Why is it called DPS in Overwatch?

Hey friend! If you play Overwatch, you‘ve probably heard the term "DPS" thrown around a lot. As you know, DPS stands for "Damage Per Second" and refers to heroes whose main role is dealing damage.

In this guide, I‘ll be digging into the world of DPS heroes – what makes them tick, why they‘re super popular picks, and how you can get better at playing these high-octane damage dealers. Time to lock and load!

What Exactly is a DPS Hero?

DPS heroes make up the offensive damage-dealing roles in Overwatch. As a DPS player, your objective is to use your abilities and weapons to constantly pressure the enemy team and secure kills.

According to Overwatch League pro Profit from the London Spitfire:

"The main job of DPS is to get picks and opening frags to enable your team to engage fights with the advantage."

Unlike Tanks and Supports who serve more protective and utility functions, DPS heroes are all about dishing out devastating damage. Let‘s look at some of the most popular DPS picks:

• Soldier: 76 – Jack Morrison assaults enemies with his heavy-hitting automatic pulse rifle and AoE helix rockets. He epitomizes a classic FPS assault character with his sprint ability giving him great mobility too.

• McCree – Armed with his powerful Peacekeeper revolver, flashbang grenade, and Dead Eye ultimate, McCree excels at busting tanks and winning duels. Flicking shots on McCree requires great aim.

• Pharah – Soaring through the skies raining down rockets creates immense pressure. Direct hits with Pharah‘s launcher can shred teams. Her aerial mobility makes her a difficult target.

• Genji – Genji brings precision projectile damage with his shurikens, but also great mobility with his Swift Strike dash. His cyber-agility pairs lethally with his Dragonblade ultimate slicing through teams.

• Tracer – Using her Blink ability to teleport and Recall to rewind time gives Tracer unmatched mobility to flank foes and secure kills with her rapid-fire pulse pistols.

• Ashe – Packing a powerful lever-action rifle, Ashe can pick off enemies from a distance or use her dynamite for more burst damage. Her Bob ultimate brings in reinforcements!

As you can see, DPS heroes have very deadly weapons and abilities to frag out. But what makes someone an effective DPS player?

Skills Needed to Excel at DPS Heroes

Playing DPS at a high level requires strong FPS fundamentals and some Overwatch specific skills. Here are some of the most important abilities for DPS domination:

• Precise Aim – Hitting shots consistently with heroes like McCree or Widowmaker takes top-notch mouse control and hand-eye coordination. Leading targets with projectiles like Pharah‘s rockets also requires accuracy.

• Target Prioritization – Focusing the right targets like enemy supports and DPS rather than just tanks is key. You need good game sense to know who to pressure out.

• Cover Usage – DPS heroes are vulnerable without protection from tanks and supports. Using cover and map angles to limit exposure while dealing damage is crucial.

• Cooldown Tracking – Understanding enemy hero cooldowns lets you know when you have an opening to move in. Keeping your own cooldowns ready for duels is also important.

• Movement – Whether it‘s Tracer‘s blinking or Genji‘s dashing, mastering DPS movement abilities can help you secure kills and stay alive. Crouch strafing during duels also improves aim duels.

• Communication – Calling out low health targets, coordinating flanks and ult combos, and requesting heals require clear comms as DPS.

• Game Sense – From map layouts to team compositions, understanding the flow of the game helps your DPS pop off and control engagements.

• Trigger Discipline – Having the patience to wait for optimal timing on attacks ensures you don‘t waste shots and abilities. Overzealous DPS get punished.

As London Spitfire DPS player Birdring explains:

"Having good mechanics is important, but game sense separates average DPS players from great ones who carry."

Now let‘s break down two major types of damage output for DPS…

Burst Damage vs Sustained Damage

Not all damage is created equal in Overwatch. DPS heroes generally specialize in two main styles of dealing damage:

Burst Damage

This refers to abilities that can deal massive spike damage in a short timespan, often by expending cooldowns. Heroes like Junkrat excel at burst damage:

• Junkrat can quickly drop grenades on a grouped team and shred them with his Riptire ultimate.

• Pharah‘s ultimate Barrage allows her to annihilate enemies in seconds if they are positioned poorly.

• Doomfist specializes in burst damage combos by using his Rocket Punch and slam abilities together.

Burst damage is great for breaking entrenched enemy positions and wiping teams when synergized with other AoE ultimates like Zarya‘s Graviton Surge.

Sustained Damage

Sustained damage comes from weapons and abilities that deal reliable damage over an extended period. Hitscan heroes like Soldier: 76 and Ashe exemplify sustained damage:

• Soldier can continuously pressure enemies at range with his heavy-hitting pulse rifle. His Helix Rockets provide small burst damage as well.

• Ashe deals high damage per single rifle shot, allowing her to chunk targets from distance. Her Dynamite gives a bit of burst potential too.

• Bastion in his Sentry Configuration can simply mow down full teams in seconds if left unchecked. His damage output is staggering.

• Sombra‘s Machine Pistol allows her to whittle down vulnerable targets. She relys more on her hacks though for playmaking.

Sustained damage is great for breaking down barriers and applying constant pressure. Let‘s see which DPS are dishing it out the best right now…

Current Top Damage Per Second Heroes

Based on hero pick rates, win rates, and damage output in the current Overwatch meta, here are some of the strongest DPS in terms of damage per second:

DPS heroes like Sojourn and Widowmaker currently dominate the ladder with their one-shot damage potential and flexibility. However, the meta fluctuates each season, so the top damage heroes could easily change. But in general, expect hitscan damage and AoE abilities to rack up high DPS.

Okay, so now that you know how DPS heroes inflict damage, let‘s talk about why people love playing them so much…

The Appeal of Playing Damage Heroes

Out of all the roles, DPS is by far the most popular. Here are some of the major reasons why players love fragging out on damage heroes:

• Satisfaction of Securing Kills – Seeing "eliminated" pop up on an enemy you took down feels so good. DPS heroes deliver this rewarding feeling consistently.

• Carrying with Mechanical Skills – Popping off on DPS and hard carrying teams through raw aim and plays feels extremely rewarding. You feel like a boss!

• Flashy Abilities – Stylish abilities like Genji deflects, McCree stuns, and Tracer blinks are simply fun to use. DPS kits are very satisfying.

• Independence – With self-sustain and mobility, DPS can make plays without relying as heavily on teammates. You feel in control of the outcome.

• Aggressive Playstyles – The high-octane aggression of diving backlines as Genji or dueling flankers appeals to many players‘ competitive mindset.

Don‘t get me wrong – Tanks and Supports contribute immense value. But I‘d be lying if I said it wasn‘t immensely satisfying to land a 6k Deadeye as McCree!

However, the popularity of DPS also creates some negative team dynamics…

Toxicity and Poor Teamwork Surrounding DPS

Since DPS roles are so coveted, this creates conflict in ranked play:

• Insta-Locking DPS – Multiple players immediately picking DPS heroes and refusing to switch leads to poor team comps.

• Unwillingness to Flex – DPS mains sticking to damage heroes even when the team desperately needs a Tank or Support.

• Trickling In – Overeager DPS players staggering into 1v6 situations instead of grouping and comboing abilities.

• Flaming Teammates – DPS players often get toxic and blame tanks and supports when they aren‘t getting kills.

• Medals – DPS who point to their medals as proof they are carrying, even in losses. This stat obsession breeds toxicity.

Pro DPS player Surefour states:

"A good DPS empowers their team, coordinates attacks, and enables tanks and supports to benefit everyone."

Work on breaking the stereotypes of selfish DPS players. Be a team player!

Tips to Improve Your DPS Skills

Want to take your DPS gameplay to the next level? Here are some tips:

• Practice Aiming Drills – Spend time in the practice range working on nailing headshots. Do custom games with bots to grind your mechanics.

• Focus On Staying Alive – Don‘t get overaggressive chasing kills. Good positioning and disengaging is crucial for DPS heroes.

• Track Enemy Cooldowns – Pay attention to what abilities enemies use so you can punish when they are on coolown. Wait for Zarya‘s bubble to expire before using your ultimate.

• Use High Ground – Take the vertical angles that snipers and Soldiers thrive on. This improves sight lines and protects you.

• Learn Optimal Damage Combos – Study ability combinations that maximize damage like shoot-nade-shoot as Ashe. Practice consistently pulling off these combos.

• Coordinate With Your Team – Call out your attacks and combo ultimates with tank and support abilities like Nanoblade or Grav + Pulse Bomb.

• Review Your Gameplay – Watch replays and VOD review your mistakes. Analyze where your positioning and aim could improve.

Practice and playtime will build your skills. But don‘t forget to analyze and learn as well. Now let‘s look at…

Strong DPS Hero Synergies

Certain DPS heroes have ability kits that complement each other extremely well. If you have these heroes on your team, coordinate with them to maximize your damage:

• Pharah + Mercy – The damage boost beam gives Pharah‘s rockets insane impact. Barrage with a pocket Mercy will annihilate teams.

• Ashe + Widowmaker – Their long range rifle damage together pressures shields and zones enemies into the open for easy picks.

• Sombra + Genji – EMP destroys barriers so Genji can swift in with his nanoblade and wipe teams.

• Mei + McCree – Freezing enemies in place with Mei‘s Endothermic Blaster lines up easy headshots for McCree‘s Peacekeeper.

• Hanzo + Zarya – The Grav/Dragonstrike combo has huge teamwipe potential. Just make sure both abilities are ready.

Look for chances to combo your hero with your teammates based on these synergies. Your coordination will lead to big plays!

Well my friend, that wraps up this deep dive on DPS heroes. I hope you‘ve gained lots of insights into what makes damage heroes tick. Now get out there, lock in that Genji, and go frag out against your foes!