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Genji was one of the most prolific and useful Damage characters in Overwatch. Because of this, he hasn't seen much in the way of changes or balances entering the newest era of the team-based shooter. In fact, Genji hasn't really seen any updates, nerfs, or buffs, in Overwatch 2 aside from his access to a new passive that applies to all Damage characters. He still remains one of the most dangerous, frustrating, and powerful characters to combat. Players that know their way around the cyborg ninja and his abilities can turn the tide of battle by picking off opponents or laying waste to the battlefield with his powerful ultimate.
Genji is quite useful in a variety of situations and is more than capable of producing heavy amounts of damage on control, push, and escort-style maps. Those that are looking for a movement-heavy hero that has just as much value in a team fight as they do 1-vs-1 should definitely consider giving Genji a try. Here's an in-depth look at how Genji operates in Overwatch 2.
Genji's Playstyle In Overwatch 2
Genji is arguably one of the most multi-faceted Damage characters present in Overwatch 2 thanks to his amazing movement abilities and DPS output. He can fit in multiple roles, but his wall-climbing ability and lengthy dash make him a downright dangerous flanker. Playing Genji from a perched position near the payload or control point is completely viable, as players will be able to dash, jump, flip, and climb away from danger, but those that want to get the most out of the cyborg ninja should use him as an "assassin."
This means sneaking into the enemy's back line and laying waste to their exposed healers and damage dealers. Although Genji does have quite a bit of damage potential, he'll still struggle to take out a beefy Tank on his own. There aren't many characters that offer the same mobility, as a skilled Genji is even capable of taking to the skies temporarily to slice through an unaware Pharah or Echo with his dash ability. This makes him an ideal character for taking down less mobile targets, as they will have an incredibly difficult time escaping the fleet foot ninja. A good Genji can slip through the shadows and quickly eliminate a Mercy, Lucio, Kiriko, or Zenyatta, greatly hindering the healing capabilities of the opposing team.
He's also great at tackling ranged characters like Widowmaker and Ashe, as he can use his mobility to reach them without ever entering their sight. He can also use his deflect to punish ranged characters, reflecting their bullets back at them and potentially eliminating them if they aren't careful. Sharpshooters will have a hard time dealing with a mobile Genji and run the increased risk of taking reflect damage during a scuffle.
Thanks to his great chase ability, as well as his defense (via deflect) and escape, Genji is a great character to chase down nuisance damage dealers and priority healing targets. Players should get in the habit of prioritizing eliminating healers to soften the enemy up while also eliminating DPS that may be harassing friendly Support or Tanks.
Genji's Abilities In Overwatch 2
Shuriken (Weapon)
Genji's weapon of choice are Shuriken, projectile-based weapons that can deal quite a bit of damage if they manage to connect with an enemy's head. When "shot" using the Primary Fire button, Genji will toss out three Shuriken in a row toward wherever the player is aiming. The 3-shot burst can be great for dealing damage to enemies, even if players miss the headshot, as they have the potential to land three strikes each time they "pull the trigger."
Due to their projectile nature, the Shuriken can take a bit of practice before players feel comfortable with them. The farther Genji is from his target, the longer the Shuriken will take to reach the enemy. This can make it fairly difficult to hit targets that are moving around quite a bit at range. Because of this, it's recommended that players close the gap on most enemies, so they can more easily land shots. This works well for Genji's Alternate Fire, which has him tossing a fan of Shuriken in a small spread. Players that are struggling to land their Primary Fire can use this Alternate mode like a Shotgun at close range.
Deflect (Active)
Players that find themselves up against fast-firing foes can send the hail of bullets flying the opposite direction by using Genji's Deflect ability. When activated, the Cyborg Ninja will hold up his dagger for a short period of time. During this activation, any projectiles that land on Genji are reflected in whatever direction the player is aiming. This works on a wide variety of projectiles, and it's even possible for Genji to reflect Zarya's ultimate back at her, turning it into a Graviton Surge for his team. Players can even sling a well-aimed Widowmaker shot back at the Sniper, eliminating her instantly if they manage to deflect it at her head.
Deflect is also capable of shedding off melee attacks for a short period of time, blocking the damage from them. This ability can be both life-saving and damaging, but it's not without flaws. Genji will not be able to block nor reflect any beam-based weapons. This means characters like Winston, Moira, and Symmetra can be a headache for Genji players.
Swift Strike (Active)
Swift Strike is a great ability to deal damage or escape from it. Once activated, Genji will dash quickly in the direction players are aiming. This swift cut will go through enemies and damage any that it connects with. Swift Strike is a great "elimination securing tool" as it allows players to close the gap on their enemies and outright destroy those that have low health. Because of its speed and distance, players can use Swift Strike to escape from harm, dashing away from any ultimates or particularly damaging abilities.
The ability will even "refund" its cooldown if players manage to score an elimination with it. This allows savvy players to chain together multiple Swift Strikes during team fights.
Cyber-Agility (Passive)
Genji's Cyber-Agility is what makes the character such a mobile powerhouse. This passive gives the cyborg ninja the ability to double jump (which players can do simply by jumping again while in the air). He's also capable of climbing up walls and other surfaces. With these two traits available, Genji is capable of reaching areas of the map that most players can't, making him an excellent flanker and making it much easier for him to escape danger.
Players that learn to master his movement capabilities can be a devastating and damaging force that's difficult for teams to contend with.
Dragonblade (Ultimate)
Dragonblade is a "transform ultimate," in which Genji unsheaths his powerful Katana and gains the ability to use melee attacks at close range. These sword strikes can be downright devastating, especially to squishier targets and those that lack escape abilities or mobility in general. Thanks to Genji's incredible gap-closing ability, his mobility, and the small movement speed buff he gains from the Damage Passive in Overwatch 2, he can quickly wipe out multiple enemies (if not the entire team) with a well-executed Dragonblade. Players should definitely head to the Practice Range to give the ultimate a shot, as switching from a projectile-based hero into someone with a melee weapon can be a bit of a system shock.
Genji's Combos In Overwatch 2
Genji is a fantastic DPS on his own, but he still combos pretty well with a few characters, specifically when it comes to using his Dragonblade ultimate.
- Genji + Zarya -- This ultimate combo works quite well as players can group up enemies in Zarya's ult and leave them vulnerable to cleaving strikes from Dragonblade. Players should be a bit careful to ensure there isn't a Baptiste on the team that is capable of shielding opponents from the damage. Zarya can also provide a diving Genji with shield bubbles to further increase his survivability when pursuing enemies,
- Genji + Mei -- Mei works extremely well with Genji as she can help slow down opponents with her weapon, allowing the ninja to make quick work of them with his speed and mobility. Their ultimate abilities also work well together as Mei's ice will freeze enemies and leave them as sitting ducks for Genji's Dragonblade.
- Genji + Ana -- One of the best combos for those looking to dish out immense damage with Dragonblade. Ana's Nano Boost will hypercharge Genji with better movement speed, health, and most importantly, damage. Ana can also use her long-range healing rifle to keep the Cyborg healed up.
Genji's Advantages & Counters In Overwatch 2
Those that find themselves struggling to fight back against powerful ranged characters can use Genji to gain the upper hand. He's a bit of a nightmare for players like Widow, Ashe, and Hanzo, as he can close the gaps, sneak around them, and deflect their powerful shots back at them. Once close, these single-shot heroes will have a hard time landing shots on the slippery cyborg, who can quite literally run circles around them and dash through them. Genji is also a powerful pick for dealing with less-mobile targets. He will make quick work of characters like Mercy and Zenyatta and he's more than capable of keeping up with the speedy Lucio.
Although Genji seems like the ultimate killing machine, he does have one glaring weakness that makes him "easy" to counter, depending on the player. Although Genji's Deflect ability allows him to spit gunfire and projectiles back at opponents, it's useless gainst beam-based weaponry. Winston is perhaps his hardest counter, as the Tank can leap large distances to keep up with him and his Tesla weapon will shock right through Genji's defenses. He will also struggle against Zarya's beam, Symmetra, and Moira. Those that are struggling to deal with a particularly frustrating Genji can quickly swap to one of these heroes to punish him.
Tips & Tricks
Although Genji is capable of dishing out damage with well-placed shurikens, his real power stems from his immense mobility. Players that want to get the most out of the cyborg ninja need to spend a lot of time learning how he moves and how to best capitalize on his jumps, climbing, and dash ability. Genji is very capable of taking down a target at range, especially if he lands a headshot with his throwing stars, but their projectile nature means they can take a bit to reach the target. Because of this, players will want to get closer to the enemy and strike at them with a volley of shurikens, followed by "fans" of projectiles that can help whittle away at slippery targets.
Thanks to his movement speed, Genji is incredibly difficult to deal with face-to-face. Long-range and mid-range characters will struggle to take down Genji players if they use their mobility to dance circles around them. The ability to deflect damage back at the target makes close fights even more dangerous for Genji's opponents, and his dash ability can slice through a low-health target to instantly end a fight. Players shouldn't be afraid to be aggressive with Genji, as his abilities afford a lot of escape, meaning they can dip out if they feel as if they're losing a fight. Learning when and why to activate abilities is another key to success for most Genji players when engaging in both 1-vs-1 and team fights. Those that feel they can score a kill on a low Support or another hero with their dash should not be afraid to rush inward as they will have their deflect to bail them out and give them time to back up and escape. Players should be sure to always have at least one "escape" when back lining and flanking.
When it comes to using Genji's ultimate, players should be sure to practice a "priority order." Genji has the capacity to wipe an entire team with his ult, if it's used correctly and at the right time. It can take quite a few slashes from his sword to down a Tank, so players should be sure to first focus on Support, then Damage, then Tank when ulting. This will clear the healers off the field first and make it less likely for players to heal out of or escape the remainder of the Dragonblade. Players need to also be picky when they ult depending on what heroes are on the field. Tanks like Zarya, and Sigma can shut down a Dragonblade with a counter ult and Roadhog can tug Genji away from players with his Chain Hook. A well-placed Sleep Dart from Ana can also stop an ulting Genji in his Tracks, and Baptiste's invulnerability field can outright negate the damage.
Players should ensure they don't "telegraph" their Dragonblade by approaching from the air or from a flank position, away from the Tank. It's also a good idea to outright eliminate the Tank or a Support before ulting for maximum damage output potential.