Overwatch 2 has arrived, bringing some major and minor changes to Blizzard Entertainment's popular hero shooter. The biggest changes in Overwatch 2 are structural, with five players to a team instead of six, and a rebalancing of the Tank, Support, and DPS system.
One of the most interesting DPS Heroes in Overwatch 2 is Tracer, an incredibly fast but fragile speedster that relies heavily on her Abilities to stay alive. With the lowest HP of any Hero in the game, Tracer has a high skill cap but incredible DPS potential.
Updated on October 13, 2022: Overwatch 2 has been out in its new free-to-play state for almost two weeks now, and players have begun to get to grips with all the new Heroes (and existing ones like Tracer). For those that want to be the best Tracer out there, this guide will have all the pertinent info. We've updated our Tracer guide to include a section on the best combos and her advantages/counters.
Tracer's Playstyle in Overwatch 2
Despite having a measly 150 HP, Tracer is actually one of the few close-range DPS Heroes in Overwatch 2. She survives through hit-and-run tactics and skirmishing, using her Blink ability to move unpredictably and Recall when she gets into trouble.
Learning how to use Blink and Recall effectively are vital to playing Tracer, giving her one of the highest skill requirements in Overwatch 2. Provided she can stay alive long enough to charge her Ultimate, Tracer's Pulse Bomb is a devastating sticky explosive that can wipe out whole groups of enemy Heroes.
Tracer's Abilities in Overwatch 2
Pulse Pistol
Tracer's dual Pulse Pistols deal heavy damage in a cone-like spread, with an extremely fast fire rate. Because of their spread, the Pulse Pistols are most effective in close range, requiring Tracer to close with enemy Heroes before she can deal effective damage. In addition, the Pulse Pistols burn through their magazines in only a couple of seconds, requiring players to be constantly aware of reloading gaps.
Tracer received only a single change in Overwatch 2, reducing the damage of her Pulse Pistols from 6 to 5. Although this nerf lowers her DPS, changes to Armor in the sequel mean she's actually more effective against heavily-armored Heroes than she used to be.
Blink
Much like Reinhardt's Barrier Field, Blink is Tracer's signature ability in Overwatch 2. When activated, Blink will teleport Tracer a short distance in the direction she's currently moving. This can be used to evade attacks, flank enemies, or cross gaps that are too large for Tracer to jump. It's not possible to Blink upwards, though the Ability will ascend a little if blocked by a ledge.
Tracer has three charges of Blink, each of which takes three seconds to recharge. This allows her to chain her Blinks into a series of confusing teleports, making it very difficult for enemy Heroes to keep their focus on her.
Recall
Recall is Tracer's second defensive ability and allows her to "rewind" herself to three seconds in the past. This will reset her physical position, health, and magazine status to wherever she was three seconds ago. It will also remove any Support Hero debuffs she has picked up.
Recall is hard to use offensively but an excellent tool for keeping Tracer alive. Resetting before a fight allows Tracer to recover full health in an instant, giving her an edge on her next attack. Recall can also be used as an escape tool, bringing Tracer out of a dangerous situation before she can be finished off.
Pulse Bomb (Ultimate)
Pulse Bomb is Tracer's Ultimate ability in Overwatch 2 and allows her to deal a huge amount of AoE damage. When activated, Tracer will throw the Pulse Bomb a short distance in front of her. If the Bomb collides with an enemy Hero, it will attach to them. Otherwise, it will attach to the first solid surface it hits. The Pulse Bomb will then detonate a second later, dealing enough damage to kill all but the toughest Tanks in Overwatch 2.
Pulse Bomb is best used in combination with Blink and Recall. Due to the Bomb's short range, Tracer players should Blink in, throw the Bomb at their intended target, and then either Blink or Recall to escape from the blast.
Tips and Tricks for Tracer in Overwatch 2
No matter the enemy team composition in Overwatch 2, Tracer should always be played as a skirmisher. This means avoiding moving with the rest of the team and flanking to harass or pick-off key targets. Support Heroes should be Tracer's primary focus, as her speed and high damage allow her to jump in, burn through their middling HP pools, and jump out again before the DPS and Tanks can bring their firepower to bear.
It's also important to remember that Tracer doesn't need to make a kill with every attack. Harassing and skirmishing divides the enemy team's attention, potentially splitting them up and giving Tracer's teammates a chance to overwhelm them. There are few Heroes in Overwatch 2 who can even try to chase down a fleeing Tracer, meaning there's no reason for Tracer players to commit to a fight that isn't in their favor.
Tracer Combos in Overwatch 2
Tracer + Ana
As the longest-range Support in Overwatch 2, Ana is one of the few Heroes that will be able to heal Tracer consistently while she's harassing the backlines. In addition, Tracer's high damage works very well with Ana's Biotic Grenade and Nano Boost Abilities, allowing her to shred enemy Heroes before their healers can do anything.
Tracer + Zarya
Zarya is one of the few Tanks in Overwatch 2 that can provide Tracer with protection while she's flanking and harassing the enemy team. This is due to Zarya's Projected Barrier, which has a range of 30 meters and can make the difference between life and death for a diving Tracer. Additionally, Zarya's Graviton Surge Ultimate works extremely well with Tracer's Pulse Bomb, drawing enemies together to take the full force of the explosion.
Tracer + Genji
Tracer and Genji are one of the most popular "dive duos" in Overwatch 2, a pair of DPS Heroes that work in unison by diving into the enemy backline and trying to kill weak Supports. Although there isn't much direct interaction between their Abilities, Genji's vertical mobility and Tracer's horizontal mobility means that few Heroes are safe from their hunting.
Tracer + Sombra
Another "dive duo" with some serious killing power, Tracer and Sombra work very well together due to the latter's disabling Abilities. Sombra's Hack can remove the defenses of Tank Heroes like Orisa and Reinhardt, or disable the escape Abilities of mobile targets like Kiriko or Mercy. With these Abilities removed for 8 seconds, Tracer and Sombra's combined damage can quickly eliminate their target.
Tracer + Winston
Mirroring their close friendship in the lore, Tracer and Winston work together very well in Overwatch 2. With his Jump Pack, Winston is one of the few Tanks that can keep up with Tracer when she dives, granting her the protection of his Barrier Projector. Additionally, Winston's large size and close-range focus can easily cause less-experienced players to overlook the diminutive Tracer shredding them from behind.
Tracer's Advantages and Counters in Overwatch 2
Tracer is one of the best diving DPS Heroes in Overwatch 2, and her preferred targets are those who have little defense at close-range. Sniping Heroes like Ashe and Widowmaker are particularly susceptible to Tracer's mobility, with neither being able to match her consistently in point-blank engagements.
Similarly, Support Heroes like Mercy or Lucio, who rely on their own agility to escape other DPS Heroes, will find it much harder to escape Tracer's Blinks. Finally, Tanks who rely on keeping their focus in one direction, like Reinhardt with his Barrier Field, can easily be harassed by Tracer. With her Blink and Recall, Tracer can keep pressure on these Tanks and force them to either turn and expose themselves or keep losing health.
As the weakest Hero in Overwatch 2 in terms of HP, Tracer relies on her mobility to keep her safe. This means she's vulnerable to any Hero that can hinder that mobility. A well-aimed Roadhog Hook, Sombra Hack, or Ana Sleep Dart will almost always result in Tracer's death, and players have to be extremely careful to avoid getting caught out by these weapons.
Tracer also has difficulty against Heroes that can auto-aim, with Torbjorn's Turret and Moira's Biotic Grasp being effective tools to keep her away and protect the rest of the team.
Overwatch 2 is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
