Overwatch 2 Season 14 launches on Tuesday, December 10. Not only will it initiate Overwatch 2‘s 6v6 playtests, but it will also introduce a new hero to the tank category. Hazard, a member of the criminal organization The Phreaks, will be the game’s 42nd hero and 13th tank.
Though it’s too soon to say if Hazard will be meta-defining, especially since he may receive adjustments to his kit before release, the Scottish tank has already shown great promise. In Overwatch 2‘s Hero Trial for Hazard, which occurred near the end of Season 13, Blizzard confirmed him as a hybrid between a dive and brawl tank. With some likening Hazard to a more front-line version of Doomfist, his mobility has immense potential on Lijiang Tower.
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Overwatch 2’s Hazard Is Sure To Delight Players Who Prioritize Mobility
Hazard Rollouts and Movement Tech Are Viable on Lijiang Tower
Hazard’s versatile mobility surprised some fans in Season 13’s playtests. Though the trial was brief, fans quickly pointed out that he can traverse the map in unique ways due to his Violent Leap and Vault abilities. Paired with his Jagged Wall, which resembles Mei’s Ice Wall, Hazard appears to be a jack-of-all-trades.
With his Jagged Wall providing a foundation to step on, alongside his 0.2-second wall climbing ability, Hazard is a particularly interesting pick on Control maps like Lijiang Tower. Discovered by Reddit user Tewps, Hazard’s advantage in Lijiang Tower Garden comes from climbing up the neighboring skyscraper and leaping onto the tower that houses the objective.
To perform this tech, players must remember to use Violent Leap to reset their wall climbing ability. If one cycles their cooldowns correctly, Hazard can almost ascend to the maximum height the map allows.
Hazard can suddenly leap down and take the enemy team by surprise by climbing to the top of Lijiang Tower’s Garden point. Though some in the Overwatch 2 community have pointed out that this rollout may be impractical or take too much time, it has niche situations that could make Hazard a must-pick. After all, characters like Lucio and Pharah have already demonstrated that ambushing enemies from sky-high positions on Lijiang Tower can be lethal.
“Hazard can suddenly leap down and take the enemy team by surprise by climbing to the top of Lijiang Tower.”
Hazard may also be able to contest airspace against flying Overwatch 2 heroes like Pharah and Echo because he’s one of the only tanks that can reach this height. In the past, these heroes were typically best countered by another Pharah or Echo or by hitscan players, though they could often struggle with fall-off damage and range once the fliers ascend to max height. He might not be the best counter, but his presence will force heroes with great verticality to play more cautiously.
Other Noteworthy Maps for Hazard Rollouts
Though Hazard players will undoubtedly find beneficial rollouts for every map, there are other clear shortcuts and flank routes that Hazard can take. Disregarding rollouts where The Phreaks member seizes high ground on maps like Dorado and Blizzard World, he also has some more enticing options on maps like Eichenwalde, Circuit Royale, and Kings Row.
Furthermore, Hazard can leap across the gap to the second point’s stairs on Circuit Royale’s first point by placing a Jagged Wall in the center. Characters that can make similar plays on Circuit Royale include, but aren’t limited to:
- Echo
- Junkrat
- Lucio
- Pharah
- Reaper
Additionally, players have noticed that Hazard can stall the payload from crossing the bridge on Eichenwalde by wall climbing on the ledges and can even leap into enemy backlines by delving under the map on the final stretch of King’s Row. Ultimately, after the release of Juno, who introduced a fast-paced meta in Season 12, it appears Blizzard is continuing its trend of high-mobility characters. With this in mind, Lijiang Tower is the perfect setting for those wanting to try out Hazard’s tech when Season 14 launches.
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