Overwatch 2 Winston: Abilities, Playstyle, & Tips

Overwatch 2 has finally been released and is a direct sequel to Overwatch. Surprisingly, the franchise has shifted to the free-to-play genre with the second game. And the game is a more refined version of its predecessor additionally. All of your favorite heroes make a return, and that includes one of the best Tank Heroes, Winston as well, and he definitely is just as good in Overwatch 2.

Winston In Overwatch 2

Role	Health	Armor	Abilities
Tank	200 (Open queue) 350 (Role queue)	200.0	Tesla Cannon, Jump Pack, Barrier Projector, Primal Rage (Ultimate), Tank (Passive)

Winston is no exception to Overwatch’s enriching origins, and he actually has a really great story in the game. Firstly, he is a genetically engineered gorilla and uses a Tesla Cannon as a weapon in the game. His design actually makes him look like a technological marvel.

However, he is still a gorilla, and when he gets enraged in the game, things go south real quickly. Winston’s Ultimate is actually based on going rage mode, where he smashes anything and everything in sight. That makes him an especially useful tank character in the game.

Winston’s Weapon And Abilities

Let’s discuss some of his basic stats of Winston before delving into his abilities in Overwatch 2. Most of his stats remain unchanged in the new game. He is still an S Rank Tank Hero and very much useful in Overwatch 2 as one of the best tank heroes in the game.

Following are Winston’s abilities in the game:

• Jump Pack
• Barrier Projector
• Primal Rage
• Tank

Primal Rage is his ultimate ability additionally. I will discuss his abilities in complete detail later in the guide.

Tesla Cannon

Type	Weapon
Effect Type	Multi Target Beam
Damage	60 dmg/sec
Max Range	8 meters
Area Of Effect	6 meters
Ammo	100
Ammo Usage	20 rounds/sec
Reload Time	1.7 secs

As we’ve mentioned before, Tesla Canon is Winston’s main weapon in the game. The Tesla Cannon actually uses electricity as ammo and is a really good short-range weapon. The damage per second is actually really decent and is 60 per second. It is good enough to get rid of your opponents at close range quickly. Additionally, the gun automatically locks on to the opponent at close range.

Type	Weapon
Effect Type	Beam
Damage	15 dmg – 50 dmg
Max Range	30 meters
Ammo Usage	4 – 12
Casting Time	To Minimum Charge: 0.4 secs To Full Charge: 1 sec Recovery: 0.75 secs

Winston lacked any long-range attacks in the previous game. That was probably the only thing that actually hindered his overall moveset. But now, in Overwatch 2, it is fixed. Tesla Canon has an additional long-range that almost acts like a sniper rifle shot.

Basically, now you can hold down the left trigger or the right mouse button to charge and shoot a long-range attack. This makes Winston stronger than ever before in the game now that he can be used at both short and long-range.

Jump Pack

Type	Ability
Effect Type	Area Of Effect Movement
Damage	1 dmg – 50 dmg
Area Of Effect	5 meters
Cooldown	5 secs

Jump Pack adds maneuverability to Winston’s moveset in the game. He can basically make a huge jump and land on his opponents. This will also deal 50 damage to the opponent he lands on top of. Additionally, you can use Jump Pack to quickly startle an opponent and finish them off with the Tesla Cannon.

You can even use the Jump Pack again to quickly run back to safety, as the ability has a small cooldown of 5 seconds. That makes Jump Pack one of the most strategic abilities in the game and can be used both for offense and defense.

Barrier Projector

Health	650 hp
Area Of Effect	5 meters
Casting Time	0.12 secs
Duration	8 secs
Cooldown	12 secs

Barrier Projector is one of the strongest defensive abilities in the game. It is basically a 360-degree shield that protects Winston from all sides when used. It is advised to use the Barrier Projector only when it is absolutely necessary or when you are completely surrounded.

Primal Rage

Type	Ultimate Ability
Effect Type	Melee
Health	+500 Max HP
Damage	40 dmg
Move Speed	+30% Booped Target: 23 m/s
Max Range	4 meters
Rate Of Fire (ROF)	1 swing/0.656 secs
Duration	10 secs
Ultimate Cost	1,850 points

Primal Rage is its ultimate attack on Winston. It is the magnum opus of his abilities that will almost make him invincible during battle. He will basically become a raging monster and start attacking with his fists alone.

That makes him very tanky as well to opponent attacks. Each punch deals 40 damage, and Winston can quickly chain his attacks for larger damage output. Additionally, the cooldown of Jump Pack is also reduced when Primal Rage is active.

Tank

Tank is a passive skill or ability of Winston that further boosts his overall defense in the game. It basically increases his protection against knockback and the overall damage received from other opponents. This is an especially handy passive skill for a Tank Character.

Playstyle For Winston

We will now discuss the playstyle for Winston in Overwatch 2, and that includes the best ways of utilizing this character in the game. There are certain heroes that Winston has good synergy with while playing in a team of 5 in the game. And there are certain characters that Winston is extremely strong against as well. I will discuss both in detail.

Ideal Heroes To Play With

There are certain heroes in the game that work well with Winston as a duo or as a team in a match. These characters have certain advantages when it comes to teaming up with Winston.

So it is advised that your teammates use the following heroes when you’re maining Winston:

• D.Va
• Sombra
• Mercy
• Genji

Heroes That Winston Can Counter

Winston is very strong against mobile characters and snipers in the game now. He can counter fast-moving characters such as Genji with his Tesla Cannon. The Tesla Cannon will automatically lock on the target as he moves and damages the opponent.

• Snipers like Widowmaker are usually attacking from vantage points that are very far from the main battlefield.
• These snipers can become quite irritating over time. Winston can use his Jump Pack ability to close the distance between the snipers and himself quickly.
• And then he can either use his weapon or ultimate to get rid of the sniper quickly. 

Support characters usually have a very small amount of health. And Winston can make quick work of them with his weapons that deal less base damage. This makes Winston extremely strong against snipers, mobile characters, and supports.

Heroes That Can Counter Winston

There are certain heroes of the game that are designed just to counter Winston in the game. Yes! Winston is not perfect, and he, too, will face a challenge while competing against characters like the Reaper, Roadhog, and Pharah. These characters are very difficult to beat with Winston, so it is advised to keep your distance from them.

My Tips For Using Winston

Here are some of the tips I’d like to share for playing Winston optimally in Overwatch 2:

1. Prioritize Defense: As a Tank Hero, your primary role is to safeguard your team and the objective. Use Winston’s Barrier ability strategically to prevent team deaths, potentially leading to victory when timed correctly.
2. Embrace Mobility: Leverage Winston’s Jump Pack to quickly ambush distant opponents and swiftly escape, thanks to its short cooldown. Mastering this ability allows you to systematically eliminate enemy snipers.
3. Understand the Hero: Take the time to fully comprehend Winston’s capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses. Knowing the ins and outs of the character enables more effective utilization on the battlefield.

My Experience Playing As Winston

Who doesn’t love invading the enemy lineups in Overwatch 2, playing as a Tank? Whenever I am playing Winston, I try to invade behind the enemy lines and try to take down their annoying Healers and DPS, of course. 

Apart from that, I also use Winston to rush the enemy at different choke points where I can corner them. However, one should be highly aware and should know when to fall back from the enemy backlines when the situation is not in your favor anymore. 

As for the Ultimate, of course, things get a lot more different as I go rampaging with it as much as I can.

My Best Heroes In Overwatch 2 guide now discusses the new meta characters in the game. However, you can also check out our Tier List, which discusses both the good and the bad characters currently in the game. Our Overwatch 2 Support Tier List and Tank Tier List also discuss the best support and tank heroes in the game, respectively. You can read them to get a more general idea of the best heroes in your favorite class. 

This concludes my guide for Winston, and I explained the hero in complete detail, including his abilities, playstyles, strengths, and weaknesses, whilst also giving some tips and tricks for new players. Let me know what you think about the free-to-play sequel of Overwatch in the comments below.

NEXT: Overwatch 2 Best Supports