Do Kills or Damage Matter More in Overwatch? The Ultimate Guide

In the fast-paced world of Overwatch, it’s a question that echoes through every match, from Quick Play skirmishes to the most intense Competitive showdowns: Do kills or damage matter more? While racking up impressive damage numbers can feel incredibly satisfying, the truth is that kills are king. Consistent kills directly translate to eliminating enemy presence, disrupting their strategies, and ultimately, securing objectives and winning games. Damage is essential, but it’s only a means to an end. The focus should always be on converting that damage into eliminations.

The Importance of Kills

Objective Control

In Overwatch, most game modes revolve around capturing or defending objectives. Securing kills around these objectives denies the enemy team the ability to contest them, giving your team a significant advantage. A high damage output without securing the final blow means the enemy can retreat, heal, and re-engage, negating your efforts.

Disruption of Enemy Strategy

A well-timed elimination on a key enemy hero, such as their main tank or support, can completely dismantle their team composition and strategy. Forcing the enemy team to play shorthanded creates opportunities for your team to push forward and gain momentum. Damage alone cannot achieve this level of strategic disruption.

Ultimate Charge

While damage does contribute to ultimate charge, securing kills often leads to faster and more consistent ultimate generation, especially for heroes with abilities that reward eliminations, such as Genji’s Dragonblade or Reaper’s Death Blossom. Ultimates are game-changing abilities, and maximizing their availability is crucial for success.

The Role of Damage

Enabling Kills

While kills are paramount, damage plays a critical role in enabling those eliminations. Consistently dealing high damage softens up enemies, making them vulnerable to follow-up attacks and easier to eliminate. Damage can also force enemies to retreat and seek healing, temporarily taking them out of the fight.

Distraction and Pressure

High damage output can create pressure on the enemy team, forcing them to focus on survival rather than executing their strategies. This can create openings for your team to capitalize on and secure crucial kills. For example, a Widowmaker consistently landing shots forces the enemy team to play more cautiously, limiting their options.

Ultimate Charge

As mentioned earlier, damage contributes significantly to ultimate charge. Heroes who can consistently deal high damage, even if they don’t always secure the final blow, can charge their ultimates quickly and frequently, providing valuable tools for their team.

Finding the Balance

The key to success in Overwatch is finding the balance between damage and kills. Focus on dealing consistent damage to soften up enemies, but prioritize securing the final blow whenever possible. Coordinate with your team to focus fire on vulnerable targets and maximize your chances of eliminating them.

Considerations for Different Roles

Damage (DPS)

DPS heroes are primarily responsible for dealing damage and securing kills. Their focus should be on maximizing their damage output while also being opportunistic in securing eliminations on weakened targets. A good DPS player knows how to convert damage into kills effectively. According to the article, “Your total kills (contributing or not) should always be lurking around the 20 or higher for a typical full 10min match as a DPS character.”

Tank

Tanks play a crucial role in creating space for their team and protecting them from enemy fire. While they may not always have the highest damage output, they are essential in enabling kills by disrupting the enemy team and creating opportunities for their DPS heroes to secure eliminations.

Support

Supports are primarily responsible for healing and providing utility to their team. However, they can also contribute to kills by dealing damage to weakened enemies and providing support fire. A good support player knows when to focus on healing and when to contribute to damage and kills.

Factors Affecting Kill/Damage Ratio

Several factors can influence a player’s kill/damage ratio, including:

• Hero Choice: Some heroes are inherently better at dealing damage than others.
• Skill Level: More skilled players are generally better at converting damage into kills.
• Team Composition: A well-coordinated team can focus fire and secure kills more effectively.
• Enemy Team Composition: Certain enemy team compositions may be more difficult to deal with, affecting both damage and kill numbers.

Kills Don’t Rank You Up Directly

It’s crucial to remember that individual stats like kills don’t directly translate into rank increases in competitive Overwatch. The game prioritizes wins above all else. Focusing solely on personal stats, rather than contributing to team efforts, is a surefire way to stagnate in the rankings.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Does damage matter more than kills in Overwatch?

No, kills matter more than damage. While damage is important for softening up enemies, the ultimate goal is to eliminate them. Kills disrupt the enemy team and secure objectives.

2. Do kills matter in Overwatch competitive?

Yes, kills matter in competitive Overwatch, but winning matters more. The only thing that ranks you up is winning the game. Kills contribute to winning, but focusing solely on kills at the expense of team play can be detrimental.

3. What is a good amount of kills in Overwatch?

For a DPS character, around 20 or higher for a full 10-minute match is a good benchmark. Less than 15 may indicate underperformance.

4. Who should have the most damage in Overwatch?

Typically, DPS heroes are expected to have the highest damage output. Heroes like Sojourn, Ashe, and Junkrat are known for their high damage potential.

5. Is it harder to rank up as DPS in Overwatch?

Climbing as DPS can be more challenging due to the high level of competition and the reliance on securing kills to impact the game.

6. Do stats matter in Overwatch 2?

Stats provide insights into your performance, but focusing on winning as a team is more important than individual statistics.

7. Who is the hardest hero to master in Overwatch?

Heroes like Tracer, Widowmaker, Doomfist, and Ana are considered some of the most difficult to master due to their high skill ceilings.

8. Who is the easiest DPS to climb with in Overwatch 2?

Sojourn is often recommended for beginners due to her versatile kit and ability to deal consistent damage.

9. Who is the hardest damage hero to play in Overwatch?

Doomfist is generally considered one of the most challenging damage heroes to play due to his complex mobility and reliance on precise ability usage.

10. What is the 40/40/20 rule in Overwatch?

This rule suggests that 40% of games are unwinnable, 40% are free wins, and 20% depend on your individual performance.

11. Do headshots matter in Overwatch?

Yes, headshots deal significantly more damage than body shots, often doubling the damage output.

12. What rank is the average Overwatch player?

The average Overwatch player is around Gold 3.

13. Who is the easiest hero in Overwatch?

Bastion and Mercy are often cited as the easiest heroes to play due to their straightforward kits and accessible playstyles.

14. What is the easiest damage character in Overwatch?

Junkrat is considered one of the easiest damage dealers to learn, thanks to his forgiving grenade launcher.

15. Is Genji hard to play?

Yes, Genji can be difficult to master due to his high mobility and reliance on precise timing and coordination.

Conclusion

In summary, while both damage and kills are important in Overwatch, kills ultimately have a greater impact on winning games. Focus on converting your damage into eliminations, coordinate with your team, and prioritize objective control to maximize your chances of success. Remember that Overwatch is a team game, and individual stats are secondary to achieving victory together. To explore more about the science of gaming and learning, consider visiting the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org. Understanding the complexities of game dynamics, such as those found in Overwatch, can be further enhanced by research and insights from platforms like the Games Learning Society.