How Headshots Work In Overwatch
( FP's Overwatch Strategy Guide )
This guide will cover how headshots work in Overwatch along with a chart showing you which hero abilities do headshots or not.
Overwatch Basics
Hero Introductions |
 |
Headshots
Overwatch has headshots. Headshots do twice the damage as a normal shot. While playing you can tell if you did a headshot if your crosshair has red flairs coming from it, as shown below:
| Normal shots | Headshots |
Headshots will also make a slightly different sound feedback than a regular shot, it will have a slight "ting" to it as well.
The following lists all the heroes and their abilities and whether or not they headshot:
Offensive Hero Ability Headshots
| Attack Heroes | Ability | Headshots? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Genji |
Shuriken |
YES |
|
| Fan of Blades | YES | ||
| Swift Strike | no | ||
| Deflect | YES | Projectiles deflected can headshot. | |
|
Dragonblade (Ult) |
no |
||
McCree |
Peacekeeper |
YES |
|
| Peacekeeper (Fan-fire) | no | ||
| Flashbang | no | ||
| Deadeye |
no |
||
Pharah |
Rocket Launcher |
no |
|
| Concussive Blast | no | ||
| Barrage |
no |
||
Reaper |
Hellfire Shotguns |
YES |
|
|
Death Blossom |
no |
||
Soldier 76 |
Heavy Pulse Rifle |
YES |
|
| Helix Rockets | no | ||
| Tactical Visor |
no |
||
Sombra |
Machine Pistol |
YES |
|
Tracer |
Pulse Pistols |
YES |
|
| Pulse Bomb |
no |
When Tracer sticks a Pulse Bomb on an enemy it will do an immediate 5 damage (before the explosion). This initial "stick" can do critical damage of 10 instead of 5 if stuck to the head area. The actual explosion cannot crit. |
Defensive Hero Ability Headshots
| Defense Heroes | Ability | Headshots? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Bastion |
Recon |
YES |
|
| Sentry | no | ||
| Tank (Ult) |
no |
||
Hanzo |
Storm Bow |
YES |
|
| Sonic Arrow | YES | ||
| Scatter Arrow | no | Initial arrow can headshot, but the Scatter Arrows won't. | |
|
Dragonstrike |
no |
Initial arrow can headshot, but the Dragon won't. | |
Junkrat |
Frag Launcher |
no |
|
| Concussion Mine | no | ||
| Steel Trap | no | ||
| Rip-Tire |
no |
||
Mei |
Endothermic Blaster |
no |
|
| Icicle | YES | ||
|
Blizzard |
no |
||
Torbjorn |
Rivet Gun |
YES |
|
| Rivet Gun (Alt-Fire) | YES | ||
| Forge Hammer | no | ||
| Turret |
no |
||
Widowmaker |
Widow's Kiss: Assault |
YES |
|
| Widow's Kiss: Sniper | YES | Sniper shots do x2.5 damage to headshots. | |
| Venom Mine |
no |
Tank Hero Ability Headshots
| Tank Heroes | Ability | Headshots? |
|---|---|---|
D.Va |
Mech: Fusion Cannons |
YES |
| Mech: Self-Destruct | no | |
| Pilot: Light Gun |
YES | |
Reinhardt |
Rocket Hammer |
no |
| Charge | no | |
| Fire Strike | no | |
|
Earth Shatter |
no |
|
Roadhog |
Scrap Gun |
YES |
| Scrap Gun (Alt-fire) | YES | |
| Chain Hook | no | |
| Whole Hog |
YES |
|
Winston |
Tesla Cannon |
no |
|
Primal Rage |
no |
|
Zarya |
Partical Cannon |
no |
| Partical Cannon (Alt-Fire) | no | |
| Graviton Surge |
no |
Support Hero Ability Headshots
| Support Heroes | Ability | Headshots? |
|---|---|---|
Ana |
Biotic Rifle | no |
| Sleep Dart | no | |
| Biotic Grenade | no | |
Lucio |
Sonic Amplifier |
YES |
| Soundwave |
no |
|
Mercy |
Caduseaus Blaster |
YES |
Symmetra |
Proton Projector |
no |
| Proton Projector (Orbs) | no | |
| Sentry Turret |
no |
|
Zenyatta |
Orb of Destruction |
YES |
|
Orb of Destruction (Alt-Fire) |
YES |
Headshot Areas
Most of the headshot areas in the game are very obvious, the only ones a bit less obvious are D.va and a Bastion Sentry.
D.va's Headshot Area:
Bastion Sentry's Headshot Area:
Please note that Bastion's Tank Form (ultimate) does not have a headshot area.
Overwatch Hero Introductions - Basics Guide
How the Mechanics Work in Overwatch
How Headshots Work In Overwatch
Overwatch Game Modes Overview
Overwatch Health Types & Hitpoint Basics
Overwatch Terms, Abbreviations, & Their Meanings
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Map Guides
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Easiest and Hardest Overwatch Heroes to Master
My Hotkey
Bindings For Overwatch & Why I Use Them
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