Overwatch 2 Reaper Guide: All abilities, best competitive matchups, and counters explored

Overwatch 2 was released on October 4, 2022. The game took the world by storm and had players waiting in long queues to access it.

A sequel to the original title that was released in 2016, Overwatch 2 has new gameplay mechanics, game modes, abilities, and reworked character designs.

Reaper was initially presented as a villain in 2016's Overwatch. Belonging to the terrorist organization Talon and apparently one of its leaders, he set out to bring chaos to the world. He wanted to put an end to the Overwatch organization once and for all.

The official description of Reaper reads:

"Reaper is a deadly shotgun-wielding assassin with the ability to move around the battlefield like a ghost. Wherever he appears, death follows."

Reaper is a Damage hero in Overwatch 2 who is primarily used to flank enemies. Equipped with two Hellfire Shotguns that deal massive damage, he is a force to be reckoned with in close-range combat.

Note: Parts of this article are subjective and solely reflect the opinions of the writer

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Reaper's main abilities in Overwatch 2

Reaper's new design with the release of Overwatch 2 (Image via Blizzard)

Hellfire Shotguns (Hitscan weapons)

Reaper's primary source of dealing damage, the Hellfire Shotguns are powerful close-range shotgun pistols that shoot pellets in a large, short-range spread. Each gun has a magazine size of eight shots with a considerable reload speed of 1.5 seconds.

While the pellets have damage dropoff and the spread increases with distance, a single shot with all 20 pellets at close range deals 108 damage. This makes Reaper very deadly in 1v1 situations, especially against healers.

Wraith Form (Invulnerability)

Reaper's plans will be set into motion in the Overwatch 2 campaign (Image via Blizzard)

In his Wraith form, Reaper is a shadow that can move around at considerable speed. He becomes immune to any form of damage or effects and can pass through enemies and teammates alike.

However, when activated, Reaper won't be able to use his guns, and triggering the fire button will cancel the Wraith form early.

Shadow Step (Teleportation)

When this ability is activated, Reaper will be able to select a location of up to 35 meters. Upon selection, the hero will be able to teleport to that location.

Before teleporting, Reaper will be unable to shoot and will be stuck in an animation. This means he will be vulnerable to all forms of attack.

Once he leaves the original location, Reaper will become invulnerable for a short duration before reappearing in the marked spot. This ability is useful in positioning oneself in flank spots or disengaging from fights.

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Ultimate ability: Death Blossom (AoE damage)

Reaper's Death Blossom is among the strongest ultimates in Overwatch 2 (Image via Blizzard)

Using his ultimate ability, Reaper can spin around and deal massive amounts of damage to all nearby enemies in a matter of seconds. The ability also recharges his primary weapon and heals him.

The ability is very useful for crowd-controlling or when enemies are flocking to an objective. With its help, Reaper can secure multiple eliminations and provide an opening for his team. The ultimate can be deactivated by stuns.

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Passive ability: The Reaping

Using his passive ability, Reaper can steal enemy health while dealing damage. This health steal equals almost 35% of the damage done, making the hero extremely dangerous in 1v1 situations, especially against tanks and healers.

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Best matchups and counters for Reaper

Recommended matchups

There are many great matchups for Reaper in Overwatch 2 (Image via Blizzard)

Zenyatta: Taking out a Zenyatta would be a rewarding advantage for a team. Due to Reaper's playstyle being heavily reliant on flanking, an unsuspecting Zenyatta would be an easy target for him.

Ana: Ana has a few tricks to counter a flank. With a well-placed Sleep Dart or Biotic Grenade, she would get a massive advantage in a 1v1 situation. To counter, Reaper can close in on her using a well-timed Wraith form.

Bastion: While Bastion can mow down enemies in his turret form, Reaper can sneak up on him and precisely shoot his exposed energy core to eliminate him. Even if Bastion does change back to his normal form, his larger hitbox puts him at a disadvantage against Reaper's Shotguns.

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Best Counters

There are many great counters for Reaper in Overwatch 2 (Image via Blizzard)

D.Va: D.Va has a large hitbox and is a close-range hero due to her primary weapons. Her defense matrix is single-handedly one of the best counters against Reaper's Death Blossom. She can also use it in a 1v1 situation.

Cassidy: Due to his long-range effectiveness, Cassidy could easily kill Reaper from a distance. If Reaper manages to come close to him, Cassidy can roll away and throw a well-timed magnetic grenade. This could easily kill Reaper.

Roadhog: While Roadhog has the biggest hitbox among tanks, he also uses a shotgun as a primary and can self-heal. Roadhog can also use his hook to cancel Reaper's ultimate mid-animation and perform a hook combo to instantly kill him.

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Overwatch 2 is available now on PC, Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PS4, and Nintendo Switch.