it can be used indefinitely as long as Soldier: 76 is not firing or using his abilities. Because of this, he can use it to get to a fight or retreat from one if necessary.

Biotic Field

When Soldier: 76 uses Biotic Field, he places down a biotic emitter that restores 35 HP to himself and any nearby allies in a 4.5-meter radius. This ability allows him to have more self-sustain than many other DPS heroes and he can even help out his team’s support with this ability. Though it has a long cooldown of 15 seconds, it can get him out of tight situations and is a more than welcome addition to any team.

Tactical Visor

Soldier: 76’s Ultimate Ability is Tactical Visor. When used, it allows him to effectively lock on to his foes. Those closest to his crosshairs will be able to be hit by Soldier: 76 with pinpoint accuracy. If any targets leave his vision, he can then locate the next closest target and eliminate them with ease. When used in large groups, Soldier: 76 can quickly eliminate entire teams if he has a good vantage point. With Overwatch 2, this ability was changed to incorporate damage fall-off, which means it isn’t as good at longer ranges, but in his effective range, it is just as devastating as before.

Lastly, Tactical Visor has been updated to now allow for Soldier: 76 to score headshots during its duration by aiming at his target’s head for even more damage potential.

Tips for playing Soldier: 76 in Overwatch 2

Soldier: 76 is one of the most balanced heroes in Overwatch 2. Because of this, he is great for newer players to pick up and learn how to play. He is capable of dealing both sustained and burst damage through the use of his weapon and abilities. He also possesses the capability to move quickly between areas and sustain his team with his Biotic Field. While he does have many strengths, he is truly a jack of all trades and a master of none. 

He suffers from no real vertical mobility, as well as lacking a very strong Ultimate Ability. He does excel at mid-range but can be defeated if he is out-ranged, or by players who can get to him from angles that are difficult for him to reach due to his lack of upward mobility.

Pick Soldier: 76 to lead the team to victory in Overwatch 2

Even though Soldier: 76 is easy to learn, players will still need to put in a lot of practice with him in order to truly master his playstyle. He is a capable hero in the right hands, and can easily compliment any team composition. Players can get started with Soldier: 76 today and help to lead their team to an assured victory in Overwatch 2.