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Overwatch is a deadly game for support players. With health topping out at 200 hit points and few defensive capabilities, healers are wide open to attacks from all sides. It’s therefore the job of tanks and damage heroes to protect their backlines from flankers, though some ultimates prevent such strategic plays.
One of the “squishiest” heroes in Overwatch is Zenyatta, the omnic monk who can deal out a lot of damage while keeping low-health allies topped up. Unlike other support characters, his lack of mobility makes him extremely vulnerable, though he can fight off weaker enemies. However, not all abilities can be protected against, and Zenyatta’s slow movement can end up getting him killed.
User Far_Improvement_199 posted a video on r/Overwatch showing this exact eventuality in an unfortunate encounter with D.Va’s “Self-Destruct” ultimate. In the clip, D.Va activates her ult in the middle of Busan’s MEKA Base capture point, giving the Zen three seconds to find cover before detonation. Without his ultimate, Zenyatta cannot use his Transcendence to protect the team; furthermore, without shield tanks, there’s no defense to be found with teammates. Taking cover behind the white supports upholding the walkway above, Zen seems to be in a prime position to avoid damage and emerge safely after the ultimate is over. However, he is seemingly still caught in the blast, which kills him instantly.
Redditors offer theories aplenty as to why Zen dies here despite clearly being behind a wall. User AlexMcTowelie, among others, points to Zenyatta’s woeful “Michelin Man” hitbox as the culprit, likely just wide enough to extend beyond the limited cover that the archway offers. Others suggest that the small vent over his head could provide pixels of space for D.Va’s ultimate to creep through.
This isn't the first time that ultimates in Overwatch have clipped through tight spots; a supertf video shows Tracer's “Pulse Bomb” kill him behind a pillar on the divisive Temple of Anubis map. A small crack in the pillar’s base allows the bomb to make contact with Zenyatta’s hitbox landing an instant kill, much to super’s surprise.
Overwatch is a game where, as Widowmaker says, “a single death can change everything.” Some hitboxes have often landed the game in trouble and led to patches, while others remain unadjusted. On Escort maps, the wild variance in payload shapes and sizes can enable players to hide behind them to avoid damage, meanwhile, others float off the ground allowing ultimates to pass under them. Even hiding behind cars requires some very specific positioning to avoid abilities like Reinhardt’s “Earthshatter.” As Overwatch 2 adopts a 5v5 team structure, developers look to add more cover to new and existing maps to accommodate for one less tank. With luck, these new additions won’t run into the same clipping problems that players are currently experiencing.
Overwatch is currently available for PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One.
