Overwatch: Here Are 8 Ways to Earn 'Play of the Game'

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If you’re a rapid Overwatch fan, you’ve already seen countless heroes showing off for the camera with the post-game “Play of the Game” reel. These replays are meant to reveal those amazing moments you might’ve missed that make or break a match — always big, flashy, and usually full of kills. Busting out a properly-timed Ultimate ability can help, but that isn’t the only way to earn a fancy “Play of the Game” highlight. Learn what it takes to get your name flashing in lights and earn the attention you so rightly deserve with these four methods, and explanations, for how the “Play of the Game” is calculated in Overwatch.

Here’s the quick run-down; there are four factors that contribute to your “Play of the Game” chances. All are invisible statistics collected in the background while you play — they won’t show up anywhere else. The category you score highest in will get a call-out with the usual highlight replay. Check out all four categories below with examples.

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4 Ways to Earn ‘Play of the Game’

High Score

The High Score ‘Play of the Game’ category counts killstreaks and multikills. This is your basic play and one available to most of the offensive and defensive heroes of Overwatch. Even support with weak weapons can earn this particular play. Here are a few examples:

Mei
- Unleashing her Ultimate Blizzard against an enemy team, Mei picks off the rest using her pistol secondary while the rest of the team helps out.

D.Va
- Another common tactic, D.Va launches her mech into the middle of the enemy team and self-destructs. The biggest explosion in Overwatch clears another contested area.

Symmetra
- The fun part about Symmetra is, you don’t even need to be alive to earn ‘Play of the Game’ — her turrets, like Torbjorn’s, can do all the heavy lifting while you wait to respawn.

Lifesaver

This category is all about preserving the fragile lives of your allies — either through healing or by saving someone from a stun. Healers are most likely to get these points, but stopping Reinhardt’s stunning ability will get you plenty of recognition too.

Mercy
- The most obvious Lifesaver pick, just watch as Mercy rushes the objective and reveals three allies. That’s your basic Lifesaver move, and helping your Reinhardt survive with the healing staff is a pretty good way to chase the rest of the opposition out.

Sharpshooter

How’s your aim? Sharpshooter goes to heroes that pull-off difficult kills in important situations. The calculations include the speed of your target, distance, and headshot accuracy. Basically, this is where heroes like Hanzo and Widowmaker get to earn their “Plays” — and here are some highlights.

Widowmaker
- Nothing complex here, just Widowmaker sniping her heart out and bringing down multiple targets at a chokepoint.

Reinhardt
- Even tanks (and Youtube Superstars) can earn Sharpshooter with a miraculous charge right into that annoying opponent across the room.

Shutdown

The most complex category is all about preventing plays from the opposing team — stopping Ultimate abilities, bringing down big plans, or taking out key players at just the right moment. Defeating Mercy before she can revive, or putting down Lucio before he can launch his team healing.

Pharah
- Not all Shutdowns are about stopping a healer. Here Pharah escapes Roadhog’s chain hook and unleashes a deadly barrage on the rest of his team just as she is resurrected.

Lucio
- We’re not totally sure if this counts under the “Shutdown” category, but running straight into Reinhardt’s shield and knocking him (and a friend) off into the abyss is such a ballsy play, we’re putting it here.

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