Overwatch player shows off useful tactic for catching out flankers
An Overwatch player demonstrated a useful trick for catching enemies unaware.
Though hero emotes are most commonly used for interacting in the spawn room ahead of a game or showboating after a good play, they also have a tactical use.
By using emotes to gain a third-person perspective, it’s possible to gain vision around corners without being revealed from the opposite side.
Positioning and decision-making are huge factors for success in Overwatch, and so gaining information without giving any up to the enemy can be enormously valuable.
As u/andygmb shows, using emotes for vision in this way can be a useful tool for identifying and catching out enemies attempting to find a flank.
Conversely, doing so could also be of benefit to flankers themselves, who could use this trick to remain hidden while watching for an opening, thereby finding the perfect time to catch the enemy off guard.
Though u/andygmb demonstrates the trick with Roadhog’s “Heroic” emote, which sees him give a thumbs up before returning to normal, the most effective emotes to use for this tactic are arguably those which involve the hero sitting or crouching.
Unlike most emotes, these will persist in third-person mode until cancelled, allowing the player to hold an angle uninterrupted despite being hidden from the opposite perspective.
While it’s certainly not a new tactic, it’s worth being aware of and keeping in mind for times when it might give you an advantage.