Overwatch 2: How to Play Sombra | Abilities and Role in Combat

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Sombra’s Abilities+−
Sombra’s Role in Combat

There are a lot of characters to choose from when playing Overwatch 2. Not only is the entire cast from the original game in the sequel, but it also adds a handful of new characters to learn as well. Because the game has 35 playable heroes and counting, it would be a lot to ask players to master them all. It’s for this reason that most players tend to stick to a small handful of characters that they can really sink their teeth into.

Obviously, you won’t be able to actually improve your game skills by simply reading this guide, however, you can certainly improve your overall game knowledge and get to know the basics of what a character can and should do with a little studying. This way, you’ll be able to hit the ground running when it finally comes time to start a play session.

Sombra is a character not unlocked in Overwatch 2 until you’ve completed at least 115 matches. Once you have, you’ll be able to make use of all of the hacker’s tricks in order to help lead your team to victory.

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Sombra’s Abilities

Sombra is a Damage hero that specializes in stealth and sabotage. Her loadout makes her perfect for weakening the opposition so that your team can prey on vulnerable targets and take them down with ease.

Machine Pistol

Sombra’s main way of dealing damage is through her Machine Pistol which is an automatic handgun that can unload 60 rounds in just a few seconds. While it’s great for tearing through enemies, it’s only useful in close combat. At medium range, the weapon loses most of its punch and is hardly worth firing at anyone at long range.

The key to dealing damage as Sombra is getting close to enemies and taking them out from behind. While frontal assaults can prove successful, Sombra doesn’t have a huge health pool to tank hits and since the rest of her kit is made with stealth in mind, a back-alley approach is usually best. Because you need to be so close to an enemy in order to make the best use of the Machine Pistol, using the element of surprise is advised.

Ultimate: EMP

Hacking is a major part of Sombra’s build. Look below for more info on what hacking does and how it can be beneficial to your team. Sombra’s Ultimate, EMP, hacks all enemies in a nearby radius, dealing 40% damage to them and destroying any shields that have been put up. When hacked, enemies are put at a major disadvantage, so unleashing an EMP when surrounded at an objective is ideal.

The EMP is best used as a way to reset the momentum of a firefight. When hacked, enemies tend to turn heel and run for cover until the effects wear off so hitting a large group with the EMP can really turn the tide in a battle. Because it knocks down shields and barriers, tankier characters like Brigitte and Reinhardt that rely on them to protect their team become extremely vulnerable.

Translocator

Because Sombra specializes in infiltration she’s not very sturdy. She’s most useful when she’s able to quickly get in and out of a group of enemies to do some damage or hack them and her Translocator ability gives her an easy way to get out of just about anything. The translocator is a thrown item that she can teleport to at any time.

It can be placed in a safe location away from the majority of the battle if you’re looking for an escape to safety, or it can be used to outmaneuver enemies and get to hard-to-reach locations in a flash. Be warned, however: the Translocator can be destroyed by enemies which could leave you in a sticky situation.

Stealth

Stealth allows Sombra to become invisible and move at an increased speed. The drawback is that it takes her a second to cloak and uncloak herself leaving her vulnerable in moments of transition. Additionally, she’s unable to attack without revealing herself and if she takes any damage her cover will be blown.

Stealth is best used to get around enemies to take them out from behind. It’s also great for making a fast exit if you can get it off before the enemies turn around and take you out.

Hack

Hacking is the main purpose of Sombra’s role in combat. When an enemy is hacked they’re unable to use their abilities for a limited amount of time. If used on the right enemy, it can be devastating and make them completely vulnerable. For example, if you were to hack Tracer, she’d be completely unable to use the movement abilities that are at the core of her character’s specialty and since she’s got such a small health pool, she’s easy to pick off.

When playing Sombra, you’ll be wanting to Hack the enemy as often as possible to take them out of the fight and make them vulnerable to the other Damage heroes on your team. In addition to Hacking enemies, Sombra can also Hack health kits making them refill much faster and only be useable by your team for a limited amount of time. If you disable a health kit close to an objective, you might be able to turn the tide of the fight in your favor by keeping your team strong and reducing the resources available to the enemy.

Passive: Opportunist

Sombra has a passive ability called Opportunist that allows her to deal 40% more damage to Hacked enemies. This is one of the other main reasons why you should want to be Hacking as many enemies as possible since it will dramatically increase your ability to dish out damage. Take advantage of the passive immediately after hitting the enemy team with Sombra’s Ultimate by taking out the enemies with the smallest health pools.

Opportunist also gives Sombra the ability to see critically damaged enemies through walls by highlighting them in orange. They make easy prey for her, so it’s a good idea to keep note of who they are and target them.

Sombra’s Role in Combat

While she’s classified as a Damage hero, Sombra shouldn’t necessarily be on the front lines of combat given how small her health pool is. Instead, she should be flanking the enemy team from the side and back in order to Hack critical enemies such as the Tank and main Damage heroes.

With her Ultimate fully charged, she can solely be responsible for making a giant hole in a choke point by putting the enemy team on the ropes as a result of being all Hacked at once. What’s more, she can give decent support in the form of fast respawning health kits that are exclusive to your team allowing them to not leave the action for long as they wait for some health.

When dealing damage, Sombra is best used to pick off stragglers from the enemy team that are already vulnerable.