As many Overwatch players waiting through the long queue times will tell you, damage-based players, or "DPS," are the hot commodity Heroes that most seem to favor. This makes sense to a degree: they're the strongest, flashiest, and usually the most satisfying to play.
Still, these damage-laced Heroes can prove incredibly ineffective if you don't execute your game plan well. Not only do they demand at least decent mechanical skills, but their typically low health can make them vulnerable in the heat of battle. As a result, these Heroes are often the most susceptible to falling flat on their face in the hands of less seasoned or less alert players. So, with that said, let's lock and load as we cover 10 very common mistakes that DPS players make in Overwatch.
10 Failing To Target The Backline
While this role is more specifically tailored to speedier Heroes like Genji, Tracer, and the teleporting Reaper, many crafty DPS players can take advantage of flanks to target the opponent's backline.
While risking your neck just to seek out weak, often protected healers may not seem worth it, killing them can produce a devastating ripple effect. Robbing a team of its healers - or even its main support - often renders them dead in the water; barring a miraculous last-stand defense by them, or an abundance of self-healers. You can really excel with this technique against more vulnerable supports, like Zenyatta and (the currently nerfed) Brigitte.
9 Taking On Too Many Opponents At Once
Sure, it may be tempting to flex your mechanical muscle in Overwatch and try to carry a game on your own, especially as an offensively capable DPS. For the most part, though, you'll want to steer clear of fights in which you're hopelessly outnumbered; 1 v 4, 2 v 6, etc. Call of Duty, this is not.
Even if you've spawned ahead of your team-mates, it's usually worth it to wait them out and make a push as a singular unit. You'll be able to ultimately deal much more damage more effectively this way, as you'll be fed heals by your support and granted tank protection. Obviously, there are exceptions, like finishing off a near-death opponent, or getting that last notch of Ultimate charge which could save your life. Usually, though, you'll want to fight with your team.
8 Not Finishing Off A Kill
This is an easy trap to fall into if you're a longer-ranged DPS Hero like Soldier or Widowmaker. However, assuming it's possible, you'll really want to try and finish off kills, especially if you've spent a great deal of time and effort to get it. Overwatch is largely a game of weakening the offensive might of the enemy team, and letting a super weak foe scurry away when you could have ended them may make an impact in the long run.
All it takes is a cheeky Genji to slip away with 10 health, only to take out 4 players with his Dragonblade when he could have been taken care of with a bit more effort.
7 Failing To Utilize Ultimate Combos
This will depend on the circumstance, of course; most DPS Heroes certainly have some potent Ultimates on their own. However, good, cohesive teams will usually want to be aware of other Ultimates in the rotation and the potential to leapfrog off another Ultimate to maximize the impact of both.
Hanzo and Genji's Ultimates can delete a good chunk of the team with a well-timed Graviton Surge from Zarya. Soldier 76 can deal some huge damage by being beefed up with Ana's Nano Boost, etc... Try to take advantage of these combos when possible to become an even stronger wrecking machine.
6 Too Many Careless Deaths
If there's one general rule to remember in Overwatch, it's this - do not die. Of course, we're only human, and mistakes are made, meaning we likely will die, maybe even more than a few times during a particularly tough match. As a DPS Hero, though, you want to try to minimize this as much as possible.
While this might go without saying, it seems like many squishier, slower DPS players will swoop into a fight they have no business engaging in. Premature deaths can cause a downward spiral, as spawns are now out of sync, your opponents outnumber you, and they've gotten free Ult charge. A big part of rocking an effective DPS is knowing when (and where) to strike, when to help team-mates, and when to hold back a bit.
5 Poor Or Ineffective Ultimate Usage
It can be tempting to bust out an Ultimate when facing a particularly pesky opponent or two as soon as you get it. Hey, if it benefits your team to simply pick off one or two players with nobody else in sight - go for it.
More often than not, though, a good DPS should shoot for milking the maximum amount of impact for their Ultimate. This doesn't always necessarily mean coupling it with someone else's, but being in the right position while trying to get as many foes in your crosshairs as possible. This could mean standing back with a McCree and firing Deadeye at an exposed team moving the payload. It could be a matter of dropping right behind an enemy squad hole up inside an Orisa shield and popping Reaper's Death Blossom.
4 Failing To Fulfill Needed Roles
When it comes to the DPS role, in particular, many seem to take the lone wolf approach. While the strong, versatile nature of the DPS allows you to somewhat get away with a more solo approach, you still typically want to be aware of the other DPS Heroes that exist on your squad and pick your character accordingly. Sometimes the map or the overall composition could determine this.
For instance, you may want to spam with Junkrat if you know you'll be holding a choke near a point. Yet, you won't want to use him when your team's in need of hitscan-specific DPS in offensive situations. Maybe a Pharah is giving your team problems from the sky. Other examples include picking Tracer/Reaper if you team could use a cheeky flank, or Widow for vast, multi-leveled maps like Watchpoint: Gibraltar.
3 Sticking With Poor Controls/Sensitivity
One refreshingly unique feature of Overwatch is its lack of dependency on mechanics. Players who aren't particularly great at aiming can still have fun and be excellent players rocking a Moira or Winston. Yet, aside from the grenade-spamming oddball Junkrat, and a handful of others, DPS need to at least be competent mechanically.
It might be worth it to practice your shooting skills against bots or in the Practice Range. You may also want to try tinkering with settings, beginning with tighter, more steady aim with aim-assist. After that, it might serve you to work your way towards quicker, looser sensitivity as you get the feel for the Hero. There is some impressively in-depth customization for controls and sensitivity, so tweak things at your discretion.
2 Not Utilizing Your Environment
For the speedy, often more vulnerable damage-based Heroes, an awareness of your surroundings is especially crucial. Whether you're trying to flee from attackers and find yourself backing into an obstruction or wall, or scrambling to a health pack, you'll want to be in control of the map, so to speak.
This also means taking advantage of unique map features, like higher ground that can add a positional advantage, knowing which areas can be climbed with a Genji, or locating a cheeky corner to hide that Torb turret. As a DPS, it's not always simply about overpowering foes, but sometimes outmaneuvering and outplaying them in general.
1 Poor Target Prioritization
As a damage-based Hero, it's often going to be your job to finish off opponents, melting beefier tanks when needed, and helping with quick clean-ups of teams that have lost fights. You're the muscle, and you'll want to flex it at opportune times, on opportune targets. In this sense, you are the damage dealer just as much as you're on damage-control, as you're usually the optimal choice in squashing enemy DPS.
Smart DPS play typically involves picking your battles. Hopelessly poking at a Reinhardt shield from a distance likely won't be as effective as a quick flank and deletion of the opponent's healers and pesky damage-dealers. If a Widowmaker is picking off your guys left and right, target her first; if a McCree is harassing your backline, deal with him, etc.