Overwatch 2 Mauga weapons, abilities, ultimate, backstory, how to play & more

Blizzard has revealed its 39th hero for Overwatch 2, and he arrives in the form of Mauga - the game’s first Samoan hero. Mauga sits in the Tank class and has several new abilities, as well as two primary weapons, that seem as though they will synergise well with the current roster.

Here’s what you need to know about all of Mauga’s abilities, as well as how his ultimate works and how he fits into the lore of Overwatch 2.

Meet Gunny and Cha-Cha, Mauga’s two weapons

That’s right, Overwatch 2 now has another hero who can dual-wield. Mauga carries around two massive chain guns, aptly named ‘Gunny’ and ‘Cha-Cha’.

Both of these guns are hitscan, meaning he can be an excellent counter to Pharah and Echo.

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However, each weapon deals slightly different types of damage. The left gun (Gunny) is the Incendiary Chaingun, which sets enemies on fire after landing 10 shots on them.

On Mauga’s other hand, his Volatine Chaingun (Cha-Cha) deals normal damage, unless the enemy in question is on fire, in which case it will deal critical damage with every shot.

These two weapons are intended to be used tactically and in tandem, lighting up enemies and setting them on fire with the left hand, while maximising critical damage with the right hand.

All Mauga abilities and how they work

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Mauga has two active abilities, as well as two passive ones in his arsenal.

Overrun sees Mauga charge forward before leaping into the air and slamming down. Enemies nearby when Mauga slams down will be knocked into the air, but if aimed correctly, enemies can be knocked down and stunned briefly if he lands directly on top of them.

It’s worth noting that Mauga is in an unstoppable state when charging in Overrun. This means he cannot be booped by Lucio, slept by Ana, or affected by any other CC ability from the roster.

Then there’s Cardiac Overdrive, Mauga’s second ability. When activated, allies in the nearby vicinity will receive a damage reduction buff, and will also heal from any critical damage that they deal themselves.

For Passives, Mauga has Berserker, which sees him gain temporary health when dealing critical damage. Remember, Mauga deals critical damage when shooting burning enemies with his Volatile Chaingun, so it’s clear enemies will need to dish out as much damage as they can to survive.

Lastly, there’s of course the Tank role passives, which are passive shared among all the Tank heroes in Overwatch. This reduces the amount of knockback received from enemies, reduces the amount of ultimate generated by healing and damage received, and increases the basic amount of health in Role Queue game modes.

What is Mauga’s ultimate?

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Mauga’s Ultimate is called Cage Fight and sees the hero deploy a spherical barrier that traps both Mauga and nearby enemies in an enclosed circle. Any enemies caught in this barrier are chained inside, while Mauga is granted unlimited ammunition.

We can see Mauga’s ultimate proving immensely powerful in both team fights and objective-based game modes. In some scenarios, it can allow Mauga to solo-ult a specific player and eliminate either pesky damage or support players. Alternatively, it could prove to be a useful strategic ability, trapping an entire enemy team in one location while your teammates take the objective.

Tips for playing Mauga

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The biggest thing to keep in mind while playing Mauga is to ensure that you’re dealing as much damage as you physically can, as the temporary health granted from the Berserker passive will be the key to staying alive for any length of time.

To deal as much damage as you can, ensure that you’re lighting up enemies on fire with the Incendiary Chaingun before shooting them with your Volatile Chaingun. Not only will this take out enemies way faster, but it will ensure you always have some temporary health as a sort of overshield.

Mauga is well paired with Ashe on the same team since she can also set enemies on fire with her Dynamite ability.

As mentioned, it’s worth experimenting with how Mauga’s ultimate is best used in different gameplay scenarios. Solo-ulting as this hero isn’t necessarily frowned upon, as taking out a crucial enemy support player could mean the difference between a win and a loss.

If you’re looking to trap a bunch of enemies in the dome at once, consider doing so with a few teammates nearby. Mauga may be granted unlimited ammo, but it won’t be enough if five enemy players all lay into him at once - you’re going to need some support.

Also consider pairing Mauga with a Lifeweaver on the team, as his Life Grip ability can pull Mauga out of his Cage Fight shield. This will essentially trap enemies in the cage until the timer runs out, with no other way of escaping unless Mauga dies outside of the shield.

How Mauga fits into the Overwatch 2 backstory

Mauga is the first Samoan hero to feature in Overwatch 2 and has actually been a part of the story since 2019. He first appeared in an Overwatch short story alongside Baptiste, where it was established the two of them were best buddies while working at Talon.

Shortly after Baptiste left Talon, Mauga was injured badly in battle, after which he was installed with a second cybernetic heart that enhances his muscular abilities, hence why he’s strong enough to wield two massive chainguns at once.

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His big, jockey personality matches his literally massive size, given he’s now the largest hero to feature in Overwatch 2 at well over seven feet tall. Even his chaingun models are massive, with a single gun actually larger than the character model for Tracer.

When can you play Mauga in Overwatch 2?

If you’re reading this at the time of publishing, you can try out Mauga for yourself on November 3-5 by logging into Overwatch 2 as normal. He is available to play in a limited trial across all platforms in all modes aside from Competitive Play.

After the trial ends, Mauga will launch in Overwatch 2 when Season 8 begins on December 5. Then, he will be available to unlock for free at Tier 45 of the Battle Pass, or immediately if players purchase the Premium Battle Pass track.

Check out our Overwatch 2 homepage for more helpful guides. We have all of the Amazon Prime Gaming rewards listed for you to redeem, as well as an explainer on the current player counter for Overwatch 2.