Overwatch 2: How to Rank Up Fast & Become a Grandmaster (Maybe)

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Overwatch 2 offers ambitious players a goal and deeper content for the team shooter with its competitive Ranked mode. In this guide, we'll tell you tips & tricks on how to quickly rank up fast in Overwatch 2's Competitive Mode and how to become a Grandmaster.

How does the ranking system work? Overwatch 2 seems to determine when you move up or down in rank based solely on whether you win, lose, or draw a match. Whether damage dealt, damage blocked, or successful healing are factors is debatable. So, the ranking system works like this: You accumulate a certain amount of "CP" each time you win to move up, and you lose CP if you lose. But how do you manage to quickly rise in rank and become a Grandmaster in Overwatch 2? Here are our tips:

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How do you quickly rise in ranks & become a Grandmaster in Overwatch 2?

How do you unlock Ranked Mode? Before that, we'll clarify how you can unlock the competitive Ranked mode in Overwatch 2 in the first place: If you have already played the first Overwatch, you can start right away. However, if you start your journey to Grandmaster with Overwatch 2, you'll first have to play 50 normal matches before you can unlock Ranked mode. Now that we've cleared that up, let's get to the tips that (can) make you a Grandmaster.

#1 Learn the Counter Heroes and Change Your Character

Every player has their favorite and subjectively the best hero in Overwatch 2 and some even play just that one hero -- I plead guilty! This then usually results in frustration when your opponent slams you out of the game over and over again within seconds. What's the point of insisting on Phara if Widowmaker keeps blowing holes in your head? The grid of heroes offers a simple rock-paper-scissors principle that you can play out. Recognize which hero can be dangerous to your pick: If you play Phara and your opponent Widowmaker, you have only two options:

• Move cleverly outside the radar of your counter-hero.
• At the next opportunity, choose the counter-hero for (here) Widowmaker.

For example, you can choose Sombra and go after Widowmaker in disguise. Cleverly place a teleport for escape, hack Widowmaker and give her the full broadside. Your opponent will respond by either switching or being dominated by you alone for the entire round. Again, in more general terms, learn which heroes counter your grid.

• Are you playing Phara and Widow is slapping you around? Learn Sombra.
• Play Genji and Tracer gives you a hard time? Learn Cassidy and stick Tracer with sticky bombs.
• Playing Soljourn but D.VA is destroying you? Play Reaper and keep her busy almost continuously.

As you can see, you alone can make a gigantic difference in the Overwatch 2 Ranked Mode match with your choice of heroes and quickly rise in rank. To do this, you just need to expand your pool of heroes and know a counter-response to the meta-heroes.

Learn which heroes counter each other and use that!

#2 Forget about Your weak Team Combo, Look for Weakness in the Opponent Team

If you don't play in a five-player team, you'll have to settle for random teammates. They won't always match your team combo, especially at lower ranks. When this happens, frustration sets in quickly, and that's exactly what you need to swallow hard right now. Ignore your team's hero choice and focus on weaknesses in the opponent's team composition with your friends.

Even if the opposing team plays a seemingly perfect combo, you can spot the weakest link in the chain. Is there a damage dealer who keeps getting too far to the front? Take him out. Does the opposing team have a loner? Take him out -- you see where this is going? There's always a weak spot, the trick is not to notice it, but to isolate the weak spot and exploit it.

You can pull off the same game with an obviously particularly good player: Is Reinhardt blocking all your damage? Pick Sombra, stay out of the fray, and hack away! As long as you do this job well, the rest of the team can focus on moving the objective forward. Only when you realize this and stop getting angry at teammates can you advance to Grandmaster in Overwatch 2 Ranked.

• Worth Reading: Overwatch 2: The Best Heroes in Competitive Ranked Mode

#3 Learn From Your Mistakes & Revisite Your Past Games!

Only by making mistakes can you learn, right? But especially in the competitive Ranked mode of Overwatch 2 (or other titles), we blame mistakes on others or make the same mistakes over and over again. So it's all the more important that you break this cycle. After every death, after every defeat, and even after every victory, ask yourself, "Where did I make a mistake?" or "What could I have done better?". Thanks to the replay function of Overwatch 2 matches, you can even watch yourself play. Analyze your previous matches and make a note of the mistakes you want to fix next time.

#4 Train Your Aim in Practice Mode

A seemingly simple trick, but one that many players too often disregard. Not because they think they don't need to. Much more from the "is' just good enough" perspective. Maybe your aim / accuracy is indeed better than average, but how good could you be if you were actively training? In Overwatch 2 itself, you can practice in the training mode or you can use third-party software that you can find everywhere on Steam and the like under the keyword "Aim Trainer". Become more accurate and land every headshot to climb up the Overwatch 2 rankings faster.

Practice in Overwatch 2's Training Mode.

#5 Be the Driving Force in Your Team - Survive Alone & Win as a Team

Team play in Overwatch 2 is essential to quickly climb ranks and become a Grandmaster. But what do you do when your team isn't good enough? Then you have to be the driving force among your teammates:

• Always be positive: if a teammate has made a mistake, remember point 3 in this list and point it out to him in a friendly way. If he has to change his hero, ask him: "Hey, I think your skills are better suited to hero XY, why don't you try him out?
• Always be the best player: this applies not only to Damage Dealer, but also to Support and Tank. Train like a savage to be able to lead your team to victory on your own in case of emergency.

YouTuber GameLeap repeatedly presents the 30/20/50 rule on his channel, which states the following:

• In 30% of all ranked matches, you will win
• In 20% of ranked matches, you will always lose.
• In 50% of all ranked matches, victory depends on you alone.

More tips to be able to rank up fast in Overwatch 2 Competitive

• Play more: It sounds so simple, but especially for beginners in Overwatch 2, practice is simply everything. The more you play, the better you get. Eventually, you'll return to this article and use the other tips.
• Watch videos & streams: You can also improve by watching pro players play your hero pool. Pay attention to how they move, when and where they attack, and when they hold back.
• Use Ultimate Abilities properly: When I think back to when I first started, one thing stands out: I held my Ultimate ability too long. With my Main Phara, I waited too often for the perfect moment to Ultimate. But jokes on me, the perfect moment doesn't exist. You'd rather bang out 6 moderate Ultimates in one turn than 2 well-placed ones!
• Start playing Ranked as a Duo: Many players tend to invite 4 friends and go for it. Others prefer to play alone in Overwatch 2 Ranked mode. Both play styles are not suitable for beginners. You should start with another friend who has the same goals as you. Together you can push each other, motivate and give feedback. Impossible alone and with 5 players as well.
• Choose the right settings: Overwatch 2 should run well on most modern computers, but if not? Then you need to find the perfect settings for Overwatch 2 to deliver quickly and reliably in Ranked. It's better to play with less pretty visuals and better FPS instead. The higher the FPS, the smoother the game and your reactions. However, if you have a 60 Hz monitor, you don't need 144 FPS, which simply won't be displayed.