Release Category

Template:For

 File:Reinhardt Overwatch 006.jpg
**Abilities** are the offensive and defensive capabilities of the heroes in *Overwatch*. Normal abilities are accessed via keybinds which can be swapped based on player preference in Game Options. Abilities help to differentiate roles from one another, as well as heroes from one another within roles.

* Offense heroes generally have higher damage weapons and abilities than tanks and some defense heroes. They are usually excellent duelists with high mobility and good burst or sustained damage.
* Defense heroes may have long range weapons or the ability to create turrets, and excel at area denial.
* Supplementary protect allies, disrupt enemies, and occupy the front line. They have abilities that protect themselves and others with shields and crowd control.

## Ranged and melee abilities

All heroes have ranged and melee abilities in their arsenal, but majority of abilities are ranged abilities; melee abilities are far less effective compare with ranged abilities.

### Ranged abilties

Ranged abilities are abilities capable of taking effect at range, either through launching a projectile or through generating an effect at a specified location.

Most ranged abilities are referred to as being either **hitscans** or **projectiles**. A hitscan ability has no travel time, and will hit a target within the shooter's crosshair as soon as the weapon/ability fires. A projectile ability has a travel time, and will hit a target only if the projectile collides with the target.

Ranged abiltities also come with two other attributes: **headshot** and **falloff damage**. An ability can have both attributes, or have neither:

* A headshot is any shot that successfully hit the enemy's critical points which is the head for most humanoid heroes, and the blue core for Bastion in Sentry mode; any other hit is called a bodyshot. Each headshot deals 2 times the damage of a bodyshot, except for Widowmaker's scoped headshot which deals 2.5 times the damage of a bodyshot. When a headshot is made, its X mark in the crosshair will glow red and spread wider compared with bodyshot's mark.
* Damage falloff is the damage deterioration inflicted on distant target. An ability with damage falloff does less damage the further the shooter is away from the target.

#### List of hitscan abilities

These abilities listed below are considered hitscan abilities:

1. ↑ Only when deflecting hitscan abilities.

#### List of projectiles abilities

These abilities listed below are considered projectile abilities:

1. ↑ D.Va's Call Mech can damage enemies when it drops right on top of them, and can be deflected by Genji.
2. ↑ Only when deflecting projectile abilities.
3. ↑ Only for the first arrow.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Only on its first phase
5. ↑ Reinhardt's Earthshatter is not technically a projectile abilities, but it take time to travel athough it's really short. Nontheless the further enemies will have more chance to avoid the attack.

### Melee abilities

Template:For

Melee abilities are abilities that take effect only within a short range of the hero using the ability, generally within arms' reach of the hero's position. Some melee ability allow hero to move and attack at the same time, making those abilities a perfect choice to make a follow-up attack or escape.

Almost all heroes can use melee in the form of Quick Melee, except for Reinhardt, Torbjorn (when holding Forge Hammer), Genji and Winston (when activate their Ultimate abilities).

Other abilities listed below are considered melee abilities:

* D.Va's Boosters
* Genji's Swift Strike, and Dragonblade.
* Reinhardt's Rocket Hammer, and Charge.
* Torbjörn's Forge Hammer.
* Winston's Jump Pack, and Primal Rage.

## Area-of-effect abilities

Area of effect (AoE) abilities are abilities which can affect multiple targets within a specified area. The effected area can be on the path of the projectile or in the surrounding zone of a hero or the point of contact. Some AoE abilities may harm the user if they are in the effect area. These abilities listed below are considered AoE abilities:

* Ana's Biotic Grenade (affect an area around the point of contact).
* Bastion's Configuration: Tank (affect an area around the point of contact).
* D.Va's
	+ Defense Matrix (affect a cylinder area in front of the hero's face).
	+ Boosters (affect every enemy on the path).
	+ Self-Destruct (affect a large surrounding area when exploding).
	+ Call Mech (affect a small area in in front of the hero, from the ground to far up above).
* Genji's
	+ Swift Strike (affect every enemy on the path).
	+ Dragonblade (affect every enemy on and near the path of the sword).
* Hanzo's
	+ Sonic Arrow (affect every enemy in the area around the point of contact).
	+ Dragonstrike (affect every enemy in the path of the dragons).
* Junkrat's
	+ Frag Launcher (affect every enemy in the area around the point of contact).
	+ Concussion Mine (affect an area around the trap).
	+ Total Mayhem (affect an area around the point of contact).
	+ RIP-Tire (affect a surrounding area when exploding).
* Lúcio's
	+ Sonic Amplifier (secondary fire, affect a small area in in front of the hero).
	+ Crossfade and Amp It Up (affect an area around hero).
	+ Sound Barrier (affect an area around hero).
* McCree's Flashbang (affect an area around the point of contact).
* Mei's Blizzard (affect a round area around the point of contact).
* Mercy's Resurrect (affect an area around the hero).
* Pharah's
	+ Rocket Launcher (affect an area around the point of contact).
	+ Concussive Blast (affect an area around the point of contact).
	+ Barrage (affect an area around the points of contact).
* Reaper's Death Blossom (affect an area around the hero).
* Reinhardt's
	+ Fire Strike (affect every enemy on its path).
	+ Rocket Hammer (affect an arch area in front of the hero).
	+ Charge (affect every enemy in front of the hero and in the path of the charge).
	+ Earthshatter (affect a cone area in front of the hero).
* Roadhog's Whole Hog (affect a wide area in front of the hero).
* Soldier: 76's
	+ Helix Rockets (affect an area around the points of contact).
	+ Biotic Field (affect a round area around the biotic emitter).
* Symmetra's Photon Projector (secondary fire, affect every enemy on its path).
* Tracer's Pulse Bomb (affect surrounding area when exploding).
* Widowmaker's Venom Mine (affect every enemy in the surrounding area when triggered).
* Winston's
	+ Tesla Cannon (affect at most two enemy in the area in front of the gun).
	+ Jump Pack (affect every enemy in the point of contact).
	+ Primal Rage (effect every enemy in the vicinity of the attack).
* Zarya's
	+ Particle Cannon (secondary fire, affect an area around the point of contact).
	+ Graviton Surge (affect an area around the point of contact).
* Zenyatta's Transcendence (affect an area around the hero).

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Also able to self-heal.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Also have self-damage.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Also have self-effect (no damage however).

## See also

* Barrier
* Turret

## See also

* Ultimate Ability

pl:Zdolności