Our top picks for Overwatch's Free For All mode.
Overwatch’s latest Deathmatch game type, Free For All, pits eight players toe to toe against one another, and it’s brilliant, chaotic fun.
In stark contrast to the Overwatch’s team based modes where playing the objective is vital, Free For All places all the emphasis on bagging as many eliminations as you can. Selfishness is rewarded here, and it’s a refreshing experience only having to worry about nudging your way up the leaderboard.
There’s an entirely new sense of tension to Free For All and it’s all brought on by short lived rivalries and constantly jostling for the number one spot. Overwatch as an arena shooter works a charm and we’ve been playing it nonstop since it’s release on the PTR.
If you’re struggling to secure those victories, or you just want to know which heroes dominate in Free For All, you’ve come to right place. Below we’ve listed the top five picks that’ll give you the greatest chance of stomping the opposition.
Editor’s Note: It’s worth mentioning that this is based on our own personal experience with the game mode, and which heroes stood out to us. By no means is this a definitive list and we’re sure that many other heroes are viable if you’re good with them!
5. McCree
McCree’s Peacekeeper revolver packs a punch, and one that’s able to finish targets in a few quick hits. He might lack mobility but he more than makes up for it in stopping power and dueling capability. Flashbang can stun targets at close range making him formidable at close quarters, while Combat Roll gives him a way of quickly repositioning in a tricky encounter.
Although McCree’s a great choice in Free For All, he’s very much dependent on aiming ability, and that’s why he occupies a lower place in this list – if you don’t land your shots, then you’re dead meat. This is also where his lack of mobility comes into play as it’s easy to get overwhelmed by flankers, especially if you’re shooting isn’t quite on point.
4. Pharah
Pharah’s core design is inspired by the legendary arena shooter Quake, so it’s no surprise that all of her abilities feel tailor made for the fast-pace of Free For All.
To some extent, we almost felt sorry for our opponents when playing Pharah in Deathmatch. While everyone’s pottering about on the ground, we were sailing around the map at light speed, spewing rockets and smoothly transitioning from room to room.
If you can master her movement and time your rockets, then playing Pharah makes for one of the most enjoyable ways to dominate Deathmatch.
- 1. Tier List – Overwatch Tier List
- 2. Season 5 – Season 5 guide
- 3. Lucioball guide – Lucioball guide
- 4. World Cup – Overwatch World Cup guide
- 5. Summer Games – Overwatch Summer Games guide
3. Genji
If there’s one hero you’ll encounter over and over again in Deathmatch – it’s Genji. There’s good reason for it though, as much like Pharah, he’s practically built for this mode.
Seeking out vulnerable targets and securing kills is Genji’s forté, and every single ability is crafted for winning those all important one versus one battles. He’s got the mobility to engage or retreat from a fight, and the utility to swing them in his favour.
Ironically, the only thing holding him back is his high skill-ceiling, as it takes some serious mouse and keyboard prowess to play Genji well (we wouldn’t know). That’s the thing though, Deathmatch is the perfect playground to hone your skills, and if you can get good at him, there’s nothing stopping you from topping the leaderboard over and over again.
2. Roadhog
We’re basing this off Roadhog’s current state on the PTR and it’s something to behold. For those of you who don’t know, he’s now able to heal while walking at normal speed and this makes a world of difference to his survivability.
Roadhog’s got such a large health pool that he’s able to shake off damage and waltz around maps without a problem. All you really have to focus on is landing a hook on your enemies and following it up with a couple of shots. We found that there’s very little enemies can actually do to harm you, given that you’re able to nonchalantly walk away and Take a Breather whenever you’re in trouble.
Trust us, it’s – ridiculously – effortless.
1. Doomfist
Sharing similar traits to Genji, Doomfist has the mobility and utility to thrive in Deathmatch. Although there’s one thing he’s even better at – killing.
Doomfist ranks in our top spot simply because there’s no one else on the hero roster who’s able to one-shot enemies so easily. Chateau Guillard is a small map filled with winding corridors and an intricate network of small rooms. This makes landing Rocket Punch far easier and even more lethal. It’s damage is amplified significantly if the target is slammed into a wall, and boy oh boy, you’ll be having a field day.
Need to get away from the action? No problem, Doomfist can just Meteor Strike out of there. Need to get into the action? No problem, Doomfist can…you get the idea. He’s got it all, making him a joy to play in Deathmatch and an easy pick for our number one spot overall.
Have we missed out your favourite pick? Or do you think there’s a hero who’s underrated in Deathmatch? Let us know in the comments below!
