Overwatch 2 Roadhog Guide: Abilities, Tips, How To Unlock

Overwatch 2 Roadhog Guide: Abilities, Tips, How To Unlock
Images via Blizzard

Written by 

Daniel Hollis

Published 

26th Oct 2022 17:40

Getting to grips with over 30 characters is a big ask for Overwatch 2 players, especially when each one handles drastically differently from the last. From agile damage characters, to slow but deadly tank heroes - there’s someone for everyone across Overwatch 2’s vast roster.

Once you’ve most likely seen many, many players taking control of is Roadhog - a bulky tank that can be imposing if engaged in a one-on-one fight. While most tanks need some support from a healer or other heroes damaging the other team, Roadhog is a mixture of all three class types and one of the strongest heroes in Overwatch 2. If you’re curious about how to unlock and use him, here’s everything you need to know.

Overwatch 2 Roadhog Abilities

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Compared to other heroes, Roadhog’s abilities in Overwatch 2 may seem minimal. However, looks can be deceiving, as everything available to the player offers a substantial advantage in battle.

  • Scrap Gun
    • Type - Primary Fire
    • Effect - Fires high-damage shotgun blasts either from closer range or by using its secondary fire, which fires one singular powerful shot to a longer distance.
  •  Chain Hog
    • Type - Ability
    • Effect - Can be used to grapple and drag an enemy towards you.
  • Take A Breather
    • Type - Ability
    • Effect - Give yourself health and reduce damage taken over a short space of time.
  • Whole Hog
    • Type - Ultimate
    • Effect - Turns your weapon into a powerful Gatling gun that can dish out high damage and push enemies back.

It’s a short list of abilities, but the ones you do possess can be extremely useful and perhaps the most powerful of all the tank classes in Overwatch 2.

Overwatch 2 Roadhog Beginner Tips

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As with any tank character, you want to be at the forefront of battle at all times in Overwatch 2. With your shotgun, you’ll need to be up close and personal to deliver the pain, but it’s also useful for mid-range encounters with its secondary fire ability. Roadhog can take a lot of damage, and with the ability to deal out just as much, being at the front is the key to victory.

 

Of course, if you’re finding it hard to reach enemies from a distance, Roadhog also has his Chain Hog ability. This is deadly if used correctly, as it allows the player the ability to grapple an enemy and bring them directly in front of them. It has a fairly forgiving range, but you will need to be precise on where you’re throwing it. Once you have an enemy in your grasp, fire your shotgun as soon as possible to damage them at extremely close range and possibly kill them in one shot.

Despite being a tank, Roadhog can quickly get himself into dicey situations - especially when surrounded by the opposing team. If you’re not near a support character who can heal or buff you up, your best port of call is to use the Take A Breather ability. This refills a substantial amount of health, whilst also reducing the damage you take for a short period of time. It’s useful in a ton of scenarios, whether you’re engaging in a one-on-one fight or attempting to get out of the battlefield and keep your life intact.

Using all these strategies together should quickly fill up your Ultimate ability, which is incredibly powerful. After using Whole Hog, you will be able to fire at an extremely rapid rate, bundled with an extraordinary kickback when it comes to enemies. If you’re near the edge of the map, use it to your advantage to push enemies off. It’s also worth saving and using in objective-based game modes in Overwatch 2, if you want to clear the area and claim something for your own team.

How To Unlock Roadhog In Overwatch 2

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In order to unlock Roadhog, you can grab her from the get-go if you played the original version of Overwatch. If this is your first rodeo, then purchasing the Watchpoint Pack for £34.99 / $39.99 in Overwatch 2 is a quick way of unlocking her, along with 34 other characters and a variety of skins and coins, along with the Season 1 Battle Pass.

If you don’t want to dish out any extra cash, you can unlock Roadhog as part of the onboarding process but may take upwards of 100 games before she is finally unlocked.

Daniel Hollis
About the author
Daniel Hollis
Daniel is a former Guides Writer for GGRecon. Having originally focused on film journalism, he eventually made the jump to writing about games in 2020, writing for sites such as NME. Eurogamer, GamesRadar, Tech Radar, and more. After a short stint in PR, he is back in the world of games media writing about his favourite games, including Bioshock, Fable, or everything Fortnite and Xbox Game Pass related.
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