Overwatch Best Hitscan DPS

Updated:

13 Apr 2020

Who are the best ranged hitscan heroes in Overwatch?

The following list takes a critical look at ranged hitscan heroes, and their ability to provide damage with pinpoint precision. Hitscans, also happen to be some of the highest skill caped heroes, making them difficult for newbies to the game, but essential in higher-ranked, competitive gameplay. Unlike projectiles, hitscan weapons have impact as soon as they are fired, meaning that the player has to worry about tracking and map placement, rather than distance and enemy movement. This list will help you get an idea of how to best utilize, as well as counter ranged damage.

This list represents stats and numerical values accurate as of Season 21 of competitive play.

#5 – Ana

Blizzard Entertainment

Ana is a hitscan support, that can deal significant damage over time while scoped into her primary fire. Firmly positioned in the backline, preferably behind a barrier or perched on a covered portion of high ground, Ana can pick off any vertically mobile heroes, as well as provide main heals for her team. While not the most ideal hero for damage, since her attention is mostly drawn to her own team for support, she has one of the highest damaging, ranged shots in the game, at 70 damage/0.6 seconds. Ana is best played when the team requires support, and some minor hitscan damage, as needed.

Strong Against

DPS: Ashe, Bastion, Pharah, Torbjorn, McCree, Soldier: 76
Tank: Wrecking Ball, Roadhog
Support: Mercy, Lucio, Zenyatta

Weak Against

DPS: Genji, Reaper, Sombra
Tank: Winston, D.VA, Sigma

#4 McCree

Artwork by: The-Marker

McCree is the first truly consistent hitscan on this list, combining a high primary rate of fire, with a fan the hammer alternate fire for great damage output. He does have falloff damage, which means that the farther an enemy is from McCree, the less his ranged damage will deal to them. This makes him a much more effective mid to short-ranged hitscan, than the snipers in the latter half of this list. McCree is best utilized when high damage or barrier-breaking is needed, but his lack of mobility makes him much more reliant upon his tanks and support.

Strong Against

DPS: Tracer, Reaper, Pharah, Genji, Sombra, Doomfist, Junkrat
Tank: Wrecking Ball
Support: Mercy, Zenyatta, Lucio

Weak Against

DPS: Widowmaker, Hanzo, Bastion, Mei
Tank: Roadhog, Winston, Zarya

#3 Soldier: 76

Soldier: 76 firing his Heavy Pulse Rifle

Soldier: 76 has one of the fastest movement abilities and fire rate in the game (9 rounds/second), making him a dream for map positioning and consistent damage. The downside to his rate of fire is the spread, which maxes out after one second of firing time, so his primary is better utilized in shorter bursts when fighting other heroes, and automatic when facing larger shields. His ultimate is also a joke about the use of aimbots with hitscan, shooter games, providing him with an auto-tracking primary fire for 6 seconds. Soldier: 76’s damage doesn’t begin falling until a 30m range, making him an ideal midrange hitscan, who is horizontally mobile and able to implement burst fire on flanking, enemy heros.

Strong Against

DPS: Bastion, Doomfist, Pharah, Torbjorn, Junkrat
Tank: Roadhog
Support: Mercy, Brigitte

Weak Against

DPS: Widowmaker, Tracer, Genji, Hanzo, Mei
Tank: Reinhardt, Winston, D.VA, Wrecking Ball

#2 Widowmaker

Blizzard Entertainment

Widowmaker’s precision and damage have been a staple since the game’s release; A fully charged shot from her sniper rifle can deal 120 damage, plus a 2.5 multiplier for headshots. However, her rate of fire is slow, on top of her recharge rate in between shots, creating a pattern that many skilled players are able to avoid. Her vertical mobility is also excellent with the Grappling Hook ability, that allows for quick escapes and vertical repositioning. Widowmaker suffers no falloff damage and is best played in the backline in an elevated area, somewhere easy to retreat from if enemy divers decide to put pressure on her.

Strong Against

DPS: Bastion, Hanzo, Junkrat, McCree, Mei, Pharah, Torbjorn
Support: Mercy, Zenyatta

Weak Against

DPS: Genji, Reaper, Doomfist
Tank: D.VA, Winston, Wrecking Ball, Sigma

#1 Ashe

Ashe posing with her Viper Rifle

Ashe is a hero that combines the best of DPS movement potential, and damage output, making her an excellent choice for situations requiring mid to long-range hitscan. Her primary fire deals 85 damage before falloff, and this damage is also excellent for close-range situations, in which her unscoped rifle can fire four shots a second, its only drawback being the reload time which is 3.5 seconds for a full reload. Her Coach Gun ability also applies knockback to Ashe, allowing her to make quick escapes while firing or to change position through either vertical or horizontal movement. Ashe operates as a more flexible Widowmaker, able to easily change positions on the field as needed, and provide enough accurate, damage output to outclass the other hitscans.