In Overwatch 2, Ana is undoubtedly one of the most prominent support heroes. Its legacy speaks for itself.
This retired sniper was the first hero to be added to Overwatch after its launch in 2016, and since then, she’s been an ever-popular support hero. Her abilities are relatively simple, yet deadly. Even in Overwatch 2, where playing against champions is considerably more complex thanks to intense abilities and higher health stores, Ana can still turn the tide and help secure a win for her team.
Unfortunately, these benefits come at a price. Learning to play Anna can seem daunting at first, as accurate aiming is crucial, but you’ll be downing tanks in no time if you practice enough. Let’s take a look at what makes Anna a viable supporting heroine and how to make the most of her skillful abilities.
Overwatch 2 Anna
Overwatch 2 Ana: Story and Background
Anna was a founding member of Overwatch and so is an integral part of the game’s lore. In her heyday, she was known as the world’s greatest sniper. However, this title was taken and assigned to her in one fell swoop.
While Anna is trapped in a battle against agents of Talon, she is pinned down by another well-known Overwatch hero, Widowmaker. Even though the shot was lined up against Widowmaker, Anna couldn’t shoot this spider-like sniper. For those who don’t know, Widowmaker was the fiancee of Anna’s dead companion, which put her in an awkward position when it came to pulling the trigger. Unfortunately, Widowmaker didn’t have the same concerns. He quickly takes out Anna, shooting her in the eye, and finally taking on the mantle of the greatest sniper.
Despite popular belief, Anna managed to survive this serious injury, but as the world thought she was dead, she thought it best to hide in the shadows. This camouflage meant that she could travel the world and protect those she loved from a distance, including her beloved daughter Fariha Amari, otherwise known as Fara.
Overwatch 2 Ana: Abilities
Primary Fire: Vitality Rifle
Describe: A long-range rifle that heals allies and damages enemies
In Overwatch 2, the Ana Biotic Rifle allows her to efficiently switch between healing and damage. You don’t need to press a different button or switch weapons; You just need to target whoever you want to hit. Target a hero on your team to heal, and an enemy hero to deal damage.
Although it looks like a sniper rifle, those days are behind Anna now. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to get any headshots with this as your weapon. Fortunately, this shouldn’t be much of an issue, especially since the latest patch notes have increased Ana’s damage and healing from 70 to 75. In Overwatch 2, Ana can take care of a DPS hero in 2-3 shots.
Some tips and tricks to note about this gun:
- Even though you have a scope, firing the Bio Rifle without a scope as a round is excellent for close quarters combat because it gives you a better field of view.
- Shots pass through allies who are at full health.
Ability: Sleep Dart
Describe: Shoots an arrow that puts the enemy to sleep.
Ana’s Sleep dart is her greatest possession and one of the most important features in the game, especially right now. Many of the strongest heroes on the block can only be stopped with this skill. For example, in Overwatch 2, Ana is Roadhog’s biggest weakness because it’s a huge Sleep Dart, while a jab can instantly stop Ramattra’s devastating end from these arrows.
Some tips and tricks to note about this ability:
- Unfortunately, the cooldown time for this ability is 14 seconds. Hence, you have to save it, especially for the enemy’s heavy or aggressive attacks.
- You won’t be able to sleep in Orissa, believe me, I tried. So it is better to keep your distance.
- The new ping feature is your best friend. If you ping a sleeping enemy, it will wake the rest of your team so they can take on the absent hero.
- It is worth noting that sleeping enemies will wake up as soon as they take damage. So don’t do anything until the cooldowns are over.
Ability: Bio Bomb
Describe: A grenade heals allies and increases their healing while dealing damage to enemies and preventing them from healing.
Like the Sleep Dart, this bomb can be a lifesaver for you and your team. In Overwatch 2, Ana is still a stable healer, though she can sometimes struggle to quickly restore her allies’ health. In this case, it is better to get rid of your bio-bomb, as it will greatly speed up the process and will affect everyone within a radius of four meters.
It’s also an excellent way to help your team deal damage. If you take a big hit on the enemy team, your allies get four seconds to pounce and finish the job, as enemy healers won’t be able to heal their team at all.
Some tips and tricks to note about this ability:
- This ability pairs excellently with the Sleep Dart, especially on lockers. If you’re looking to sleep on Roadhog and then use your Biotic Bomb, your team will be able to take it out in seconds.
- If you are attacked by a frustrated DPS hero who is too fast for your range, such as Genji or TracerAnd Then letting them get close and dropping the bomb on the ground will not only not heal you, but it will hurt them and can even scare them away.
Ultimate: Nano Boost
Describe: Increases ally damage while decreasing damage dealt.
Nano Boost is an ultimate surprise attack for the old sniper, but it goes to show that a book shouldn’t be judged by its cover. This ultimate helps any hero step up their attack and will make your average ultimate go from fearsome to deadly.
Not only does this increase the target’s damage, but it will also reduce their damage by 50% while giving them more health in the process. So while you usually want Nano to be the hero with the best foreshadowings, like Genji, Reinhart, or Reaper, you can also use Nano to save a hero who is about to die.
Some tips and tricks to note about this ability:
- Nano reinforcement needs coordination. Tell your team when you’re getting it and who you’ll be giving it to for best effects.
- In Deathmatch mode, Ana can use this ultimate command on herself.
- Be aware that if Nano is a hero who can shapeshift, like D.Va or Echo, Nano will disappear as soon as he transforms.
Overwatch 2 Ana: Gameplay Breakdown
As in the original, in Overwatch 2 Ana is a skilled sniper. You can keep some distance between her and everyone else, choosing to stay away from major quarrels and instead heal and hurt from afar. Even when a frustrated DPS eventually tries to track you down, with its Sleep Dart and Biotic Grenade abilities, it can effectively protect itself from most incoming attacks. That is, as long as your aim is good enough.
But in Overwatch 2, Ana’s role isn’t to partner with DPS. In fact, the best way she can support her team is to do a steady, consistent amount of recovery and damage, with the occasional bio-grenade thrown in for good measure.