An ‘Overwatch’ Pro’s Thoughts: Ana and Competitive Play

Knakveey
Games Overwatch
Games Overwatch

Ana was patched into the Overwatch main client today, so we were wondering. What do the pros think about Ana?

We were lucky enough to pick the brain of an up and coming professional player, Austin “W-Only” Hobbs. He and his teammates from Helix Esports were kind enough to answer some of our questions on Ana,and the competitive scene in general.

To give you some background, W-Only is an FPS veteran of Counter-Strike and Team Fortress 2, playing shooters competitive for close to a decade. While it is still early in the Overwatch competitive season, his highest rank to date is 76 and he hopes to keep climbing the ladder. He currently fills the role of “Hitscan DPS” on his team and his favorite hero is McCree. You can catch his stream on Twitch usually starting at 5pm CST- 10pm CST.

Have you had the chance to play Ana in the PTR? What are your initial thoughts about the hero?

We have played Ana in the PTR. Our initial thoughts would be that she is very viable and will become meta. Her kit is amazing along with her ability to output consistent damage as a support. Her versatility is something to be feared.

What are her biggest strengths and weaknesses? What heroes does she best compliment?

Her biggest strengths would be her versatility. She has a unique kit that allows her to kite for the backline effectively while being able to heal and do consistent damage. Her weaknesses would be flankers that play their role correctly. She would complement Reinhardt playing behind his shield to help punish players out of position.

What are some changes you would like to see within the game? Perhaps competitive mode in particular? More maps/server size?

Adding the Quick Play timers for spectators into competitive mode is definitely a start. Adding more maps and rebalancing the Assault Maps would be a good step. Also looking at improving the spectators point of view to make it more enjoyable for the audience. Blizzard has been very accommodating to the community and is showing the willingness to listen to feedback, so great job to them.

Are there any particular heroes right now that you think need some buffs or nerfs?

We believe the sniper class could be looked at to bring them back into competitive play. Hanzo especially could use a buff, he feels too slow and is easily punishable to be able to use him at a higher level.

How does your team operate? Does the captain ask people to switch heroes or do players decide themselves?

Everyone works together to achieve their goal especially when it comes to communication. All the players are very vocal calling out important information that is essential to making the right calls. Practicing daily, giving and taking constructive criticism, and working towards becoming recognized as professionals on and off the computer.

We’d like to thank Helix Esports and W-Only for sharing their opinions about the Overwatch competitive scene with us. You can follow Helix Esports on Twitter and W-Only’s stream can be found below.

Learn more about Ana and the other hero changes in the most recent Overwatch patch notes.