About
Choosing Your Heroes
When you enter a game of Overwatch, you'll need to choose a hero to play. Maybe a cannon-toting ape from the moon appeals to you. Perhaps you prefer a time-traveling freedom fighter. Or is a beat-dropping battlefield DJ more your style? Whoever you want to be, there's an Overwatch hero for you.
Playing Your Role
Tank
Tank heroes soak damage and shatter fortified positions, like closely grouped enemies and narrow chokepoints. If you’re a tank, you lead the charge.
Damage
Damage heroes seek out, engage, and obliterate the enemy with wide-ranging tools, abilities and play styles. Fearsome but fragile, these heroes require backup to survive.
Support
Support heroes empower their allies by healing, shielding, boosting damage, and disabling foes. As a support, you’re the backbone of your team’s survival.
Game Modes
There are many ways to play Overwatch. We recommend starting with the tutorial to learn the fundamentals of play; once you’ve completed it, head to the Main Menu to try out:
Practice Range
Visit a training area and experiment with your abilities against practice bots. Use this mode to hone your skills or learn a new hero.
Play/Practice vs A.I.
Play against AI-controlled opponents on any map you choose. Use these modes to try out different maps and learn how multiple heroes work.
Quick Play
Square off against other players at your skill level.
Arcade
Experimental matches with unique and seasonal rules, plus weekly rewards! Read more
Competitive Play
Compete against other players and work your way up the ranks.
Custom Game
Change the rules of the game with custom modifiers (like disallowing heroes, increasing Ultimate ability charge rate, etc.).
Workshop
Build elaborate custom games in the Workshop, with unprecedented scripting tools at your disposal. Set the rules, build a game, and share it with the community!
Take Control
Customize rules, events, conditions, and actions to build entire new game modes.
Infinite Possibilities
Explore Workshop creations in the game browser and use them as inspiration for your own!
Share Your Creations
Save your creations and share them with other players through the custom game browser.
Endorsements
We see amazing players in Overwatch every day; now, you can officially celebrate them! When a match ends, take a look at players on both teams and endorse the players who made positive contributions to your matches. The world needs heroes: help create them!
Shot Caller
Leader, Strategist
Earn Shot Caller endorsements by leading or executing strategies on the battlefield.
GOOD TEAMMATE
Helpful, Effective Communication
Reward highly effective team players with a Good Teammate endorsement.
SPORTSMANSHIP
Positive, Respectful
Grant Sportsmanship endorsements to players who are a positive influence in-game.
ENDORSEMENT LEVELS
All players begin at endorsement level 1 and can progress to a max level of 5; every endorsement you receive impacts your endorsement levels. You will also receive a small amount of player experience for endorsing another player. Higher endorsement levels can help you get better groups in the Looking for Group tool.
MAINTAINING YOUR ENDORSEMENT LEVEL
Your endorsement level can decrease if you do not continue to receive endorsements or leave games before they’re finished. Punishments within the reporting system may also strip players of their endorsement level and place them at level 0.
Endorsement Rewards
You can occasionally earn Loot Boxes based on your current endorsement level, with higher endorsement levels resulting in more Loot Boxes. During special events, you'll receive event Loot Boxes (for example, Summer Games Loot Boxes).
Making Progress
As you play games of Overwatch, you’ll gain levels, unlocking new customization options to make your heroes look and sound unique! Customize your characters in the Hero Gallery (accessible from the main menu).
Looking For Group
Play your way using the Looking for Group tool! You can control your gameplay experience by hosting a group with custom options, including restricting endorsement level, prior to queueing up for Quick Play, Play vs AI, or any competitive mode. Choose to join a team of like-minded people or assemble your own.
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