Overwatch 2 Junkrat Guide – How To Play

Here’s what you need to know to make the most out of Junkrat in your next game of Overwatch 2.

Overwatch 2 is Blizzard’s latest game, and it is the successor of Overwatch. The game offers loads of new things, including new heroes that people can play. What sets it apart from the last game is that it is free to play.

Unsurprisingly, there are loads of Overwatch 2 hero changes, most of which are nerfs. That said, heroes like Junkrat received a couple of important buffs, making the hero even more popular. Speaking of heroes, you can check our Overwatch 2 hero tier list, where we’ve ranked the best heroes so far.

Junkrat is a DPS that is notorious for doing way more damage than most other heroes. Some people dislike him because they believe he doesn’t require as much skill as other names. However, playing with Junkrat against people who know what they’re doing is not easy, which is why this Overwatch 2 Junkrat guide will point out a couple of important things you should know.

Junkrat does a lot of damage, so take advantage of it

One of the first things that players need to remember before they start playing is that Junkrat does a lot of damage. This is one of the most impressive heroes in the game when it comes down to spamming the left mouse button. In fact, he is one of the few names in Overwatch 2 that is useful simply by existing (in other words, spamming his grenades is usually enough to do tons of pressure).

Junkrat used to be an excellent option against heroes with barriers. However, since some tanks lost these abilities in OW2, he can do even more damage than before. That said, the hero only works on targets that are not flying. That’s one of the reasons why people often pick things like Echo or Pharah to counter him. 

Another thing that makes Junkrat a perfect option for many players is the fact that the hero can charge his ult really fast. Following the Overwatch 2 hero changes and the fact that Frag Launcher’s projectile size is now 0.25 instead of 0.20, this hero charges his ultimate even faster. Needless to say, RIP-Tires one of the most vital abilities in the game and can decide the outcome of almost every fight.

Tip – Do not stay in the open 

Although this applies to almost all DPS heroes, it is especially true for Junkrat because he doesn’t have any defensive abilities. Your main goal while playing this hero is to force the enemy healers to spam their abilities as often as possible. In other words, you have to stay alive to do damage, so having a good position is key.

In an ideal scenario, you must be behind a wall and spam your grenades. It is not advisable to stay in front or near your tank because the enemies can kill you fast. Since the game is in a 5v5 format, every death can be fatal to your team, especially if you are the main damage dealer.

Tip 2 – Use your Concussion Mine to reach certain areas of the map

While it is true that Junkrat’s Concussion Mine deals a lot of damage and is great for killing opponents, it can be used for other things. One of them is to move around because if you activate it while being in front of it, you will jump into the air.

Once you get used to this technique, you can use both mines to reach every high ground on a given map. In some cases, you can even have access to three mines by waiting for the first charge to come off cooldown.

Tip 3 – Use Your Steel Trap wisely

One of the core things of learning How to play Junkrat in Overwatch 2 is taking advantage of the hero’s Steel Trap. This ability was excellent in Overwatch, but Blizzard decided to make it even better in Overwatch. Now, Steel Trap deals 100 damage instead of 80, and its projectile speed is increased from 10 to 15. As a result, the hero can use it much faster, and the ability itself can land more kills.

Speaking of killing an enemy, you must place your trap in locations where your opponents won’t expect it. Many people simply throw it in the ground and don’t make any use of it.

In some cases, it is a good idea to use the trap as well as your mine on top of it. By doing this, you can do up to 130 damage if the enemy gets trapped, and you activate the mine, which is enough to kill any DPS or healer in the game. 

Aside from using it offensively, you can also use the trap to peel for yourself or your teammates. Since it keeps a given enemy hero in place and does damage, the trap can do wonders against the likes of Tracer, Genji, and Sombra. The latter is becoming popular in Overwatch 2, which means Junkrat is a good option.

Tip 4 – Know when to use your ult

As mentioned, Junkrat’s ultimate is one of the most vital abilities in the game and can decide the course of a given fight. However, using it is not as easy as it seems, especially for people with no previous experience.

For starters, you can’t move your hero while using it, so you need to be in a place where you won’t get killed. Another thing to remember about your RIP-Tire is that enemies can destroy it before it explodes. As a result, you have to be careful when using it.

Overwatch 2 Junkrat Combos

Since the hero is much better than before, we expect to see Junkrat more often. This is one of the Overwatch 2 heroes that work in different combos, but some things stand out.

Aside from the heroes mentioned above, Junkrat can work with many other names. It all depends on the map and your opponents’ heroes.

Orisa

The new Overwatch 2 Orisa is much stronger than before, and the hero’s abilities make it an excellent option for Junkrat. Throwing a spear and pinning a target to the wall gives Junkrat enough time to land two grenades and a mine. This should be enough to get a free kill.

Of course, we also have to address the elephant in the room and mention Orisa’s ultimate. Besides the fact that it does damage on its own, this ability groups enemies together. This is an excellent opportunity for Junkrat to do tons of AoE damage. 

Zarya

Zarya is also a good hero when playing with Junkrat because the shields can save you in many situations. Besides providing some protection, Zarya’s ultimate is also on another level. It is even better than Orisa’s because enemies are trapped for longer, which is more than enough or Junkrat to annihilate everyone. After all, this is one of the heroes with that deals tons of damage.

Counters

Even though Junkrat can deal tons of damage and is one of the best options in many situations, the hero has a lot of counters. You can deal with some of them, but others are really hard to play against, so you have to be careful.

Starting with the obvious ones, Pharah and Echo are among the worst heroes you can face because they are in the air. Although you could throw a mine and land a lucky kill, these heroes will probably kill you before that. Hence, you have to be careful.

Tracer is also annoying and can be a nightmare to deal with, especially if the player is good. Sure, you can trap and kill her in seconds, but good Tracer players won’t allow this to happen. They will kite you and eventually deal enough damage to kill you.

Lastly, we must include Widowmaker, one of the worst heroes you can play against if you like Junkrat. Widowmaker is Overwatch 2’s sniper, which means she will be miles away. Besides the fact that you can’t kill her, she can kill you with a single headshot.