All we know about the new game mode.
Our Lockout Elimination guide for Overwatch contains tips, tricks, combos and strategies for surviving the new game mode.
With the exciting Anniversary event comes a brand new game mode called Lockout Elimination. This new mode sees two teams of three go up against each other in a series of rounds. Once a team has one with these three heroes though, they’ll be forced to pick new characters for the subsequent rounds.
The mode is available on new maps Black Forest, Castillo, Necropolis, as well as the old arena map Ecopoint Antarctica. You remain on the same map for the duration of each match, and the first team to win three rouns takes home the glory.
In our Lockout Elimination guide, you’ll find some general tips and tricks to help you come out on top, as well as some triend and tested hero combos you should think about fielding as a team. Don’t forget to let us know about your own strategies in the comments!
Tips and strategy advice
- Always having a healer on a team is vital to success, as there aren’t any health packs to run to if you’re low on health.
- Following on from the point above, it’s important to protect your healer or at least stay close to them so your health bar is always topped up. Plus, it makes it harder for the enemy team to take you down if Mercy or Lucio is constantly by your side.
- Remember that once you’ve won a round with a hero, you won’t be able to play them again for the duration of the match. It’s best to save the heroes you’re best with for the rounds that really matter.
- It’s tempting to run into the middle of the map as soon as you’ve spawned, but try not to ignore the plethora of flanking routes and highground spots. Be creative and take advantage of these areas!
- Even though it’s a three versus three format, team composition still matters. Consider which heroes compliment others and it’ll significantly increase your chances of winning.
- Make sure that you remain aware of what heroes might be taken out of the next round if you win. Keep an even spread of heroes that can fulfill a multiple number of roles. Leaving yourself without a hero that can close a given gap can leave your team vulnerable to a sniper for example.
- It’s easier than ever to predict what heroes your opponents might play and adapt to the choice. Pay attention to who they’ve won or lost with and choose your hero accordingly. If they’ve just lost with a Roadhog, chances are that they’ll probably pick him again. Selecting Ana – who can prevent him from self-healing – would be the way to go here. Again, if they’ve just won with a Zarya, then picking DV.a is more viable as she’s less prone to being lasered out of her mech in next to no time.
- Sometimes it’s best to wait it out and force the enemy to come face you. Instead of going hunting for an elusive Sombra or pesky Tracer, clumping together in one spot could be your best bet. Forcing them to face you in a tie-breaker could play into the hands of your team composition as well, especially if you’re more of a defense orientated team.
All of our Overwatch: Anniversary coverage
- 1. Skins – Overwatch: Anniversary Skins
- 2. Dance Emotes – Overwatch: Dance Emotes
- 3. Lockout Elimimation – Overwatch: Lockout Elimination guide
- 4. Black Forest – Overwatch: Black Forest guide
- 5. Castillo – Overwatch: Castillo guide
- 6. Necropolis – Overwatch: Necropolis guide
- 7. Patch Notes – Overwatch: Patch Notes 1.11.1.2 – May 23 – Anniversary event
Lockout Elimination Hero Combos
We’re big fans of the three versus three format, coupled with the new hero limiting twist that comes with it. With these small teams we find it’s a little easier to coordinate with randoms, and an even more amazing experience when played with a couple of friends.
Of course, many of us are in it for those shiny new loot boxes, and so winning is your best chance of cracking open more. Here are some of the most effective combinations you can play if you want to bag plenty of victories.
Orisa + Torbjorn + Soldier:76
Put these three heroes together and you’ve got the tools to make an nearly impenetrable fortress. It’s a pretty simple setup really, as all it requires is Orisa to place her barrier in front of Torbjorn’s turret, while Soldier:76 follows suit and joins them both behind the shield. Torbjorn can dish out armour whenever it comes up, while Soldier can drop his Biotic Field down to keep everyone alive. If the enemy fight in your makeshift base camp, good luck to them.
Pharah + Mercy + Winston
We’ve got the classic combination that everyone loves to play with, but hates to play against. Pharah takes to the sky while Mercy floats by her side, healing or damage-boosting, depending on the situation.
It requires some serious coordination on the other team’s part to deal with all this, and that’s where Winston comes in. He acts as the big distraction, bounding around the map zapping everyone while Pharah and Mercy rain justice from above. The enemy simply won’t know where to turn to first – the sky, or that giant gorilla who’s slowly frying them.
Genji + Tracer + Lucio
This can swing either way to be honest, and ends up as either an absolute flop, or a blindingly fast victory featuring three rapid eliminations. Our Tracer and Genji play is sketchy as it is, but if you’re confident on these heroes it’s a recipe for success.
Speed and mobility make this combination tick. Both Genji and Tracer can go their separate ways and flank the enemy from multiple sides, while Lucio follows them around speed-boosting or healing. There aren’t any health packs dotted around the maps, meaning all Tracer and Genji have to do is whittle the enemy health bars down little by little and wait for the killing blow.
Feeling really confident? Since Lucio’s damage was buffed in the last patch, he’s capable of skating around each map at incredible speeds and dealing nearly as much damage as Genji or Tracer in the right hands. So if you’re one of those people, don’t be afraid to zoom about the map and secure those eliminations yourself.
Mei + McCree + Roadhog
This might seem like a strange mix of heroes, but it does work. Thanks to their self-healing abilities, Roadhog and Mei are a nightmare to finish off and can draw attention from McCree’s glass-cannon kit.
So to make this work, Mei needs to stick with McCree and act as his distraction or escape tool. She needs to throw up Ice Walls so he can’t get caught off guard, or to block off aggressive enemy pushes. McCree just needs to reserve his Flashbang for close quarters scares and flankers, all the while hitting opponents with some bullets.
Meanwhile, it’s probably best that Roadhog tries to find a flanking route while the enemy are busy trying to deal with McCree and Mei. He’s got insta-gibbing potential and insane survivability, so he can throw out the hook while the enemy are distracted.
