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 is a Tank hero in the game Overwatch 2, a genetically engineered gorilla who uses a Tesla Cannon as a weapon and has the ability to go into a rage mode where he smashes everything in sight.
- He was a part of the original Overwatch team and played a key role in its restoration after it went into hiding.
- The abilities of Winston in Overwatch 2 include a jump pack, a barrier projector, and the ability to go into a primal rage as his ultimate ability.
- Winston’s Tesla Cannon has been improved in Overwatch 2 and now has a longer range and the ability to charge up for more damage.
- His barrier projector creates a shield that absorbs damage and can be used to protect himself and his allies.
- Winston’s primal rage ultimate ability allows him to go into a berserker state where he gains increased health and the ability to smash enemies and objects with his fists.
- His improved abilities in Overwatch 2 make him a stronger and more versatile hero than before.
- Author’s Note: You can trust and rely on my expertise since I’ve gone through Overwatch 2 for well over 30 hours.
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) |
Every character in Overwatch 2 has an origin story. It is actually canon lore about every hero or character in the game. There is official information about it on the game’s official website, and the developers themselves are involved in deciding the background story of a hero.
Winston is no exception to that, 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.
Background Story
Before joining the Overwatch team, Winston was being researched as a genetically engineered gorilla at Dr. Harold Winston’s Lab. And he was not the only gorilla there as well. But something happened at the lab, and almost all of the genetically engineered gorillas fled the lab while killing the scientists there additionally. Winston, however, was not a killer and actually didn’t want that to happen.
After this event, he fled to Earth, and that is the point where he joined the Overwatch team first. He also named himself Winston because the scientist taking care of him was Dr. Harold Winston. It was a way of remembering the guy who cared for him.
As a member of the Overwatch team, Winston continued his research, all the while completing the missions that were assigned to him. But as fate would have it, the Overwatch team had to go into hiding, and most of the members were killed. Basically, the organization was suddenly broken.
Winston had to flee again as well. However, after some time, the genetically engineered gorilla decided to recall his teammates that were still alive and start the Overwatch team again. And that plan actually succeeded when Tracer decided to rejoin the team again. Overwatch was slowly restored, and Winston resumed his duties.
Improvements In The Second Game
Almost every hero that has been ported from the original Overwatch to the sequel has been redesigned in one form or another. And that isn’t just cosmetic redesigns, but the abilities of these heroes have also been revamped or balanced for more refined gameplay.
Some characters have also received new attacks, and Winston is one of them. There are some changes that have been made to his main weapon in the game, which make him a stronger character. I will discuss more of that in his abilities.
Winston’s Weapon And Abilities
His total health is 550, but without his shield, it is only 350, as the shield makes up for 200 points in his total hp. Tesla Cannon is again his main weapon of choice, but there are some changes that have been made in the second 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 |
|
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 |
|
| 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. The barrier is actually pretty strong and has a total hp of 800. However, there is a downside to the ability as well.
The barrier only stays on for 8 seconds, after which it disappears. And the Projector ability has a cooldown of 12 seconds additionally. So 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 |
|
| 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. Additionally, Winston’s health gets a massive boost of 500 points when Primal Rage is active.
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. The ultimate ability only lasts for 10 seconds.
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;
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 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.
Tips And Tricks
Finally, the last part of my guide is to give you some tips and tricks for Winston in the game. You should read them very carefully if you’re new to the game or new to using Winston.
Defense Is Priority
You are playing as a Tank Hero, and your first responsibility is to protect your team and the objective. Make sure to tragically use Winston’s Barrier ability in dire moments to protect your team from dying. That barrier might end up leading to victory if used correctly or at the right moments.
Mobility Is Key
Make good use of Winston’s Jump Pack ability in the game. You can quickly ambush an opponent that is far away and then make your escape using the same ability since Jump Pack has a very small cooldown. If used correctly, you can pick off enemy snipers one by one using Jump Pack.
Learn The Hero
It is always advised to get used to understanding a Hero fully whenever you play with them for the first time in the game. Make sure that you know what Winston is capable of and what he is weak against. Learn the pros and cons of the character. Once you know everything, you will be able to better utilize the character on the battlefield.
Doomfist is another great hero that has made his way into the sequel as well. He has additionally joined the Tank class of heroes in Overwatch 2 and is no longer a damage hero in the game. Some balancing changes have also been made to the hero as well.
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 us know what you think about the free-to-play sequel of Overwatch in the comments below.
NEXT: Overwatch 2 Best Supports
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