Key Takeaways
- As a sniper, Hanzo is best on maps that have long sightlines, but his mobility and Storm Arrows also enable him to be effective at shorter ranges.
- Hanzo’s worst maps are those which have very little natural cover. Without natural cover, Hanzo can’t peek, which means he can’t protect himself and is outclassed by ranged hitscan heroes like Cassidy.
- Hanzo counters hitscan heroes like Cassidy, Soldier 76, and Ashe, assuming he is able to use natural map cover to stay out of danger and take easy, protected shots at the enemy team.
- Like other snipers, Hanzo is countered by heroes that can easily close the gap and force short-range engagements, such as D.Va and Genji.
Hanzo Quick Tips
- Hanzo has 200 total health, with no shields or armor.
- If Hanzo is shooting directly in front of the enemy team, he will be less effective than if he is finding more open shots with the help of Wall Climb and map geometry.
- Hanzo’s Sonic Arrow is one of the few abilities that can provide information about the enemy team’s positioning. Like Symmetra’s Teleporter, part of getting value from Hanzo’s kit revolves around knowing when to enable teammates and when to use his abilities selfishly.
- Find skilled teammates with the Z League app who will help you make the most of Hanzo’s unique kit.
Hanzo Abilities Explained
Img via Blizzard Entertainment
Storm Bow (Primary Fire)
Hanzo’s Storm Bow fires a projectile which deals between 27 and 125 damage depending on how charged up the shot is. Hanzo can hold an arrow back for an unlimited duration of time, but his movement speed is reduced when holding back a shot. Storm Bow does not need to be reloaded.
Storm Bow is one of the only weapons that deals enough damage to one-shot damage (DPS) and support heroes if it hits headshots. Skilled Hanzo players land headshots to get kills even through healing and turn the tide of teamfights.
Wall Climb (Passive)
Like Genji, Hanzo can climb up walls by walking into them. Wall Climb can be used to reposition or set up shots with Storm Bow, as the increased verticality can grant opportunities for headshots.
Lunge (Passive)
If Hanzo jumps, then jumps a second time while in midair, Lunge is activated and he is propelled a short distance through the air. Lunge is highly useful when Hanzo is dove by heroes like Tracer, and can be helpful in short-range engagements to get away from heroes like Reaper and Winston. It can also be used to strafe during medium-range engagements and avoid crucial shots.
Sonic Arrow
Sonic Arrow shoots a projectile that sticks into the first wall or enemy player it encounters. For six seconds, enemy players within nine meters of Sonic Arrow can be seen through walls via a red outline. Sonic Arrow is extremely useful to know where enemy players are positioned, and Hanzo can use the ability to set up headshots with his Storm Bow by being able to predict enemy movement around corners. Enemy players receive no indication when Sonic Arrow reveals their position.
Storm Arrows
Storm Arrows allow Hanzo to rapidly release a volley of five arrows that are fully charged in terms of movement speed. However, each Storm Arrow does only 65 damage, as opposed to 125 damage from a fully charged regular arrow. Due to the increased rate of fire, Storm Arrows can output more damage than Storm Bow can by itself. Storm Arrows are often best used when an enemy player is in a compromising position to pump a high amount of damage into them quickly.
Dragonstrike (Ultimate)
Dragonstrike shoots a slow-moving projectile across the map that consists of two dragons. Each dragon deals 150 damage per second when it hits an enemy player. Dragonstrike has the potential to inflict lots of enemy damage on the opposing team, but it’s somewhat easy to avoid, especially if enemy players see where Hanzo is firing it. As such, Dragonstrike is best used in conjunction with other ultimates like Zarya’s Graviton Surge, at an angle, or in a tight space—all three uses prevent enemy players from easily escaping its damage.
Recommended Overwatch 2 Streamers
- Shadder2k – This former player for both Team Liquid and Gigantti continues to top the leaderboard in Overwatch.
- mL7support – High-level support player who streams usually starts before 9 AM ET and often runs for 8-10 hours each day.
