In Overwatch 2, Junkrat has made a name for himself as one of the most fearsome DPS (damage-per-second)heroes to go up against.
This Australian hero has been around for a while but has only just come into his own. This sudden revival is thanks to the fact that Overwatch 2 has one less tank, which means fewer shields for the grenade-wielding criminal to deal with. There just aren’t as many barriers to protect enemies from Junkrat’s grenades; they can fly all over the map, and nowhere is safe.
Now every choke point, small room, and objective is Junkrat’s playground. His grenades do severe damage, and their trajectory is incredibly unpredictable, so they can be really difficult to avoid.
Overwatch 2 Junkrat
Overwatch 2 Junkrat: story and background
Hailing from the wastelands like his comrades Junker Queen and Roadhog in Overwatch 2, Junkrat’s home is the infamous city Junkertown. While his backstory isn’t as tragic as other members, he faces some trials and tribulations.
Growing up in a radioactive wasteland, Junkrat became durable and savvy with explosives. During his time getting to know bombs, Junkrat became a wanted man. On the run, he made an ally to save him from being captured and sent to prison.
This friend was Roadhog, who begrudgingly agreed to become Junkrat’s personal bodyguard in exchange for 50-50 of the treasure the pair looted from unsuspecting victims. Together this duo became inseparable, even being kicked out of Junkertown for vexing the Junker Queen one too many times.
Now the pair are out on their own and looking for their next big score, preferably involving explosives.
Overwatch 2 Junkrat: abilities breakdown
Primary weapon: Frag Launcher
Description: A gun that launches bouncing explosives
This primary weapon fires arching projectiles with a relatively large effect area once they explode. Firing six pellets with total damage of 120 on a direct hit, it’s enough to put most DPS and support heroes in the red.
However, be warned that while these grenades are hard to predict for your enemies, they can also be hard to master for you. To make the most out of this hero, you’ll have to spend some time mastering the angles and arches of Junkrat’s weapon.
Some tips and tricks for this weapon:
- Grenades explode after bouncing twice or contacting an enemy hitbox.
- This projectile can be destroyed by D.Va’s Defense Matrix and reflected by Genji’s Deflect.
Ability: Concussion Mine
Description: A knockback mine that can be thrown and later detonated.
This mine can be detonated immediately or after however long the player wants to wait, with a damage range of 30-100, depending on the target's proximity. This means that the ability can be used as a weapon in close-quarters heated fights or as a trap from a distance.
Some tips and tricks for this ability:
- As you have two Concussion Mines in your arsenal, you can use them to propel Junkrat into the air for an ariel view.
- Enemy heroes can destroy mines with no explosion caused.
- If Junkrat throws a third charge without detonating the first one, the first will simply disappear.
Ability: Steel Trap
Description: Junkrat can place an immobilzing trap similar to a bear trap on the floor.
This trap will deal 100 damage in contact with an enemy and entrap the hero in one place. This makes it easy for your team to dive into the trapped hero and eliminate them. However, you must use these wisely, as you can only deploy one at a time.
Tips and tricks for this ability:
- Junkrat can immediately use the Steel Trap with the Concussion Mine to eliminate an enemy.
- Enemy heroes can destroy this trap, but it sinks slightly, making it harder to see.
Passive Ability: Total Mayhem
Description: No damage is dealt to Junkrat by his own bombs
This passive allows Junkrat to get up close and personal with enemy heroes without any fear that his explosive bombs will deal damage himself. This ability also means that when he dies, he will drop a pile of bombs that detonates 0.7 seconds after death. This often means you can get a sneaky elimination even from the spawn room.
Some tips and tricks for this passive ability:
- A passive ability means that the player doesn’t have to do anything for this to work.
- The grenades dropped on death can penetrate barriers, although their explosions cannot.
Ultimate: Rip-tire
Description: Drive and detonate an exploding tire
In Overwatch 2, Junkrat’s ultimate is one of the most entertaining abilities to use. Dealing 50 - 600 damage on impact in a 10-meter radius, when used right, this ultimate can wipe out an entire team.
As the enemy team will be able to hear your tire coming and can destroy it, it’s a good idea to take a less conventional approach to reach them. This could be climbing over the rooftops of a map or even waiting in one spot for a short while until the enemy team lets their guard down.
Some tips and tricks for this ultimate:
- When using this ultimate, Junkrat is immobilized and is vulnerable to being killed, so pick a secluded spot to hide.
- After using this ultimate, Junrat’s Frag Launcher ammo is immediately restored.
Overwatch 2 Junkrat: gameplay breakdown
In Overwatch 2, Junkrat is at his best when guarding choke points (places of natural congestion for the enemy team). This is because he can bombard these small spaces with many grenades to the extent that they are hard to avoid. The fear of explosives will either drive an enemy team back or slow them down, as they take significantly more damage and are at a disadvantage.
Your other job as a Junkrat is to separate the enemy team and bombard the supports with artillery. Once separated, your team can pick off the enemy heroes easier as they will either have no support or defense. This means that collaboration is essential as Junkrat.
Finally, it’s essential to understand what maps are made for Junkrat to wreak havoc on and what will make you miserable. Rightly so, Junkertown is ideal for Junkrat thanks to its choke points and small rooms. However, maps with more expansive space and long avenues, like Blizzard World, are less optimal for this DPS hero.
