Overwatch: How to delay payload for minutes with ninja tactic

An Overwatch player pulled off a hilariously sneaky play to delay the payload from moving for nearly three minutes.

Wrecking Ball might not look like the most subtle of Overwatch heroes, but u/ObesePenguins managed to use the mech-driving hamster to pull off a clever payload contest for the opening three minutes of a game on Havana.

On escort maps, the attacking team must advance the payload by standing within range of it, typically on top of or right beside the objective. When the defending team is also within range, however, the payload is contested and unable to move.

Where the payload begins on Havana, however, there’s a small gas station which is close enough that players sitting on top of it are close enough to contest the objective. Using the defensive set-up time to reach the point unnoticed, u/ObesePenguins simply sat perfectly still as the confused attackers were unable to advance.

The Wrecking Ball managed to be so inconspicuous, in fact, that he remained hidden despite the enemy D.Va actively searching for a contesting defender, and even avoided detection when the attacking Baptiste jumped onto the gas station right next to him.

While the sequence is rather amusing, it does also offer some lessons for both sides. The D.Va, for instance, might well have caught the Wrecking Ball if they’d been aiming slightly higher most of the time, demonstrating one of the reasons it’s useful to practice good crosshair placement.

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More broadly, however, the play shows off the dangers of tunnel vision – even when the Baptiste jumped up right beside the Wrecking Ball, they were too focused on the battle ahead to notice. It’s not only something for players to be aware of for their own play, but also a tendency in others that can potentially be exploited for sneaky plays beyond this particular tactic.

This specific play might also be worth keeping in mind, especially for Wrecking Ball players. As the end of the clip demonstrates, the consequences of being caught out can still be fairly limited if your team are pushed up, as Wrecking Ball has the mobility to quickly escape to behind friendly lines.