Junkrat is a source of consistent, dependable damage in Overwatch 2. It's hard to think of a character more regularly capable of leading the field in damage from game to game. With the new meta game resembling more of a deathmatch than a team area fight, Junkrat's raw damage is even more valuable than before.
If any expert finds an issue with Junkrat, it's that his overall damage doesn't necessarily lead to kills in Overwatch 2. But with some advice from veterans that love him, Junkrat can lead the kill charts as well as he can the damage charts. Experts have no issue topping the leaderboards in each category.
Playstyle
With a nice and easy grenade lob, Junkrat's standard battle strategy is to aim for the mass of enemy bodies and shoot. He'll almost always be hitting something, charging up his ultimate ability the whole way. Add some communication with the team and use the ultimate when opponents are stacked up for a team kill.
Junkrat isn't totally useless against heroes that prefer to go out on their own, either. His traps can freeze assailants in place when they try to sneak up on him. With a few remotely detonated mines, this can be yet another death suffered at Junkrat's hands.
When cornered, these remote mines also bounce Junkrat away, giving him some escapability that other backline units often lack and making him one of the best DPS units in the game.
Abilities
Frag Launcher
- Bouncing explosive projectile weapon.
There is a reason that gamers stick with Junkrat even after unlocking all of the heroes. The Frag Launcher is a simple and sustained way to deal large area of effect damage. Even if it's not killing heroes, it's slowing them down and charging up Junkrat's ultimate ability.
Concussion Mine
- Primary: Throw a knockback mine.
- Alt fire: Detonate the mine.
The knockback ability works for both the attacker and Junkrat alike. When an enemy such as Genji or Mei gets behind the line, Junkrat can deal damage to them and keep himself out of harm's way by tossing this down and detonating it quickly.
Total Mayhem
- Passive: No damage taken by self with explosives.
- Passive: Drops bombs on death.
The bombs upon death are largely avoidable. It's a very slight perk when dying, but should never be intentionally used. The other passive is nice because most heroes like Sigma and Pharah can harm themselves with melee fire. Junkrat has no such drawback as his self-harm is negated.
Steel Trap
- Place an immobilizing trap.
A Steel Trap that catches a Tracer or Genji with a Concussion Mine on it can be a one-hit kill. Locking an enemy in place, especially ones that try to attack Junkrat behind enemy lines, is often fatal. It can be targeted and taken out, but the trap is somewhat tough to see as it sinks a bit below the surface.
Rip-Tire
- Drive and detonate an exploding tire.
Junkrat's ultimate is loudly announced to all enemy players (similar to Cassidy) but that doesn't mean it can be avoided. The tire can jump up walls and get to the backline easily. Stacked with another teammate's ultimate, it's a leading source of team kills.
Tips & Tricks
Always be firing. Junkrat's ultimate shifts the tide even when his incessant damage is being mitigated and his primary fire does just that. Use his ultimate early and often. Even if all heroes aren't stacked up, target the elite support units. With them out of the picture, Junkrat's primary fire can no longer be mitigated.
Steel Trap should be used defensively more than offensively. Place it in a location nearby and run to it if an attacker gets by the tanks. In addition to this, Concussion Mine can kill enemies caught in a trap or bounce Junkrat to safety.
Grenades do their best work when launched from above. Use the Concussion Mine before a fight to jump onto a rooftop for some superior lobbing.
Combos
- Roadhog
Roadhog can force a player into a Junkrat trap if the two players are coordinating. The trap alone is lethal to non-tanks, but the combination of the two heroes together will likely kill even the beefiest tank on a successful hook.
- Zarya
Getting caught in a Zarya ult already made players want to kill off the first Overwatch. If Junkrat gets his ult off on this group, that can not just wipe a team, but win the game in a matter of seconds.
- Mercy
Tired of being told that Junkrat's damage is not enough? Fix that issue in a hurry with Mercy's damage amplification. Now, instead of the damage being annoying, it becomes a major problem. Those who refuse to budge will take more damage than their healers can restore.
- Widowmaker
If Junkrat handles the ground, somebody has to handle the skies. Widowmaker is one of the best at this. Plus, if she reveals the enemy team with her ultimate, Junkrat knows exactly when to aim his grenades or detonate an ultimate of his own.
- Hanzo
The concept here is similar to Widowmaker. Snipers complement Junkrat's damage well. Junkrat will blow down shields quickly, allowing Hanzo more windows for headshots. Add in his low-cooldown arrow that reveals enemies and he and Junkrat can be best pals.
Advantages & Counters
Junkrat is a fantastic defender, especially against escort missions. Having to push a target means Junkrat always knows where the bulk of the fighting will occur, allowing him to lob shots from safety. Those who are new to the franchise will enjoy this.
Junkrat is rendered next to useless against aerial targets. That's just the nature of how grenades work. He's also got a limited range, so snipers will happily stay a safe distance away from him. Batiste can put done zones of immunity and really mess up Junkrat's damage loop. With too many counters, consider switching DPS characters.
Overwatch 2 is available now on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch.