Players have been awaiting a viable Roadhog rework ever since he was nerfed way back in Overwatch 2's Season 2. Finally, five Seasons later, Roadhog has finally received it. This rework has made significant changes to his Scrap Gun and Take a Breathter abilities, and has introduced a new ability called Pig Pen. While these are certainly positive tweaks for the beefy Junker Town Tank Hero, these changes will take some getting used to for players who spent dedicated hours playing Hog in his previous states. It's helpful to learn in advance how his rework operates.
If gamers are looking for a rundown of Hog's new abilities and how he stands in current Overwatch 2 gameplay, this guide will cover everything they will need to know. From his best strengths to his biggest counters or weaknesses, this guide summarizes all the relevant information. Armed with the knowledge, Tank players can get a head start on mastering Roadhog's new kit.
Overwatch 2 Roadhog Rework: All Abilities, Explained
Roadhog's rework finally went live on November 14, 2023, just one day after it was reveled to eager fans. Some players feel divided on these changes due to the need to adapt to his new inputs and ability. However, Hog is still fairly easy to pick up and play, at least in terms of learning the basics of his kit. While not all players will be immediate Roadhog masters, most people should be fine giving him a try and getting used to his changes, or enjoying a bit of fun in Quick Play. Here is a summary of all Roadhog's abilities, as per his recent rework:
- Scrap Gun (Weapon): Short-range spread weapon with a medium-range sharpnel volley.
- Whole Hog (Ultimate): Damage and knock back enemies in front of Roadhog.
- Pig Pen (New ability): Launch a trap that slows and damages nearby opponents.
- Chain Hook: Drag a targeted enemy towards the player.
- Take a Breather: Heal self and reduce damage taken.
Roadhog: General Playstyle & Counters, Explained
Following his rework, Roadhog's playstyle has remained the same, with a few minor tweaks to how he operates in certain situations. This means that, for the most part, he's the same Hook-wielding menace capable of making games difficult for squishies. However, there are a few tweaks that should be noted.
Changes to Controls
The most important changes to consider first are his new Scrap Gun and Take a Breather abilities. Previously, Roadhog's Scrap Gun had two ranges: a short-ranged shot (left click) and a long-ranged shot (right click). However, with Hog's rework, his Scrap Gun now has a single shot that operates at both close and medium range, triggered by left click. In place of his secondary fire, Take a Breather has now been moved to his right-click. The E key, which was previously assigned to Breather by default, now triggers Pig Pen.
It will likely take some getting used to before players stop using Breather when they want to do damage, or using Pig Pen when trying to heal themselves. A few practice matches may be necessary.
Changes to Take a Breather
The second important factor to consider when playing Roadhog's rework is his changes and recent buffs to Take a Breather. This ability now provides significant damage reduction on top of his healing, as well as a few tweaks to how it operates in general. While Take a Breather is active, all incoming damage Roadhog takes will be reduced by 40%. He will also heal up to 500 HP across 2.5 seconds. The ability has a cooldown time of 10 seconds once used completely.
This is a huge buff for Roadhog. He previously struggled with survivability among high-damage team compositions utilizing focus fire, as well as abilities such as Anti-Nade and Discord. With these changes in place, Roadhog has much more survivability between using Take a Breather and natural cover to ensure he can keep himself alive. Technically, Hog should always be looking to play with clever positioning, seeking to Hook in enemy squishies for an easy pick, or even pull unsuspecting enemies off the map in locations such as Lijiang Tower and Ilios. However, this Breather change also gives players more opportunity to push forward on the frontline and take incoming damage for their more vulnerable teammates, which all tanks should be capable of doing.
New Ability: Pig Pen
Hog's newest ability, Pig Pen, operates quite similarly to those of his comrade, Junkrat. Pig Pen is a floor trap that can be placed around the map, triggering once someone steps on it or enters the area of effect. Once triggered, Pig Pen will slow the movement of targets and inflict extra damage on them. Pig Pen is perfect for setting up near Hog, letting him use his Hook to pull a vulnerable target into it, then finish them off to get an easy pick and gain the upper hand in numbers for the current team fight.
Roadhog's Counters
The final thing to consider with Roadhog in his reworked state are his biggest counters. While players are free to select whoever they'd like as their match Hero, there will be certain situations, maps, and enemy team compositions that will make things significantly harder for Hog, which can make the job of Tanking a real uphill battle. Depending on a gamer's individual skill level with Hog, they may be able to play against one or more of these counters. However, knowing when the enemy has too many counters to make Hog viable is also important. Switching Heroes can often be more beneficial than one would think.
Here is a summary of Roadhog's most significant counters, and what can be done to play against them when switching off Hog is a player's last resort.
- Ana: Ana's Anti-Nade and Sleep Dart are both obstacles to Hog. Anti temporarily removes his ability to heal, and Sleep Dart can catch him out of position, making him a target for a follow-up kill. The best way to deal with Ana is to try and bait her into using both of these abilities early, and then Hook her in to kill her once she has no resources left. Alternatively, if players are teamed up in a group, Kiriko is also viable for helping against Ana. Kiriko's Cleanse ability will automatically negate Anti and Sleep when cast on an affected target.
- Sombra: Sombra has the potential to be a real nuisance to Hog if she focuses Hack and Virus on him in repetition. However, with proper cooldown management, Hog holds his own. The most important thing is not to panic when Sombra spams her abilities and starts chipping away at Hog's damage. Remember, Hack only lasts a couple of seconds before the target's abilities are usable again. This mean that Hog can sometimes Breather to survive the rest of the damage, as long as he is being focus-fired by the whole team. Lastly, when Sombra translocates away, hog may be able to Hook her back and finish her off if she's within distance. To achieve this, players will need to keep their eye on the translocator animation, as there is a brief animation that can indicate where Sombra lands if she's in line of sight.
- Bastion: Bastion's turret mode can do a lot of damage and quickly tear Hog's health away. To play around Bastion, Hog will need to save his Breather for any incoming turret damage, and use this opportunity to hide behind natural cover. Once Bastion's turret is on cooldown, he will be much easier to pick. Hooking him into a Pig Pen trap should be more than enough to do the job, especially if the team jumps in with extra focus fire.
- Reaper: Reaper and Hog are fairly even, and can trade kills with one another. However, if Hog doesn't manage his cooldowns properly, he can get outplayed in 1V1's against Reaper due to the latter's Life Steal passive. With Reaper, Hog players will want to bait out his Wraith, as this is his getaway ability. Once this is gone, aim to Hook him into Pig Pen for an easier fight.
- Zenyatta: Zenyatta's Discord orb ability is a pain for Hog players. Hog must leave natural cover and step into the open to operate, which is where he's also most vulnerable to Discord. The best way to get past this is to hide behind natural cover for a couple of seconds once Discorded. The ability will cleanse once Zen breaks the line of sight to his target. After this, Zen won't immediately be able to Discord Hog again, so this is an opportunity to Hook him in for an easy kill.
- Hanzo: A good Hanzo is a huge barrier for Hog. Hanzo has the strength to play at long-range, and very decent movement due to his vertical Wall Climb ability. There isn't much Hog can do about Hanzo unless players can position themselves to Hook Hanzo off the high ground and into their Pig Pen trap, or out of position for the rest of the team to jump on. If players struggle to land a Hook on a Hanzo who is dominating the match, it may be best to switch to a Dive tank with more mobility, such as D.Va, Wrecking Ball, or Winston, and use their movement to harass him.
- Mei: Mei can wall Roadhog off for her whole team to fire at for an easy kill, or even use her Wall to block his Hook. The most important thing for this match-up is ensuring that Mei's wall is baited out, and that Hog players don't push forward too much and put themselves at risk. Once Wall is gone, Mei is much easier to deal with. Hog can use his Breather to survive damage from her Freeze, and even catch her out with a Hook into Pig Pen.
