What does Ajax mean in Overwatch 2? Ajax beat meme explained

Have you ever failed a Lucio beat and seen ‘Ajax’ typed in the chat? Here is what Overwatch 2’s most unfortunate meme means. 

The Overwatch community has developed quite a lot of vernacular just for the game. From ‘nano-blade’, to ‘Boostio’ and ‘C9’, the game has built a language onto its own. 

One certain phrase you may find yourself coming across, be it against you or another Lucio, is ‘Ajax’. So what does it mean? And what does one have to do to pull off an Ajax?

What does Ajax mean in Overwatch 2? 

Ajax, sometimes called an Ajax beat, is when a Lucio is canceled from their Sound Barrier while casting the Ultimate. 

Causing or even accidentally pulling off an Ajax can happen for many reasons. A Lucio could have been killed mid-beat animation, they might have been stunned or even slept right before the beat hit the ground. 

Despite the reasoning, if you, or another Lucio, fails to get your beat off, that’s what’s called an Ajax, and if you’re a Lucio player, there’s no worse feeling than that. 

What are the origins of Ajax in Overwatch 2? 

The term Ajax finds its origin, likely many other Overwatch terms, from its esports scene. The term was named after the retired pro player Alex “Ajax” Jackson.

During the Grand Finals match of Contender 2018 Season 3 between ATL Academy and Fusion University, Ajax, playing for ATL, was canceled from his Sound Barrier three times in one map. 

Original Ajax happens at 38:32, 40:31, and 43:04

It was in the third map of the series on Busan where Ajax had an opportunity to save his team with several fight-winning beats but was cut short. Being killed two times and Reinhardt shattered once out of it. 

Ajax would go on to retire nearly a year after that fateful Grand Final, but he has cemented a legacy for himself in Overwatch, even if it is a meme.