Overwatch 2 Hero Guide: Sombra

Listing the best Overwatch 2 playstyles for Talon's shadowy operative, Sombra.

Sistema Comprometido

The world of Overwatch 2 takes place in an optimistic future. With so much advanced technology, it takes an equally brilliant mind to make everything go offline. That's where Sombra comes in.

In her official story, Sombra exposed global corporate secrets from the likes of Vishkar and LumeriCo, inspiring rebellions and earning infamy for “the Sombra collective”. She continued on this path until the world-class hacker discovered dangerous leads surrounding a global conspiracy; one that was so large that it forced her to change her name and body into the living computer that it is now. Guided by her curiosity and an endless thirst for secrets, the technomancer now searches for answers – using anything and anyone she can to get them.

Read about all the recent hero changes that came with Season 4 here.

Sombra is Overwatch 2's signature hacker. With abilities to disable combatants and infiltrate enemy positions, no team composition is safe from Talon's purple shadow. Exposing weaknesses is Sombra's specialty, and she's damn good at it. Here's everything you need to know when you play as Sombra.

Sombra Online

Knowing is half the battle. Working as an intelligence specialist for Talon, Sombra's got a lot of tricks up her sleeve. Before we get to the best tips for playing as Blizzard's archetypal hacker, let's review her hero abilities.

Ever since Overwatch 2's release, members of the Damage roster received a passive ability that gives you 25% faster reload and movement speed after eliminating an enemy hero.

1. Opportunist – Sombra's passive ability lets her deal more damage against hacked enemies; lets you see enemy silhouettes through walls if they are below half health
2. Machine Pistol – Sombra's main mode of damage; high rate of fire within a short range
3. Hack – prevents a targeted enemy from using hero abilities for a few seconds; disables enemy structures and cancels ultimate abilities; makes health packs spawn faster and makes them unavailable to enemies. Blocked by enemy barriers
4. Stealth – Sombra goes invisible and gain a movement boost; getting close to an enemy, taking damage, attempting a hack and attacking an enemy all interrupts Stealth
5. Translocator – throw a beacon that Sombra can teleport to; lasts for a certain period of time
6. EMP – an area-of-effect burst of energy that damages instantly hacks enemy heroes and structures within a large radius

Always Plan an Exit

Opportunist is Sombra's #1 info-gathering tool. Communicate with your team with your enhanced vision to scope out prime targets. Remember, Sombra's playstyle involves a lot of coordination, so if you want to maximize her potential, share your secrets.

Machine Pistol is a short-ranged submachine gun that can whittle a vulnerable target down in 1-on-1 scenarios. Use its reliable rate of fire and tight spread to single out hacked opponents near the backline to distract and wreak havoc. Keep in mind however that Sombra excels in intel, not in drawn out engagements. Your team won't be there to back you up when you're behind enemy lines.

Use Hack to reveal a distracted enemy's HP. Additionally, a “ready” icon also shows up beside a hacked enemy's health bar to let you know if their ultimate ability is ready. Again, team communication is key to maximizing Sombra's kit. Her hack also completely destroys Baptiste's Immortality field, disables Torbjorn's turret and impairs B.O.B. for 10 seconds. The Hacked condition is cancelled by Moira's Fade and Reaper's Wraith form however, so wait after they use the phase abilities before going in.

Stealth is Sombra's best tool for flanking and gathering info on your unsuspecting foes. Be carful not to get too close to the enemy team however, as you might expose yourself too early. Reloading your Machine Pistol won't compromise your invisibility, but Widowmaker's Infra-sight and Hanzo's Sonic Arrows certainly will. The speed boost she gets in her hidden state can get her to the payload faster than your allies, but keep in mind that you cannot contest objectives while invisible. There's also an animation period that makes you vulnerable mid-Stealth, so time your ability correctly to avoid getting shut down.

Using Translocator is a key part to Sombra's usual playstyle. If you're going to make a silent dash behind the enemy, you're going to want a way back to safety. Use Hack on a large, well-hidden health pack and leave your Translocator nearby to make it less likely to be destroyed. Then, use Stealth to start infiltrating the backline while using Hack to refresh your control over the medpack. This gives you more room for error and gives you more uptime without having to rely heavily on supports. Furthermore, Translocator's throwing distance also makes this a great way to get from Point A to B instantly. If you're willing to go for riskier plays, reach the high ground to disrupt enemy marksmen and push them out of position. Lastly, this hero ability also shrugs off negative effects, including Cassidy's Magnetic Grenade and Ashe's Dynamite burn.

EMP is an ultimate ability whose value heavily relies on team coordination and planning. Besides disabling a majority of enemy abilities and all enemy barriers, the electromagnetic blast also damages enemies for 40% of their current HP and shield health. In addition to that, EMP hacks all nearby Health packs, disables Symmetra's structures and completely destroys Lifeweaver's ultimate ability “Tree of Life”. Enemies who hide behind walls will not be affected however, so position yourself well.

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