What is Hitscan in Overwatch 2? Character List and How to Play

Overwatch 2 has a few different ways that heroes can deal damage, with the primary methods being either hitscan weaponry or projectiles. Hitscan requires different abilities than projectiles do; if you’re trying to figure out if playing a hitscan hero is right for you, we’ve compiled some information for you here.

Hitscan explained

In Overwatch 2, each hero provides their own way to do damage to enemies. Heroes like Winston and Reinhardt have a primary fire that do damage at close range, with a limited area. Then, you have heroes with primary fires that are considered projectiles, like Hanzo and Genji.

Hitscan are heroes that have primary fires (or easily accessible abilities) that instantly hit the target you aim at. It’s a term used across first-person shooters due to that term because many shooters have specific characters, guns or abilities that are considered projectiles. These are the best to deal with flying heroes in Overwatch 2 or to counter another good hitscan on the enemy team.

The Hitscan list in Overwatch 2

Here is a quick rundown of all the hitscan heroes in Overwatch 2.

• Cassidy
• Soldier: 76
• Widowmaker
• Sojourn
• Ashe
• Bastion
• Baptiste

The rest of the heroes in Overwatch 2 either have a high bullet spread, or a laser, or are considered projectiles. The only two on this list that are debatable are Sojourn, Bastion and Ashe, but for different reasons.

Sojourn has a projectile primary fire, which has a small spread. But, it builds a charge for her secondary fire, a railgun that is a hitscan shot. Her kills revolve more around her railgun than her primary fire, so she is a hitscan hero. As for Ashe, she is in a weird spot where her shots aren’t as instant as Soldier: 76 or Widowmaker, but they still hit very fast. For the sake of comparison, she is a hitscan, but a weaker one in terms of hitting shots quickly. Lastly, Bastion is a hitscan only in his turret form, able to pump out a lot of damage to aerial targets for a tradeoff of little mobility.

How to play Hitscan in Overwatch 2

In terms of how to play hitscan, it varies a lot based on which hero you choose. However, there are still some general focuses hitscan players can practice with. For example, as mentioned earlier, hitting aerial targets like Echo or Pharah is easiest for hitscan. Another big use is to deal with enemy hitscan players, especially if they start heating up.

Lastly, hitscan heroes’ ability to whittle down targets fast with headshots can be crucial to deal with enemy tanks. Especially tanks like Winston, Orisa and Ramattra, you can hit their head easily outside of their deflect or shield abilities.

Asides from that, you just need to understand the kit of the hero you’re using. Widowmaker and Ashe are mostly stationary snipers, while Cassidy and Sojourn can move with the team. On top of that, make sure to train your aim in Overwatch 2 from either Workshop lobbies or the Practice Range.