Weekly Recall: Sub-Role Call!

Have you found yourself bewildered by Emre's charming voice lines, trying to figure out how he deleted you? Are you more easily distracted by a laser pointer than Jetpack Cat? Same. We don't blame you! With five new kits to learn and one of them being a flying cat, there was plenty to enjoy (and potentially miss) during Spotlight and the Season 1: Conquest release. But tucked inside all the new hotness is a big gameplay shift: Hero Sub-Roles. They might be passive but they won't be quiet, and they're critical for both casual and high-level competition.

The old "one passive fits all" system is gone. In its place, each role has split into focused Sub-Roles, with every Hero assigned one to match their playstyle. It's a sharper definition of who Heroes are and what they bring to the fight. Flankers flank better, bruisers brawl harder, tacticians get more tactical...you get the idea.

Sub-Roles are meant to grow with Overwatch and with you, just like everything else. We won't just set-it-and-forget-it, as we'll be watching closely to tune as needed. But if you're not reading the Advanced Info Panel to find out more (please do) or scrolling through the Season 1 Patch Notes, we've got you covered.

Damage Sub-Roles

Flanker
Anran, Genji, Reaper, Tracer, Vendetta, Venture
If you think staying on the objective is sooooo boring, Heroes with the Flanker Sub-Role might be right up your alley. These agile Heroes specialize in sneaky attacks and devious distraction. Since your healers may not always be able to reach you, the Flanker passive grants an extra 75 points of healing with the use of a health pack.

Recon
Echo, Freja, Pharah, Sombra
Can't hit 'em if you can't see 'em! Lock a Hero with the Recon Sub-Role and damage an enemy below half health to reveal them through walls. The effect only lasts for five seconds, though, so get in there for the killing blow posthaste. This pairs especially well with abilities like Echo's Focusing Beam, which do additional damage to opponents under half health.

Sharpshooter
Ashe, Cassidy, Hanzo, Sojourn, Widowmaker
Confident in your ability to click heads? Heroes with the Sharpshooter Sub-Role reduce movement ability cooldowns with every critical hit, totaling 0.75% of damage dealt. For example, if you hit a clean arrow to an enemy noggin as Hanzo, you'll get to Lunge 1.875 seconds faster the next time you need it.

Specialist
Bastion, Emre, Junkrat, Mei, Soldier: 76
Some damage dealers genuinely do best standing in the middle of a point and making it everyone else's problem. The Specialist passive gives you 3 seconds of 50% bonus reload speed after you eliminate an opponent. That could be the difference between finishing off the last dregs of an enemy team or falling when your team truly needs you to come in clutch.

Tank Sub-Roles

Stalwart
Domina, Hazard, Junker Queen, Ramattra
Some tanks need to stand strong against relentless attacks from enemies and the Stalwart passive helps keep them bending, not breaking. Heroes with this Sub-Role are imbued with 40% Knockback Resistance and 40% Slow Resistance to keep things moving. Try that boop again, Lúcio. See what happens.

Initiator
D.Va, Doomfist, Winston, Wrecking Ball
What's more terrifying than a flying gorilla scientist? A flying hamster. But no matter who's getting the hang time, these Heroes aren't afraid to dive into the action and fight from the sky. If you remain airborne for at least 0.8 seconds, you'll regain 75 health over the next second. That's a serious bonus whether you're jumping into a brawl or trying to escape out of one.

Bruiser
Mauga, Orisa, Roadhog, Zarya
Initiators may know how to start the party, but Bruisers aren't afraid to keep it going. Show your strength with a -25% reduction to critical damage. Great hits don't matter if your muscles are made of steel, right? At critical health, you'll also gain 20% movement speed to finish the fight or rush to your nearest healer.

Support Sub-Roles

Medic
Kiriko, Lifeweaver, Mercy, Moira
One for you, one for me. Heroes with the Medic Sub-Role heal themselves for 25% of the healing they give unto others. Not a bad deal. This ought to encourage you to keep healing instead of dealing damage, but we won't tell if you throw an extra few kunai for fun. To balance things out, these Heroes gain 25% less Ultimate charge if they remain at or over 100% health.

Survivor
Brigitte, Illari, Juno, Mizuki, Wuyang
Live to see another fight by choosing a Hero with the Survivor Sub-Role, which activates passive health regeneration upon the usage of a movement ability, like Brigitte's Shield Bash or Juno's Speed Ring. Escape out of danger (or from behind your nearest chunky tank), regain health, and get back into the fight at top speed.

Tactician
Ana, Baptiste, Jetpack Cat, Lucio, Zenyatta
For Heroes who can shift the tide of battle with a well-placed Ultimate, the Tactician Sub-Role helps supercharge their ability to gain another: they retain excess Ultimate charge after using one, up to 25% of their total Ultimate charge. Like Medic Heroes, Tacticians also gain 25% less Ultimate charge if they're at or over full health.

With these new Sub-Roles, we aim to open the door for smarter comps, sharper Hero identities, and a more rewarding gameplay experience. Lean into your favorite Hero's new passives or take this as an opportunity to pick up a new main.