October 30, 2023
Considered one of the most difficult heroes to play in Overwatch 2, Tracer requires time and effort to get comfortable with her movements. With only 150 HP, Tracer is a Hero that works best if you’re constantly on the move – giving your enemies little time to pinpoint your location and deal a devastating blow to your minimal health.
With her high mobility, Tracer is great for players who want to flank and confuse their opponents. She’s great for distracting the enemy as long as you watch your back and remember you won’t last long in a direct fight.
Tracer’s abilities
Tracer prioritizes speed over flashy moves. Her primary weapon, the Pulse Pistols, is the only damage-dealing ability she has outside of her ultimate. Tracer is good at poking characters and antagonizing them. This guide will help you better understand how to keep on your toes and keep the enemy guessing.
Pulse Pistols
Short-range automatic weapons
Tracer’s primary weapon consists of a set of two pistols that shoot at the same time. Finding the perfect angle to shoot can be a lot of trial and error as the spread of Tracer’s pistols can increase the further away from an enemy she is. However, you don’t want to be too close and risk getting swatted away before you can do any real damage. Once you practice a bit, you’ll be sure to find that sweet spot that will lead to massive damage.
Blink
Teleport in the direction you are moving.
The Blink ability allows Tracer to teleport ahead in the direction you are moving. It comes with three charges, each with a three-second cooldown. This is an excellent tool in Tracer’s kit to help increase her mobility. Blinks can be used to dodge incoming abilities or damage and escape the enemy’s line of sight. Be sure not to waste your blinks pushing toward a target, as this can leave you open to attack without a way to escape.
This ability makes Tracer one of the fastest in the game and makes Tracer perfect for flanking the opposing team and picking off their vulnerable characters. Also, keep in mind you will blink in the direction you’re facing, so be careful not to blink in the wrong direction. This may take some getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be picking off the enemies and disappearing in a flash.
Recall
Travel back in time to your previous location and health.
Whenever you press this ability, Tracer goes a few seconds back in time. This places you back in the location you were in previously, and you’ll also have the health and bullets you had at that time. This ability is highly useful in a pinch since it will keep your opponent guessing. When Tracer Blinks, she phases out of sight for a brief moment, allowing you to come back and either retreat or move in at different angles.
This ability is best used when you are about to die or if you need to escape a fight you see you can’t win. Some opponents may pressure you to use this ability as well. Tracer, with the ability to use Recall, can be a significant threat to the opposing team since Tracer is hard to kill when Recall is available.
Pulse Bomb (Ultimate Ability)
Throw out a powerful, sticky explosive.
When Tracer uses the Pulse Bomb ability, she throws a sticky bomb in the direction she’s facing. The bomb will explode after a short delay and deal massive damage. If you use it on more squishy characters, you can take them out in one go.
This ability can also damage Tracer herself, so be sure to get away fast after placing it. Also, keep in mind it does not have a long trajectory, so it’ll only fall a few feet away whenever activated.
The best strategy for placing your Pulse Bomb would be to blink towards your target and place the bomb, then Recall back to your original position for safety. You could also dash away instead of using Recall if that is more effective.
Tips and Tricks
- Tracer has low HP compared to other characters, so be sure to stay on the move. Tracer is great at flanking and catching enemies off guard.
- Practice finding the sweet spot for Tracer’s Pulse Pistols. If you’re too far away, you run the risk of spreading too much, and if you’re too close, you put yourself in jeopardy of being picked off easily due to your low health.
- Try not to use Blinks to close the gap between you and your opponent. This can leave you without an exit strategy if the fight turns against you.
- Recall is best used when you are about to die, or if you need to escape a fight you see you can’t win.
- The best strategy for placing your Pulse Bomb would be to blink toward your target and place the bomb, then either Recall or blink away to get to a safe distance before it detonates
Tracer can be a difficult character to master, but the payoff is worth it. The journey to being a Tracer main may be frustrating, but she’s a fun character with a unique kit. Her high mobility makes her one of the fastest characters in the game, and what she lacks in health, she makes up for in tactfulness. Learning Tracer will cause you to have a better game sense, so if you’re looking for a challenging character to better your gameplay, Tracer has got you covered.