How to unlock Overwatch 2 Winston: Abilities, class, and more explained

After much waiting, fans can finally use Overwatch 2's Winston. Blizzard Entertainment launched Overwatch 2 on October 4 as the sequel title to Overwatch, a popular hero-shooter game that was released in 2016. The game is an established name in the esports scene and possesses a massive community of players and supporters.

Winston is a genetically engineered gorilla with super intelligence in Overwatch 2. According to Overwatch lore, he hails from the Horizon Lunar Colony and is a leading scientist who has multiple inventions to his name and uses a few to combat himself. He is also a capable tank with the innate strength of a gorilla.

Here is how to unlock Winston in Overwatch 2 and a brief description of his abilities.

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How to unlock Overwatch 2 Winston

Overwatch 2 Winston is one of the most simple Tank Class heroes. Simplicity is one of the best ways to achieve the highest effectiveness. He carries around his own inventions as his ability kit and wields a Tesla Cannon as his primary weapon. Winston also has the mobility and right set of methods to protect his team from incoming damage.

Winston will be available to all new players and is unlocked by default from the very start of the game. Players simply need to log in and complete their training to be able to play Winston in Quickplay matches. The hero has been tweaked slightly to fit the new title after being carried over.

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Winston’s abilities in Overwatch 2

Winston is a basic hero in the Tank class and when in the right hands, he can be an invaluable asset to the team. Here is a list of Winston’s abilities with a short description.

• Tesla Cannon (Primary fire): Winston shoots out bolts of electricity in front. The weapon is capable of hitting multiple enemies in an effective conal range.
• Tesla Cannon (Secondary fire): Overwatch 2 Winston charges his Tesla Cannon and discharges a large ball of electricity toward enemy players. It is a single-target shot.
• Jump Pack (L-Shift): Winston utilizes his Lunar invention to jump forward and cover a large distance. This ability damages enemies if Winston lands on them.
• Barrier Projector (E): Overwatch 2 Winston carries a mobile barrier ability that forms a dome shield when deployed. It is capable of absorbing a lot of damage before expiring or breaking.
• Primal Rage (Ultimate): Overwatch 2 Winston utilizes his animal strength while the ability is active. He is only able to leap and punch enemies in this duration.

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How to play Winston in Overwatch 2

Winston can play defensively like the Tank that he is, or utilize his agility to initiate attacks. Tanks are hereditarily the first contact against an enemy team, and exist to protect their team and help take control of objectives.

Overwatch 2 Winston can be a constant annoyance with his split-shot weapon that can simultaneously damage multiple enemies at once. Moreover, the charge count of the weapon is high so players can spam this primary weapon.

The Tank hero can be surprisingly mobile considering his role in the game. With his ability to leap, players using Winston can quickly jump when in fights, and retreat to safety as well. Players can practice with this hero to perfectly land on enemies after every leap to maximize their damage output.

The mobile dome shield is a great way to buy time for the team to regroup and rejuvenate before rejoining the fight. There are several shield placement techniques that Overwatch 2 Winston players can apply for the highest efficiency.

Combining primary and secondary fire is a useful method to deal the most amount of damage in the shortest amount of time. Secondary fire does have a delay, so tracking enemies becomes crucial for shots to land.

Winston's ultimate ability should be used to corner enemy players and knock them into walls. This allows players to repeatedly hit enemies and take them down easily. It can also be utilized to disperse enemies grouping up. Further, Winston can knock back enemies with each hit while in a state of rage.