How to unlock Mei in Overwatch 2: Abilities, class, and more explained

Overwatch 2 is currently in its second week after release, as Activision Blizzard enjoys another successful title that brings in fresh new players under their umbrella. Unlike the original, the sequel is a free-to-play game, just one of many changes the developer has made, which significantly impacts the status quo.

Even certain heroes in-game have received certain changes from the original as they return for the sequel. Mei is one such hero whose abilities have received some significant reworks to keep her more in line with the new gameplay.

This guide for Overwatch 2 will take you through the various abilities available as a part of Mei’s kit, her class, and her role in the team. If you’re looking to get a better understanding of the hero before you play her in a game, read on below for more information.

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How to unlock Mei in Overwatch 2

If Overwatch 2 is your first entry into this game series, you’ll find that you only have access to 15 heroes when you start it for the first time. To unlock the remaining heroes, you’ll need to play through a total of 150 games, and along the way, you’ll be rewarded with certain characters at specific milestones.

If you’re looking to unlock Mei, you’ll need to participate in 70 online games, following which she will become accessible as a playable character. You might be able to unlock her slightly earlier if you’re winning the matches, as a win counts as double.

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Mei’s class and abilities

Mei's abilities (Image via Activision Blizzard)

Mei is a damage class hero in Overwatch 2 and comes with the role's brand new passive ability, which allows her to gain a 25% increase to movement and reload speed for 1.5 seconds after eliminating an enemy hero.

As a damage hero, Mei’s role in the team is to go on the offensive and secure as many kills as possible. Her abilities are similarly designed to deal significant damage and also to slow down, hinder, and knock back targets. Given below is a list of all of her abilities.

Endothermic Blaster: This is Mei’s primary weapon, which comes with two modes of firing. The primary firing mode is a jet of freezing spray that is effective at close to mid-range and is capable of slowing down enemies. The alternate firing mode shoots icicle projectiles, ideal for mid-to-long-range combat.

Cryo-Freeze: This ability allows Mei to freeze herself inside an icicle for four seconds and become invulnerable. During this time, she also heals herself and can break out of the ice anytime she wants to.

Ice Wall: This allows Mei to position and create a wall of ice in front of her using her blaster. The wall lasts for 4.5 seconds and can be destroyed by enemy fire if they deal 250 HP to it.

Blizzard: This is Mei’s ultimate ability, wherein she deploys her drone a few meters in front of her to generate a large-scale Blizzard in a 10-meter radius. Enemy heroes caught within the area will take damage over time and will be slowed.

These are all the abilities that Mei can use in Overwatch 2. If you’d like some tips on how best to utilize her in a battle and what role she is ideally supposed to play in a team, refer to the section below.

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Tips for Mei

Mei unleashes her Endothermal Blaster (Image via Activision Blizzard)

Being a damage hero in Overwatch 2, Mei's primary offensive ability is her Endothermic Blaster. Using the alternate fire from a distance, possibly to line up headshots, is a great way to reduce enemy HP or even outright eliminate certain heroes. Use the primary fire when getting up close in team battles, as the slow-down is excellent for making enemies vulnerable to other heroes.

Mei also functions somewhat like a tank hero with her Cryo-Freeze and Ice Wall abilities. The former can help you survive longer by regenerating your health back to max, while the latter is useful for putting up some much-needed cover at dangerous times or separating enemies to interrupt certain line-of-sight abilities.

Finally, Mei’s Blizzard ability is great for denying ground and clearing an area. It is quite helpful in team battles as it slows down enemies and makes them susceptible to other abilities. While Blizzard cannot eliminate heroes, it's a handy tool to help out one's team.

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That is all you need to know about Mei in Overwatch 2. Did you find this guide helpful? If so, why not leave a like on the article? You can also comment down below and let us know what other guides or features you’d like to see on the site in the future.