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Genji is a Flanker Damage hero in Overwatch. He is one of the 21 heroes included in the game's release on 24 May 2016.

Overview

Genji flings precise and deadly Shuriken at his targets, and uses his wakizashi to deflect projectiles or delivers a Swift Strike with his technologically-advanced "dragonblade" that cuts down enemies.

Abilities

Passive Abilities

Sub-Role: Flanker
Hero-ability-circle
Sub-Role Damage Flanker Circle
Type
Passive Ability
Health packs restore more health
Healing:
+75 from health packs

Additional details:

Cyber-Agility
SPACE
Hero-ability-circle
Ability-genji5
Type
Passive Ability
Effect Type
Movement Movement
Climb on walls and double jump.
Duration:
Up to 1 second
Movement speed:
7.8 m/s (wall climb)
+1.3 m/s (double jump)
movement
Silenced by Hinder. An ability that grants the hero enhanced movement that ends prematurely when interrupted by Displace, Hacked, Hinder, Sleep, and Stun.

Additional details:
  • Wall Climb ends when the player stops holding the button, the wall ends or the duration is up. It cannot then be used again until the player has landed on a walkable surface.
  • Genji will grab and mantle ledges if the input is held while facing a ledge of a walkable surface.
    • This does not count as starting Wall Climb, and can be done even if Wall Climb was already used.
    • Destroys fences and other breakables in the way when mantling a ledge.
  • Double jumping doesn't reset on wall climbing.
  • Can reach up to 9.7m height (12.5m with double jump) due to momentum being kept after wall climb ends.
  • Destroys fences and other breakables when mantling a ledge.

Keywords:
movement
Silenced by Hinder. An ability that grants the hero enhanced movement that ends prematurely when interrupted by Displace, Hacked, Hinder, Sleep, and Stun.

Weapons

Shuriken
Key mouse 1
Hero-ability-circle
Ability-genji1
Type
Weapon (Primary Fire)
Effect Type
Projectile Projectile
Blocked by barriers.
Ignores barriers.
Ignores barriers.
Blocked by Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Ignores Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Ignores Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Blocked by Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Ignores Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Ignores Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Affected by damage boosts.
Ignores damage boosts.
Ignores damage boosts.
Affected by Amplification Matrix.
Ignores Amplification Matrix.
Ignores Amplification Matrix.
Throw an accurate burst of 3 projectiles.
Damage:
27 (per shuriken)
81 (per shot)
Headshot:
✓ (x2)
Rate of fire:
1.14 shots/s
Shots per volley:
3
Ammo consumption:
3
Ammo:
30
Reload time:
1.5 seconds
Projectile speed:
75 m/s
Projectile radius:
0.125 meters
Spread:
None
critical
Deals 2x damage when hitting critical locations.
travel time
Projectile attacks and healing with travel time. Can be Negated.
Genji looses three deadly throwing stars in quick succession.

Additional details:
  • Damage per second: 92.05 while firing (87.1 overall w/reload)
  • Quick melee pauses fire recovery.

Co-op details:
  • Damage increased from 27 to 29.

Keywords:
critical
Deals 2x damage when hitting critical locations.
travel time
Projectile attacks and healing with travel time. Can be Negated.

Example video:

Shuriken Alt Fire
Key mouse 2
Hero-ability-circle
Ability-genji1
Type
Weapon (Secondary Fire)
Effect Type
Projectile Projectile
Blocked by barriers.
Ignores barriers.
Ignores barriers.
Blocked by Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Ignores Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Ignores Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Blocked by Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Ignores Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Ignores Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Affected by damage boosts.
Ignores damage boosts.
Ignores damage boosts.
Affected by Amplification Matrix.
Ignores Amplification Matrix.
Ignores Amplification Matrix.
Throw a fan of 3 projectiles in an arc.
Damage:
27 (per shuriken)
81 (per shot)
Headshot:
✓ (x2)
Rate of fire:
1.47 shots/s
Shots per volley:
3
Ammo consumption:
3
Ammo:
30
Reload time:
1.5 seconds
Projectile speed:
75 m/s
Projectile radius:
0.125 meters
Spread:
4.5 degrees
critical
Deals 2x damage when hitting critical locations.
travel time
Projectile attacks and healing with travel time. Can be Negated.
Alternatively, he can throw three shuriken in a wider spread.

Additional details:
  • Damage per second: 119.12 while firing (110.96 overall w/reload)
  • Shuriken's alternate fire is also called "Fan of Blades."
  • Even if there are fewer than three shuriken in his magazine, three shurikens will be fired.
  • Quick melee pauses fire recovery.

Co-op details:
  • Damage increased from 27 to 29.

Keywords:
critical
Deals 2x damage when hitting critical locations.
travel time
Projectile attacks and healing with travel time. Can be Negated.

Special Abilities

Swift Strike
LSHIFT
Hero-ability-circle
Ability-genji3
Cooldown Icon
8 seconds
Type
Ability
Effect Type
Melee Melee
Movement Movement
Blocked by barriers.
Ignores barriers.
Ignores barriers.
Blocked by Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Ignores Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Ignores Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Blocked by Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Ignores Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Ignores Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Affected by damage boosts.
Ignores damage boosts.
Ignores damage boosts.
Affected by Amplification Matrix.
Ignores Amplification Matrix.
Ignores Amplification Matrix.
Rapidly dash forward and inflict damage on enemies. Eliminations reset the cooldown.
Damage:
50
Headshot:
Duration:
0.4 seconds
Max. range:
15 meters
Movement speed:
50 m/s
evasive
Can pass through enemy heroes and does not block movement.
movement
Silenced by Hinder. An ability that grants the hero enhanced movement that ends prematurely when interrupted by Displace, Hacked, Hinder, Sleep, and Stun.
Genji darts forward, slashing with his wakizashi and passing through foes in his path. If Genji eliminates a target, he can instantly use this ability again.

Additional details:
  • The cooldown will reset as long as Genji gets elimination credit from any kill; Swift Strike does not need to damage the eliminated enemy and Genji does not need to deal the final blow.
  • Swift Strike cannot damage Junkrat's Ability-Junkrat3 Steel Trap or Ability-Junkrat2 Concussion Mine or Widowmaker's Ability-widowmaker3 Venom Mine.

Keywords:
evasive
Can pass through enemy heroes and does not block movement.
movement
Silenced by Hinder. An ability that grants the hero enhanced movement that ends prematurely when interrupted by Displace, Hacked, Hinder, Sleep, and Stun.

Example video:

Deflect
E
Hero-ability-circle
Ability-genji2
Cooldown Icon
10 seconds
Type
Ability
Deflect incoming projectiles towards the direction you are aiming and block melee attacks.
Duration:
0.27 seconds min. duration
2 seconds max. duration
0.192 seconds recovery
Height:
~2 meters
Width:
~1 meter
channeled
A continuous action that ends prematurely when interrupted by Displace, Hacked, Sleep, or Stun.
critical
Copies the Critical damage multiplier of reflected attacks when hitting critical locations.
ignore melee
Ignores Melee and Extended Melee attacks.
negate projectile
Reflects most projectile attacks and healing in an area. Pierced by Beam and Shockwave.
With lightning-quick swipes of his wakizashi, Genji reflects an oncoming projectile and sends it rebounding towards his opponent.

Additional details:
  • Changing the direction of the character's gaze (and hence the reflection zone) takes time. It takes ~0.14 seconds to be able to deflect something that was exactly behind you.
  • Can be cancelled manually by reactivating the ability or activating wall climb, Swift Strike or Dragonblade.
    • If you cancel Deflect with wall climb, then the recovery will not be activated.
  • The hitbox extends to cover Genji's sides, but only attacks coming from less than 90° of the direction Genji is facing are affected.
  • Reflected projectiles copy most of the properties of the original attack.
    • Any projectile reflected is treated as Genji's, and its damage falloff is reset.
    • Most abilities that deal splash damage can also deal self-damage, meaning that Genji can damage himself with them.
    • Healing projectiles can also be reflected to heal your allies.
    • Homing or guided projectiles lose this property when reflected and travel straight forward in Genji's aiming direction.
  • Blocks melee and extended melee attacks, such as Ability-Roadhog3 Chain Hook and Whip Shot Whip Shot. These attacks are not reflected when blocked.
    • Doomfist's Rocket Punch, despite being classified as Melee cannot be blocked, due to its stun interrupting the channel.
  • Cannot block beam and AoE attacks, collision/movement-based attacks, or attacks marked as Strong Projectiles, such as Abilities-sigma4 Accretion.

Co-op details:
  • Duration increased from 2 to 3 seconds.

Keywords:
channeled
A continuous action that ends prematurely when interrupted by Displace, Hacked, Sleep, or Stun.
critical
Copies the Critical damage multiplier of reflected attacks when hitting critical locations.
ignore melee
Ignores Melee and Extended Melee attacks.
negate projectile
Reflects most projectile attacks and healing in an area. Pierced by Beam and Shockwave.

Example video:

Ultimate Ability

Dragonblade
Q
Hero-ability-circle
Ability-genji4
Ultimate Ready
2125
Type
Ultimate Ability
Effect Type
Melee Melee
Blocked by barriers.
Ignores barriers.
Ignores barriers.
Blocked by Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Ignores Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Ignores Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Blocked by Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Ignores Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Ignores Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Affected by damage boosts.
Ignores damage boosts.
Ignores damage boosts.
Affected by Amplification Matrix.
Ignores Amplification Matrix.
Ignores Amplification Matrix.
Unsheathe a deadly melee weapon.
Damage:
110
Headshot:
Rate of fire:
1.437 swings/s on average.
Cast time:
1 second (unsheathing)
1 second (sheathing)
Duration:
6 seconds
Max. range:
5 meters
Mov. speed buff:
+30%
melee
A short range physical attack that can hit multiple enemies. Pierces Barriers and Negate Projectile. Blocked by Ignore Melee abilities.
reloads
Fully reloads the hero's weapon.
transformation
An alternate state with unique functionality that is not ended prematurely by Displace, Hacked, Sleep, or Stun.
Genji brandishes his katana for a brief period of time. Until he sheathes his katana, Genji can deliver killing strikes to any targets within his reach.

Additional details:
  • Damage per second: 158.05 while swinging continuously
  • The exact swing timings are:
    • Right to left: 0.224s (14 game ticks) startup, 0.48s (30gt) recovery
    • Left to right: 0.128s (8gt) startup, 0.56s (35gt) recovery
  • Genji's Ability-genji1 Shuriken are replaced by a melee attack while Dragonblade is active.
  • Activating Dragonblade resets the cooldown of Ability-genji3 Swift Strike.
  • Swing recovery time can be decreased by Ability-genji3 Swift Strike.
    • Genji can swing his sword up to 9 times without dash animation cancels. 10 times with ones.
  • If a dash or wall climb is active at the end of the ability, the sheathing animation will be skipped.
  • Shuriken ammunition is restored upon activation.

Co-op details:
  • Duration increased from 6 to 8 seconds.

Keywords:
melee
A short range physical attack that can hit multiple enemies. Pierces Barriers and Negate Projectile. Blocked by Ignore Melee abilities.
reloads
Fully reloads the hero's weapon.
transformation
An alternate state with unique functionality that is not ended prematurely by Displace, Hacked, Sleep, or Stun.

Example video:

Perks

Minor Perks

A Minor Perk can be chosen at level 2.

Swift Cuts
Hero-ability-circle
Swift Cuts
Type
Minor Perk
Quick Melee reduces the cooldown of Swift Strike by 3 seconds.

Additional details:
  • Cooldown reduction is granted for each enemy hero hit, including Ability-ashe4 B.O.B.. Deployables hit do not grant cooldown reduction.

Dragon's Thirst
Hero-ability-circle
Perk DragonsThirst
Type
Minor Perk
Dragonblade swings gain 30% lifesteal.
Healing:
30% of damage dealt

Additional details:
  • Healing is not reduced by the global healing reduction passive.

Major perks

A Major Perk can be chosen at level 3.

Blade Twisting
Hero-ability-circle
BladeTwistingPerk
Type
Major Perk
Swift Strike deals 25 additional damage over time if the enemy is below half health.
Damage:
25 over time
Headshot:
Duration:
1 second

Additional details:
  • The condition is checked after the damage is dealt, meaning that the bleed is also applied if Swift Strike brings the enemy below half health.

Meditation
Hero-ability-circle
Perk Meditation
Type
Major Perk
Regenerate 35 health per second while Deflect is active.
Healing:
35 per second

Additional details:
  • Unlike Perk DragonsThirst Dragon's Thirst, healing from Meditation is reduced by the global healing reduction passive.

Hero-specific options

Setting name Options Description
Hold to use Deflect Off (default) Deflect deactivates when player presses the button again.
On Deflect deactivates when player stops holding the button.
Automatically climb walls Off (default) While facing a wall, hold Jump and Forward to wall climb.
On While facing a wall, hold Forward while airborne to wall climb.
Require a forward throttle to initiate wall climbing Off (default) You can only initiate a wallclimb by holding forward and jump
On You can initiate a wallclimb by holding any direction and jump.
Hide Deflect cancel text Off (default) Cancel deflect text UI element is displayed to the left of the crosshair.
On Cancel deflect text UI element is hidden.
Hide Dragonblade timer Off (default) Timer UI element is displayed around the crosshair.
On Timer UI element is hidden.
Relative aim sensitivity during Dragonblade 0% ... 500% (default: 100%) Multiplier to base aim sensitivity during Dragonblade.

Stadium

Genji is a playable hero in Stadium game mode. See Genji/Stadium for a list of hero-specific Items and Powers.

Strategy

Genji is a versatile flanker with very high mobility, boasting some of the best movement options of all the heroes. Genji is better suited for mid-range to make use of his mobility and Shurikens, but can still be formidable at range. Cyber-Agility makes Genji a difficult target and allows him to navigate the map with ease. Swift Strike allows Genji to engage, escape, or move between targets efficiently. The damage on Swift Strike is considerable for most heroes but is insignificant to a tank. As such, Genji should use Swift Strike to either maneuver around his enemies or deal small but quick and easy damage. Deflect allows Genji to turn enemies' damage back towards them and even allows him to turn around entire ultimate abilities. This allows for potentially lethal burst damage if it is timed properly and Genji is well-positioned. Be wary when estimating your own abilities as Genji, though; you are not the most agile hero, nor do you deal the most damage. Genji fills a middle ground when it comes to these factors.

Weapons & Abilities

General Strategies

Match-Ups and Team Synergy

Tank

Hero Match-Up Team Synergy
Icon-D.Va
D.Va
D.Va has difficulty tracking her shots on a mobile hero like Genji. In addition, Deflect can buy you time as well as reflect her Fusion Cannons and Micro Missiles back at her for decent damage. Because D.Va's Mech is so large, Fan of Blades can easily hit her with quick and successive attacks. She will attempt to use Defense Matrix to negate your Shuriken, so try to attack her from a blind spot where she can't block your attacks or pressure her until Defense Matrix runs out. If you need to escape, you can use Swift Strike and Cyber-Agility; just be wary that D.Va's Boosters can allow her to track you down and finish you off if you attempt to escape at low health. When using Dragonblade, D.Va can be troublesome since her Mech's large health makes it hard to destroy, and destroying it doesn't restore Swift Strike like a normal kill would (plus D.Va's ejection time wastes more of your Ultimate's precious time). Consider saving Dragonblade until after D.Va has lost her Mech. Once D.Va's out of her Mech, you have a much better shot at finishing her off; a few Shuriken and a Swift Strike should do the job. (To be added)
Icon-Doomfist
Doomfist
Deflect cannot block Doomfist's abilities, which will give him bonus shields. Rocket Punch can stun you, effectively cancelling Deflect and possibly Swift Strike. (To be added)
Icon-Junker Queen
Junker Queen
Junker Queen is not much of a threat to Genji. She will generally struggle to close the distance on you as you have fast walking speed and vertical mobility, but even if she can, her Jagged Blade and Carnage can be blocked by deflect. You should stay spread out from your team, but otherwise, she can be mostly ignored. Poking her from a distance is hard as she is fairly small compared to the other tanks, so it's better to focus on her teammates. Genji synergizes well with Junker Queen. Ideally, you should follow her pacing. Junker Queen's pacing is a large burst of value, followed by some downtime based on her Commanding Shout. As Genji, the overhealth it provides combined with a small speed boost can give you just enough advantage to be able to hard dive and secure kills in a very small window of time. Afterwards, you need to respect the downtime as Junker Queen will have no meaningful ways of peeling for you after the Commanding Shout runs out.
Icon-Orisa
Orisa
You should avoid Orisa to the best of your ability. She is practically impossible to kill while being healed, and Javelin Spin cannot be blocked by deflect, so she is very dangerous at short range. As Genji, you need to find a way past her and focus her teammates, while avoiding confrontation by her. (To be added)
Icon-Ramattra
Ramattra
(To be added) (To be added)
Icon-Reinhardt
Reinhardt
Your mobility will allow you to stay above Reinhardt and out of his reach, allowing you to flank teammates he's protecting or even Reinhardt himself from behind. While Reinhardt's massive health makes him difficult to kill, your mobility can allow you to always remain on Reinhardt's blind side and pelt him with Shuriken. You can even Swift Strike through his shield to deal some damage and begin attacking him from behind. If you catch Reinhardt alone, you can get behind him to force him to turn your way, allowing the rest of your team to swarm him and take him down. If Reinhardt turns around and decides to start attacking you at close range, try to use Swift Strike and Cyber-Agility to keep your distance, as it only takes him a few hammer swings to kill you. If you have Dragonblade activated, only engage with Reinhardt if he has low health. Otherwise, try to focus on his teammates with lower health. While you normally want to be mobile rather than hiding behind a barrier, sticking with a friendly Reinhardt has its uses. While slowly pushing with your team or holding a defensive position, you can hang behind his shield and toss Shuriken, only moving out of the shield's safety once you're ready to land a kill with Swift Strike. If Reinhardt hits a large number of enemies with Earthshatter, they'll be prime targets for you to finish off with Swift Strike, or even Dragonblade if you're so inclined.
Icon-Roadhog
Roadhog
Deflect can block Roadhog's Chain Hook to defend yourself or a teammate. Blocking it on reaction is doable, so a good tactic to deny a very influential Roadhog is to bait his hook and block it regularly. Be weary though, as his hook cooldown is shorter than deflect. Otherwise, neither Roadhog nor Genji have a direct advantage over one another in a close range fight. Try to consistently jump around him to avoid his Scrap Gun and use Fan of Blades to pelt his body and build up Dragonblade. At a safe distance, you should be able to land successive headshots as he has no way to block your attacks and can't hit you from that distance. Genji's fairly low damage can be quickly healed back up by Roadhog's Take a Breather. During this time, you'll need to decide whether to stick around and continue fighting him, or to take the opportunity to flee and gain some distance while you have the chance. If you do get Hooked, while you have a small chance of avoiding Roadhog's follow-up attack, you're most likely going to die, so always be wary and ready to Deflect it. You can Deflect Whole Hog back at Roadhog, sending him flying backwards and keeping your team safe. If Roadhog has most of his health, try not to activate Dragonblade; not only will he probably survive the onslaught, he can Hook you while you're swinging away and take you out. Enemies snagged by a friendly Roadhog's Chain Hook will usually be reduced to extremely low health if they survive his combo, rendering them easy targets for you to kill with a Swift Strike.
Icon-Sigma
Sigma
Your biggest concern is Accretion as you cannot repel it with Deflect and could stun your while using Swift Strike. Should you get stunned, he can easily finish you off with his Hyperspheres. Typically, you're mobile enough to get away from Sigma and your shuriken can reach him at any range. This contrasts with Sigma who has no movement abilities, and his Hyperspheres only travel up to 22 meters. With the expectation of Swift Strike, his Experimental Barrier and Kinetic Grasp can block your shuriken. If you see him using Gravitic Flux, try to save your dash to escape his target zone. If your Swift Strike and Deflect are on cooldown, you can retreat to Sigma and he can protect you with his barrier and Kinetic Grasp. Enemies that were slammed by Gravitic Flux make easy pickings with your abilities.
Icon-Wrecking Ball
Wrecking Ball
Although both of you are mobile, Wrecking Ball moves faster than you in Roll. This means he can retreat from you better than you from him. Plus, Deflect doesn't block Grappling Claw and Piledriver. You also can't block his mines and they can be deadly to you if you're caught in it. Since they can also latch to ceiling and walls, you should exercise caution when traversing his Minefield. Also, Wrecking Ball can use Adaptive Shields to tank some of your damage. Both you and Wrecking Ball are mobile, so it can serve in both of your interests to travel together and dive on the same opponents.
Icon-Winston
Winston
Winston's Tesla Cannon can't be Deflected and it has a wide range that tracks its target, meaning your mobility and Deflect are useless against him. You can try to pelt him with Shuriken, but his damage output is about the same as yours while he has much higher health. His Projected Barrier will be very difficult for you to penetrate, and if you try to move through it to attack at close range, you put yourself at risk of Winston's Tesla Cannon. Even if you try to flee with Swift Strike or Cyber Agility, Winston can use his Jump Pack to chase after you and finish you off, making it very difficult to disengage. Try to let your teammates battle Winston, or if you must, hit him with Shuriken at a safe distance. Both you and Winston are mobile, so it can serve in both of your interests to travel together and dive on the same opponents.
Icon-Zarya
Zarya
Provided Zarya has enough charge, the primary fire on her Particle Cannon can make very short work of you. Your overall damage is low when battling Zarya, but you can keep tossing Shurikens from a distance where Zarya can't attack you back. Unlike Winston, Zarya's primary fire requires more precise aim, so when fighting at close range, try to jump around Zarya to confuse her and disrupt her aiming. While it's incredibly risky, you can Deflect Graviton Surge, which can swerve the game completely in your favor. When Zarya's Projected Barrier is used properly, Genji will be able to breach the enemy frontline easily with a protection on him that ensures maximum efficiency.

Damage

Hero Match-Up Team Synergy
Icon-ashe
Ashe
As a sniper, Ashe usually prefers to stay in the back. You can easily sneak up on her and flank her so long as you stay out of her line of sight. Even at a distance, you can Deflect her scoped shots. You can also deflect her Coach Gun pellet to damage her as she tries to flee. With Dynamite, you can deflect it but your Shurikens won't detonate it earlier. Also, you can burn yourself with Dynamite (since Ashe normally could). With B.O.B., you can't block his charge but you can deflect the bullets. It won't be enough to kill B.O.B. since Deflect has a short duration. However, you can redirect those bullets to Ashe or another enemy player. (To be added)
Icon-Bastion
Bastion
Although Deflect is a powerful tool to turn Bastion's strength against itself, a smart Bastion will stop firing as soon as you use Deflect, so try to do so at close range so it has much less reaction time. Thanks to your high mobility, you can quickly get behind Bastion and destroy it by attacking its weak spot in the rear with Fan of Blades. When Bastion swerves around to attack you, that's the perfect time to retaliate with a Deflect and seal the deal. If you can't finish it off with Deflect, however, you may have difficulty with Bastion; you can use Swift Strike and Cyber-Agility to stay mobile and keep it from gunning you down, but unless you escape around a corner or up a wall, Bastion can finish you off before you get the chance to destroy it. Heckling it with Shuriken from a distance and from behind corners can help chip away at its health, but its Self-Repair can heal at a quick enough rate to nullify your damage. If you wish to kill Bastion with Dragonblade, try to wait until it's dead or in Recon Configuration. Bastion's Ironclad will help it withstain a sword swing or two, which will be enough time for it to mow you down, and you don't want to waste your Ultimate's duration using Deflect. (To be added)
Icon-Cassidy
Cassidy
With good aim, Cassidy can keep you at bay even if you're consistently jumping around. While you can Deflect Cassidy's Flashbang, he can avoid this by aiming it at the ground or mid-air above your head, so don't assume you're safe from being stunned; the explosion from the Flashbang will still stun you and make you an easy target. To counter the stun, try to position yourself in such a way that you will Deflect Flashbang by standing where you believe the Cassidy will be throwing it. Regardless of Flashbang, your low firepower can make it difficult to finish off a good Cassidy. You can attempt to use your Shuriken and Swift Strike to quickly kill; otherwise it's better to regroup with your team or climb walls and peek around corners to avoid Cassidy's heavy fire. Cassidy's Deadeye can be Deflected; not only can this protect your team, but it also has a chance to kill the Cassidy himself. Just be wary about your activation timing; a wise Cassidy will know that you will attempt to Deflect him, and can wait out your Deflect prior to firing Deadeye. (To be added)
Icon-Echo
Echo
The one ability you can't deflect is Focusing Beam, which means you're in great danger when you've been weakened. Also, you'll have a hard time fight her as she can fly. However, Cyber-Agility and Swift Strike can help close the distance between you and Echo to even the playing. (To be added)
Icon-Genji
Genji
In a Genji vs Genji fight, both of you will have a hard time landing Shuriken due to your vertical mobility. If you have low health, you can use Deflect to buy time, though keep in mind that the opposing Genji will try to do the same. Deflect can't block Swift Strike though; if the opposing Genji is near death and is Deflecting, swoop in to finish him off before he can use Swift Strike to flee. If an enemy Genji is in a group, it's best to prioritize other enemies before him who you can kill quicker and more efficiently. (To be added)
Icon-Hanzo
Hanzo
Hanzo's Storm Arrows can prove to be a threat to you at close range, but a quick Deflect can protect you while either killing Hanzo or causing the duration of his Storm Arrows to wear off. Thanks to your Cyber-Agility, you can close the distance on Hanzo with little time and fight him at your preferred closer range. Hanzo will attempt potshots with his arrows at close range, but by staying mobile with Cyber-Agility and landing Swift Strikes, you can make quick work of him. If you don't know where Hanzo is yet, though, take caution; Hanzo is deadly at long range, and he can snipe you before you get close enough to fight him. It's possible to Deflect Dragonstrike, but the timing is extremely precise. When Hanzo activates his Ultimate, he first fires an arrow, which then transforms into Dragonstrike; you must Deflect the arrow immediately upon the Ultimate's activation. If you time it right, you'll send Dragonstrike right back at your brother, but if not you'll find yourself on its receiving end. Hanzo's Sonic Arrow is helpful for keeping an eye on enemies' locations. If you see enemies alone, you can hunt them down and retreat before their allies show up to help them.
Icon-Junkrat
Junkrat
Junkrat can be difficult to deal with at close range due to the large splash damage of his grenades, and he'll have a much easier time hitting you with them point blank than at a distance. If you jump around with Cyber-Agility to avoid the grenades' arcs while pelting him with Shuriken, though, you can handle Junkrat fair enough. You can quickly close the gap and use Swift Strike and Deflect to deal with a Junkrat trying to heckle you from afar. However, Junkrat can still be risky due to his Steel Trap and Total Mayhem. His Steel Trap and Concussive Mine combo is especially dangerous, as if you're caught off guard by the Steel Trap, the Concussion Mine will be enough to kill you. This can be even more problematic if you're caught in his Steel Trap during Dragonblade, which will waste more than half of the duration of your Ultimate while also making you an easy target. If you kill Junkrat at close range, use Swift Strike to escape from Total Mayhem's bombs. (To be added)
Icon-Mei
Mei
The slowing effect of Mei's Endothermic Blaster is extremely dangerous to heroes who rely on close range and high mobility such as yourself. You can jump around to avoid Mei's Endothermic Blaster and avoid her consistent freezing stream while tossing attacks her way, but the range of her freezing is respectable and as soon as you get caught in it, the slowdown will be enough to cripple you and let her easily finish freezing you. The best move as Genji is usually to perform a Swift Strike to flee and harass Mei from a distance with Shuriken. You don't have damage falloff at long range, so as long as you avoid Mei's dangerous icicles, you should be able to deal some decent damage at a distance. While you can't Deflect the primary fire of Endothermic Blaster, you can Deflect its icicles, and more importantly, you can Deflect Mei's Blizzard Ultimate, which can completely turn the tides in favor of your team. If Mei tries to block you in an area with Ice Wall, simply climb over them and quickly escape. (To be added)
Icon-Pharah
Pharah
Pharah's aerial superiority can make it difficult for you to land your Shuriken. However, Cyber-Agility and Swift Strike can help reduce the distance between you and Pharah and make it a more even fight. By consistently leaping in the air with Cyber-Agility, you can make it so that Pharah will have a harder time landing her rockets and hitting you with their splash damage. While waiting for Swift Strike to recharge, you can Deflect a rocket or two back at Pharah. Better yet, if she activates Barrage, all you have to do is activate Deflect and position yourself in front of her, and you can send her rockets right back in her face. Otherwise, try to hit her with Shuriken headshots and never stay in one place at a time, and you should handle her okay. (To be added)
Icon-Reaper
Reaper
Thanks to having a higher health and firepower, Reaper can make quick work of you if he catches you at close range. However, you have much greater mobility than him; Cyber-Agility can allow you to climb away and get vertical distance, or in an emergency you can use Swift Strike to increase the gap. You can also attempt to Deflect some of his fire, but he'll be ready to mow you down as soon as Deflect wears off so you'll need to Swift Strike away if you want any hope of surviving. At medium to long range, you have a much better chance against Reaper by firing your Shuriken his way. Even if you don't land headshots, successive bodyshots can gradually rack up damage on him, forcing him to either retreat or meet a gruesome end with a timely Swift Strike. While Deflect works to an extent against Death Blossom, Reaper's Ultimate outlasts your ability, and its area of effect can still hit you even while Deflecting. Its large spread also makes it difficult to turn it back on Reaper to kill him, so it's better to just continue attacking with Shuriken or Swift Strike away when he activates his Ultimate. Just be sure to always keep your distance from Reaper and you should be alright. (To be added)
Icon-Soldier 76
Soldier: 76
Soldier: 76's Biotic Field helps him manage a prolonged fight against you, when you usually wants to shoot for a quick kill. While Soldier: 76 doesn't have any way to counter you at close range, he can still outdamage you if he lands his shots. Deflect his Heavy Pulse Rifle and Helix Rockets at a distance, then use Swift Strike to close the gap and attack him at close range with Fan of Blades. Be wary that Soldier: 76 can aim his Helix Rockets at the ground to avoid your Deflect, but if he hits an area too close to him, he can suffer recoil damage. If Soldier: 76 is losing a fight, he will attempt to Sprint away. You can try to finish him off with a long-range Shuriken or a Swift Strike, or you can use Cyber-Agility to climb above and around him to cut him off. If he gets far enough away, though, it's best to regroup with your team and fight him again later. While you can Deflect Tactical Visor, it will only buy you a little bit of time; unless your team is ready to swoop in and take Soldier: 76 out, it's best to Swift Strike to safety once Deflect wears off. (To be added)
Icon-Sombra
Sombra
Sombra can use her Hack to deactivate Deflect and Swift Strike; this will render you an easy target for her team because you can't use Deflect to buy time or Swift Strike to flee. Cyber-Agility is still active under Hack, so climbing a wall to flee is still possible. Sombra's high fire rate can kill you quickly if she can track most of her shots, jumping around and staying nimble can help you avoid her fire. If you hear the sound of her uncloaking or the sound of her hacking you, try to get some distance so you're not caught by surprise, or snap around with a quick Shuriken burst to disrupt her Stealth or Hack. Try not to Deflect her attacks, as she'll take this opportunity to perform an easy Hack on you; if you're in an unfavorable situation, it's better to use Swift Strike to quickly retreat. If she doesn't manage to hack you, you can harass her at mid to long range thanks to your Shuriken's decreased damage falloff in comparison to her Machine Pistol before finishing her off with a Swift Strike. Be careful about getting hacked during Dragonblade; you'll retain your sword's impressive power, but losing the ability to Swift Strike or Deflect will make it much harder for you to carve through the enemy team and much easier for them to carve through you. Hacked opponents will often prove to be easy pickings for you; this is especially true for enemies such as Doomfist, Tracer and Mercy who rely on their abilities to disengage from combat. While you can combine Dragonblade with EMP, oftentimes a group of weakened enemies will be easily killed just by standard attacks without even needing to use up your Dragonblade. Try to remain in constant communication with your Sombra; if she calls out weakened targets, try to flank and prioritize them so you can quickly regain Swift Strike. Keep a lookout for Hacked health kits; when you're constantly roving around the map, it will often be easier for you to heal up at a Hacked health kit than to find one of your Support allies.
Icon-Symmetra
Symmetra
You can't Deflect Symmetra's Photon Projector's primary fire since it is a channeled weapon, which can make her a difficult opponent to fight. Her Sentry Turrets not only deal substantial damage, but also slow you down, making you a much easier target for Symmetra and the rest of her team. Your Shuriken aren't suitable for destroying Turrets as they have low spread and rate of fire. If the enemy team has a Symmetra, be careful when roaming and make sure you aren't caught by Sentry Turrets. If you are, try to quickly kill it, and if Symmetra or her team arrive to finish you off, use Swift Strike to disengage immediately so she can't easily kill you. Unless you're heckling her from a distance, only move in for the kill if she's at low health and you're certain you can finish her off. Using her teleporter will let you conserve your Swift Strike.
Icon-Torbjörn
Torbjörn
It is easy enough to stay far enough from Torbjörn's Turret and harass it with Shuriken. However, your fairly low damage and the inability for Turrets to receive headshot damage means Torbjörn can continue repairing the Turret with little difficulty. You can Deflect a Turret's fire back at it, but its low rate of fire means that the damage usually won't be sufficient to destroy it. You should only activate Deflect if the Turret is nearly destroyed, or if you want to move past its field of view safely, as otherwise it will track your movements and quickly shoot you down. Don't assume a lone Torbjörn is an easy Swift Strike target, as once he activates Overload, he can prove to be a sturdy, hard to kill opponent. When Torbjörn activates Molten Core, use Cyber-Agility and Swift Strike to get away from the ground and Torbjörn's magma as quickly as possible. Strangely enough, you can deflect the globules he fires, making them yours. (To be added)
Icon-Tracer
Tracer
Both Tracer and Genji have high mobility, but in radically different ways: Genji has the advantage in vertical movement, while Tracer has the advantage in horizontal movement. If you continuously jump around with Cyber-Agility, you'll make yourself a difficult target for her to hit. Deflect can turn her quick firing rate against her; before she can react, she'll have lost a good majority of her health, at which point a Swift Strike can easily cut her down. That being said, Tracer has much higher firepower than you, meaning if she has superior aim, she can mow you down if you're not careful with just one or two clips. If she feels the fight isn't in her favor, she can use Blink or Recall to flee. Blink's recharge time is much shorter than Swift Strike, which means if you're still waiting for Swift Strike to recharge, she can easily get away. (To be added)
Icon-Widowmaker
Widowmaker
Because Widowmaker usual prefers to stay in the back, you can easily sneak up on her and flank her so long as you stay out of her line of sight. Even at a distance, you can Deflect her scoped shots, occasionally managing to kill her via a Deflected headshot. Widowmaker will usually plant a Venom Mine nearby her position or a choke point; if hit by it you'll not only take considerable damage but your position will become known to her, making it much harder for you to sneak up on her and much easier for her to kill you. Try to keep your eyes peeled and take Venom Mines out if you spot them. If Widowmaker catches you in the open without Deflect active, she can shoot you down with a single well-aimed shot, so be cautious about moving out in the open. Widowmaker's Infra-Sights will grant you full vision of the enemy team behind walls. This can make it easy for you to find lone susceptible targets to pick off. If your friendly Widowmaker lopped off most of an opponent's health with a headshot but failed to kill them, a Swift Strike can help her finish the job before your enemy heals back up.

Support

Hero Match-Up Team Synergy

Icon-Ana
Ana
As a sniper, Ana is one of your primary targets. Deflect can be used to reflect her primary fire, Sleep Dart and even Biotic Grenade. Your superior mobility will allow you to quickly close the distance between you and Ana while letting you staying out of her line of sight if you take alternate routes and climb walls. Ana has the advantage at a distance, so try not to stay out in the open; instead, try to battle Ana at close range where she has a hard time countering you. Be very careful not to get hit by Sleep Dart; if hit, it only takes a Biotic Grenade and a quick follow-up shot to finish you off. This is especially true when you have Dragonblade active, as Sleep Dart will cause you to completely waste your Ultimate. Nano-Boost and Dragonblade, or "Nano-Blade", is extremely popular for a reason; with your high dashing speed and already strong damage output combined with Nano-Boost's damage magnifier, you can easily slice through an unprepared enemy team. In other fights, try to stay in an area where your friendly Ana has line of sight, or if need be retreat to her so she can hit you with her Biotic Grenade.
Icon-Baptiste
Baptiste
If Immortality Field is active, you are not killing anyone within its range. Baptiste will have free reign to land shots on you. Also, he use Regenerative Burst to heal from your damage.


With Amplification Matrix, there's a strange interaction. Genji can deflect any bullets or projectiles that pass through Amplification Matrix. Since the damage has a %100 increase, it means that Genji can return abilities with highly destructive (and possibly) one-shot potential. This can further compounded if an amplified abilities gets deflected and passes through an ally matrix. Now, the damage has a 200% increase.

(To be added)
Icon-Brigitte
Brigitte
Never try to solo kill or 1v1 Brigitte, because it's literally impossible with her superiority over you in close range. She can stun you, displace you, regenerate health at a steady pace and block a lot of Shurikens with her shield. All you should ever try to do is fire Shurikens from a distance where she cannot reach you. Do not use Dragonblade on a Brigitte using Rally or enemies receiving armour from it, you will take too long to strike anybody down and they can easily retaliate. You're better off just wasting your ultimate to deny her the satisfaction of protecting her teammates from it and outplaying you. (To be added)
Icon-kiriko
Kiriko
You can hop around Kiriko, evading her kunai, and damage her with either your shuriken or Swift Strike. Deflect can prevent her Protection Suzu from reaching allies and - in best case scenarios - cleanse a teammate if they're debuffed. Two slashes with Dragonblade are enough to kill her but she can use Swift Step to evade you.

There's a strange interaction with Deflect and her Healing Ofuda. While deflect gives you ownership, they'll still travel to the ally it was tracking originally, but it won't heal them. If an ally of yours stands in the path, they can get heal from the ofuda you deflected.

With the Kitsune Rush, your Dragonblade will swing more faster, with mean your damage output will be increased. In other fights, Protection Suzu can help you to neutralized your awkward situation, as she can Swift Step to your location.
Icon-Lúcio
Lúcio
One of Genji's main roles is flanking Support heroes, making Lúcio a high priority target. However, Lúcio has more mobility and methods of escape compared to other Support heroes. His Soundwave will push you away to give him space to flee, while Deflect doesn't work well against his primary weapon. To kill Lúcio, you must stay close and hit him with Shuriken or Fan of Blades. Lúcio will try to restore his health and group up with his team; keep your focus on him and use Swift Strike to finish him off. Lúcio's Sound Barrier can protect his teammates from Dragonblade long enough before the duration expires, so try to time it when you believe Lúcio doesn't have a Sound Barrier ready or if Lúcio isn't around to activate it. When Dragonblade is active, try to get closer to Lúcio without using Swift Strike. As he uses Soundwave and changes to speed boost, perform Swift Strike to chase him and cut him down. (To be added)
Icon-Mercy
Mercy
Mercy has very low mobility unless she has a teammate to use Guardian Angel on. You are best suited to chase and kill Mercy, especially seeing how she doesn't have any abilities to disrupt your attacks. Your high mobility can provide your Mercy with a strong getaway option. If a fight is turning sour, quickly retreat and stay in your Mercy's field of view, allowing her to use Guardian Angel to keep up with you and help her escape.
Icon-Moira
Moira
Moira should be avoided because she is very difficult to kill. She can easily create a lot of distance between you two with Fade if you try to flank her and you won't have any means to catch up and take her out. Although it may seem practical, trying to Swift Strike to close some distance is not a smart tactic, because after using Fade, most Moira players will heal off any prior damage you dealt to them, and you will have no means to escape if things go sour, which they most likely will. In a 1v1 scenario, you cannot deflect her Biotic Grasp and because it locks onto you, trying to take advantage of your mobility will not work. However, you can deflect Biotic Orbs, so if she uses one to heal herself or damage you, make sure you deflect it back at her for some extra damage or even some healing for yourself. You can combo Coalescence with Dragonblade, as she can keep you healed up while you're attacking the enemy.
Icon-Zenyatta
Zenyatta
Zenyatta has no way to escape if you choose to hunt him down. Your high mobility allows you to dodge Zenyatta's Orbs and attack him at the same time. In a one-on-one fight, Zenyatta will target you with Orb of Discord to increase his damage, but your mobility and Deflect will help you turn the tides in your favor. Toss Shuriken at a close range while running and jumping around, keeping him confused until you can finish him with a Swift Strike. Keep in mind that Zenyatta's Transcendence is a counter for Dragonblade, as not only does it make him invulnerable, it provides his team with more than enough healing to survive your blows. Like Lúcio's Sound Barrier, try to save Dragonblade for instances where either you believe Zenyatta doesn't have Transcendence ready or if he's not around to protect his team. Try to focus on enemies affected by your Zenyatta's Orb of Discord, as they'll be much easier targets to quickly kill.

Map Strategies

Control

Control  Control Map Strategies
Map Strategy & Stage Tips
Control

Overall Strategy

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Antarctic Peninsula 1

 Antarctic Peninsula

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Labs
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Sublevel
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Icebreaker
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Overwatch Busan

South Korea Busan

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Downtown
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Sanctuary
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MEKA Base
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Ilios

Greece Ilios

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Lighthouse
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Well
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Ruins
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Lijiang Tower loading screen

China Lijiang Tower

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Control Center
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Garden
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Night Market
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Nepal loading screen

Nepal Nepal

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Village
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Shrine
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Sanctum
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Oasis

Iraq Oasis

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City Center
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Gardens
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University
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Samoa beach

Samoa Samoa

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Beach
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Downtown
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Volcano
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Escort

Escort  Escort Map Strategies
Map Strategy & Stage Tips
Escort

Overall Strategy

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Monte Carlo

Monaco Circuit Royal

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Attack
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Defense
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Dorado-streets2

Mexico Dorado

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Defense
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Havana

Cuba Havana

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Junkertown

Australia Junkertown

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Rialto

Italy Rialto

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Defense
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Route 66

USA Route 66

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ShambaliEscort

Nepal Shambali Monastery

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Attack
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Defense
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Gibraltar

Gibraltar Watchpoint: Gibraltar

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Attack
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Defense
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Hybrid

Hybrid  Hybrid Map Strategies
Map Strategy & Stage Tips
Hybrid

Overall Strategy

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Blizzard World

Blizzard World

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Attack
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Eichenwalde

Germany Eichenwalde

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Hollywood-set

USA Hollywood

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King's Row concept

United Kingdom King's Row

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MidtownLoading

USA Midtown

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Numbani Loading Screen

Numbani

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Paraíso pvp

Brazil Paraíso

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Push

Push  Push Map Strategies
Map Strategy & Stage Tips
Push

Overall Strategy

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Colosseo (day)

Italy Colosseo

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Pushing
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Defending
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PortugalPush

Portugal Esperança

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Pushing
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Defending
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Toronto

Canada New Queen Street

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Pushing
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Defending
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Runasapi 2

Peru Runasapi

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Pushing
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Flashpoint

Flashpoint  Flashpoint Map Strategies
Map Strategy & Stage Tips
Flashpoint

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Aatlis loading screen

Morocco Aatlis

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Station
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Garden
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Town Center
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Bazaar
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Resort
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New Junk City

Australia New Junk City

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Arena
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The Ducts
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Refinery
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Junkyard
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Bomb Flats
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Suravasa

India Suravasa

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Market
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Garden
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Palace
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Temple
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Ruins
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Achievements

Name Icon Description Reward
Their Own Worst Enemy
Ability-genji2 Kill 2 Enemies with a single use of Genji's Deflect in Quick or Competitive play.
Spray Genji Pixel
Pixel
Slice And Dice
Ability-genji4 Kill 4 enemies with a single use of Genji's Dragonblade in Quick or Competitive play.
Spray Genji Cute
Cute

Trivia

Cultural References

Misc. Character Information

Merchandise

Development

An early Hanzo concept, featuring elements of both Genji and Hanzo.

An early Hanzo concept, featuring elements of both Genji and Hanzo.

Assassin concepts

Assassin concepts

Genji and Hanzo were originally envisioned as a single cyborg ninja hero named Hanzo who wielded both a bow and a sword, used parkour, and had an assassinate ability, using artwork for the Assassin class from the cancelled Project Titan.[18] They were split into two distinct heroes early in development.[19] During development Hanzo was known as "Bow Ninja" and Genji as "Sword Ninja."[20] Both Genji and Hanzo's kits drew heavily from an early version of Sombra that predated both heroes, which resulted in the Sombra concept being temporarily shelved.[21] The first iteration of Genji was equipped with kunai, which were eventually equipped by Kiriko.[22]

Genji himself was originally conceived as a slow-moving stealth assassin with an ability that allowed him to trip an enemy, stunning them, and then instantly kill them with a sword strike "finishing move" if another enemy didn't interrupt the attack, but this design was found to be unfun.[23] At one point he was also given an Ultimate that would allow him to instantly kill an enemy from behind, which would have had unique stealth kill animations such as stabbing them in the back or cutting their throat.[24] The lessons learned from this iteration of Genji were taken into consideration when developing Sombra as a stealth hacker.[21] Another early version of Genji was treated purely as a melee hero with his sword always drawn and the ability to stick to walls.[25] Some of these abilities appear to be the basis for the Talon Assassin enemy unit that appears in the Overwatch Retribution event.[26] His Dragon Blade ability was originally his primary attack, but this didn't work well, so it became his ultimate.[27]

Overwatch 2 concept art

Overwatch 2 concept art

Overwatch 2 concept art

Overwatch 2 concept art

The concept for Genji's new design in Overwatch 2 originated from the first storyboards for the Zero Hour cinematic, which depicted Genji appearing in a hoodie to rescue Winston. In the original storyboards he was wearing only a hoodie, causing the art team to realize that Genji had been naked this whole time and decide that if he's going to wear a hoodie he should also put on some pants. Jungah Lee, a concept artist for the Story and Franchise Development team, took that idea and fleshed out the design for the cinematic, and the development team liked it so much that they decided to bring it forward as his new design.[28]

Removed abilities

Removed Perks

Acrobatics
Hero-ability-circle
Perk Acrobatics
Type
Minor Perk
Swift Strike and Wall Climb resets double jump.

Additional details:
  • Removed in Season 18.

Media

Former Portrait

Concept Art

Videos

Balance Change Log

For more information, see Patch Notes.

Overwatch PvP
Patch
Description
Genji’s ammo allows more consistent pressure in fights and secure kills without needing to reload as often.

Ability-genji1 Shuriken

  • Ammo increased from 24 to 30.

Ability-genji1 Shuriken

  • Base projectile size reduced from 0.1 to 0.05

Ability-genji2 Deflect - Ability 2

  • Cooldown increased from 8 to 10 seconds.

Perk Acrobatics Acrobatics - Minor Perk

  • Removed.

Swift Cuts Swift Cuts - Minor Perk

  • New Minor Perk.
  • Quick Melee reduces the cooldown of Swift Strike by 3 seconds.

BladeTwistingPerk Blade Twisting - Major Perk

  • Now Swift Strike deals 25 additional damage over time if the enemy is below half health.

Ability-genji1 Shuriken - Primary and Secondary Fire

  • Ammo reduced from 30 to 24.
  • Projectile speed increased from 60 to 75.
Developer Comments: The utility of Genji’s perks, such as Acrobatics and Blade Twisting, has been limited due to their specific use cases. We have improved the conditions of these perks and increased the healing of Meditation to align it with other Major perks.

Perk Acrobatics Acrobatics

  • Now also resets double jump on wall climb.

Perk Meditation Meditation

  • Healing increased from 25 to 35 health per second.

BladeTwistingPerk Blade Twisting

  • Duration after an elimination to trigger bonus damage increased from 6 to 10 seconds.
  • Bonus damage is now dealt over 1 second instead of 2 seconds.
Hero Perks

Perk Acrobatics Acrobatics

  • Swift Strike resets double jump.

Perk DragonsThirst Dragon's Thirst

  • Dragonblade swings gain 30% lifesteal.

BladeTwistingPerk Blade Twisting

  • Swift Strike deals 25 additional damage over time when used shortly after an Elimination.

Perk Meditation Meditation

  • Regenerate 25 health per second while Deflect is active.
General updates
  • Global projectile size modifier for travel time projectiles with a speed greater than 50 meters per second reduced from 0.1 to 0.075 meters.
General updates

Most damage-dealing projectile sizes have been increased by a new global modifier added to their base size.

  • +0.05 meters for hitscan projectiles with a high rate of fire or spread (e.g., Tracer's Pulse Pistols or Reaper's Hellfire Shotguns).
  • +0.08 meters for hitscan projectiles that are more precise (e.g., Cassidy's Peacekeeper or Soldier:76's Heavy Pulse Rifle).
  • +0.05 meters for travel time projectiles that are shotguns or have a very high rate of fire (e.g., Roadhog's Scrap Gun or Ramattra's Void Accelerator).
  • +0.10 meters for travel time projectile with a speed greater than 50 meters per second (e.g., Zenyatta's Destruction Orb).
  • +0.15 meters for travel time projectile with a speed less than or equal to 50 meters per second (e.g., Pharah's Rocket Launcher).
  • Very large projectiles with a base size greater than 0.5 meters have been excluded from these increases (e.g., Orisa's Energy Javelin or Reinhardt's Fire Strike).

Hero combined HP (base health/armor/shields) increased by 15-25%.

  • 150-175 HP heroes increased by 25 HP.
  • 200-300 HP heroes increased by 50 HP.
  • 300+ HP (Tanks) increased by 75-100 HP.
  • Each hero's precise health increases are listed in their patch notes below.

Ultimate Charge

  • All Ultimate ability costs increased by 10%.

Regenerative Passive for All Heroes

  • All heroes now regenerate 20 health per second after 5 seconds of not taking damage.

Damage Role Passive

  • Reload speed bonus on elimination has been removed.
  • New role passive: Dealing damage reduces enemy healing received by 20% for 2 seconds.

Quick Melee

  • Damage increased from 30 to 40.
Hero updates
  • Health increased from 200 to 250.

Ability-genji4 Dragonblade

  • Swing recovery decreased from 0.9 to 0.7 seconds.

Ability-genji1 Shuriken

  • Maximum Ammo increased from 24 to 30

Developer Comment: Genji has greatly benefited from the move to 5v5. Changing to a single Tank and the reduction of crowd control has removed a lot of obstacles for Genji. However, he hasn’t received tuning updates since he wasn’t actively in the meta until launch—an intentional decision based on our general preference to avoid preemptive adjustments when possible. These changes will bring Genji more in line with the other flanking damage heroes like Tracer and Reaper.

Ability-genji1 Shuriken

  • Maximum ammo reduced from 30 to 24
  • Damage reduced from 29 to 27

Overwatch Stadium
Patch
Description
Genji’s deflect-focused playstyle wasn’t quite delivering on the fantasy of turning enemy fire back into real pressure. These updates lean harder into that identity by making deflected projectiles significantly faster and extending the window where Genji can safely play around Deflect (Watch out Pharah!). Sacred Shuriken further supports this direction by speeding up his primary fire, helping Genji feel more fluid and threatening when weaving between aggression and defense. The goal is to reward sharp timing and positioning, and to make successful deflect moments feel decisive without pushing Genji into pure burst territory.

Deflect-o-Bot Deflect-o-bot - Power

  • Deflected projectile speed bonus increased from +50% to +200%
  • Auto-targeting duration increased from 1.5s to 2s

Sacred Shuriken Sacred Shuriken - Power

  • Added: +50% Primary fire projectile speed
These changes broaden Genji’s build diversity and reinforce his identity as a highly mobile, high-skill-cap assassin. Powers like Forged Under Fire and Hanamura Healing received significant stat increases to enhance survivability and reward aggressive play. Weapon items such as Spiked Grip and Swift-Loader now offer more meaningful tempo boosts, improving Genji’s ability to chain engagements fluidly. Ability and survival items have been tuned to strengthen mobility, cooldown management, and defensive expression. Overall, this update aims to make more of Genji’s item paths viable and exciting without pushing his burst lethality beyond intended limits.

Forged Under Fire Forged Under Fire - Power

  • Healing increased to 125% (Up from 60%).

Hanamura Healing Hanamura Healing - Power

  • Damage increased to 35% (Up from 25%).
  • Overhealth duration is now infinite (Up from 5s).

Spiked Grip Spiked Grip - Rare Weapon Hero Item

  • Ammo restore increased to 35% (Up from 20%).
  • Added: +10% Attack Speed
  • Cost increased to 4000 (Up from 3750).

Swift-Loader Swift-loader - Epic Weapon Hero Item

  • Redesigned to: Using [Swift Strike] restores 20% ammo and gives 20% Attack Speed for 2.5s.
  • Cost increased to 12000 (Up from 10000).

Traversal Kinetics Traversal Kinetics - Rare Ability Hero Item

  • Added:+10% Weapon Power, +10% Ability Power
  • Cost increased to 5000 (Up from 3750).

Clean Sweep Clean Sweep - Epic Ability Hero Item

  • Cost decreased to 9000 (Down from 10000).

Deflecting Dash Deflecting Dash - Epic Ability Hero Item

  • Cost decreased to 9000 (Down from 10000).

Equilibrium Gear Equilibrium Gear - Rare Survival Hero Item

  • Added: +5% Cooldown Reduction.

Sparrowhawk Feather Sparrowhawk Feather - Rare Survival Hero Item

  • Added: [Swift Strike] resets additional jumps.
  • Cost decreased to 3750 (Down from 4000).

Slicy Coolant Slicy Coolant - Epic Survival Hero Item

  • Added: Deflect now deflects attacks from both sides.
  • Cost increased to 11000 (Up from 10000).
Developer Comments: Melee Genji builds have become very prominent, which is awesome! However, the bursty backstab build is a bit too consistent and can feel hard to interact with. We're reducing the damage ceiling for this build but upping it's sustain to compensate. We're also adding a little bit more power to the Ability Power Swift strike build to make its key pieces feel a bit more impactful early on in a match. We'll be looking at making a larger set of changes to Genji in a future update.

Hidden Blade Hidden Blade - Power

  • Reduced Quick Melee damage to 15 (down from 25).
  • Increased Melee Lifesteal to 60% (up from 50%).

Ambusher Optics Ambusher Optics - Item

  • Increased cost to 11,000 (up from 10,000).

Laceration Laceration - Power

  • Increased damage over time to 35% of Swift Strike's damage (up from 25%).
  • Fixed an issue where this power did not benefit from Ability Lifesteal.

Clean Sweep Clean Sweep - Item

  • Increase Ability Power to 15% (up from 10%).
Introducing Stadium
  • Tank Heroes: D.Va, Junker Queen, Orisa, Reinhardt, and Zarya.
  • Damage Heroes: Ashe, Cassidy, Genji, Mei, Reaper, and Soldier: 76.
  • Support Heroes: Ana, Juno, Kiriko, Lucio, Mercy, and Moira.

Overwatch Co-op
Patch
Description

Ability-genji1 Shuriken

  • Damage increased from 27 to 29.

Ability-genji2 Deflect

  • Duration increased from 2 to 3 seconds.

Ability-genji4 Dragonblade

  • Duration increased from 6 to 8 seconds.

Overwatch 1
Patch
Description

Ability-genji1 Shuriken

  • Damage increased from 28 to 29

Ability-genji4 Dragonblade

  • Damage decreased from 120 to 110

Developer Comment: The Shuriken damage increase doesn't sound like a lot but it crosses a threshold or "breakpoint" against some enemy targets, enabling them to be eliminated with one less attack landed. To help balance out this increased power for his primary weapon we're reducing the damage of the Dragonblade ultimate, which is also a breakpoint against some targets when being damage boosted.

Ability-genji1 Shuriken

  • Recovery lowered from 0.75 to 0.68

Ability-genji4 Dragonblade

  • Ultimate cost increased 15%

Developer Comment: We're increasing Genji's Shuriken fire rate to enable him to have more impact outside of his ultimate and increasing the cost of Dragonblade to account for the increased damage potential.

Ability-genji1 Shuriken

  • Damage decreased from 30 to 28

Ability-genji1 Shuriken (Secondary Fire)

  • Secondary fire recovery increased from 0.65 to 0.75 seconds

Ability-genji1 Shuriken

  • Damage increased from 28 to 30

Ability-genji1 Shuriken (Secondary Fire)

  • Spread reduced from 12 to 9

Ability-genji2 Deflect

  • Duration increased from 1.5 to 2 seconds
  • Can now be cancelled manually

We're looking to strengthen Genji's close-range combat effectiveness to help solidify his viability as a mobile burst-damage hero. We'll keep a close eye on his overall power as we're increasing both the flexibility of Deflect and improving the shuriken damage consistency at the same time.

Ability-genji1 Shuriken (Secondary Fire)

  • Secondary fire recovery lowered from 0.75 to 0.65 seconds

Ability-genji1 Shuriken

  • Ammo increased from 24 to 30

Developer Comment: As average hero survivability has gone up over time, Genji can sometimes have difficulty finishing off his targets. Loosening his ammunition constraints will help give him a small boost.

Ability-genji4 Dragonblade

  • Now restores ammunition after completion

Developer Comments: The change removes the need to immediately reload after a long duration ultimate.

Ability-genji2 Deflect

  • Hitbox size has been reduced

Developer Comments: The hitbox on Genji’s Deflect was big enough that it would sometimes reflect projectiles that were pretty far away from him. We’ve tightened up the hitbox, which should solve this problem while still fully protecting him from projectiles that would hit him from the front.

Ability-genji4 Dragonblade

  • No longer interrupted when Genji is stunned or hacked

Most abilities fit neatly within these categories but we did make some changes to outliers such as Genji's Dragonblade and Orisa's Supercharger to make them more consistent. Additionally, any ultimate that can be interrupted by a stun (Channeled ultimates and Cast-Time ultimates) can now be interrupted by Sombra’s Hack as well. Overall these changes should make it much easier to understand the ultimate mechanics and how they interact in combat.

Ability-genji2 Deflect

  • New sound effects and voice lines have been added, indicating when an enemy’s ultimate ability has been deflected

Ability-genji5 Cyber-Agility

  • Removed the attack delay from Genji’s wall climbing ability, allowing him to engage with enemies immediately after he finishes climbing

Developer Comments: This is a quality of life change to make wall climbing feel better.

Ability-genji5 Cyber-Agility

  • Double jump no longer resets when wall climbing

Ability-genji3 Swift Strike

  • No longer deals damage to traps like Widowmaker's Venom Mine or Junkrat's Steel Trap
  • No longer bypasses Junkrat's Steel Trap
  • No longer interrupts quick melee attacks

Ability-genji4 Dragonblade

  • Duration of Genji's ultimate has been reduced from 8 seconds to 6 seconds

Developer Comments: Genji was a little too difficult to pin down, and these changes will balance his speed. Swift Strike no longer cancels the recovery time from a quick melee attack, so players will no longer be able to get a free melee attack before using Swift Strike. Lastly, Dragonblade's duration was long enough that it often felt too difficult to reasonably counter.

References

  1. Square Enix uses katakana "ゲンジ・シマダ".
  2. Where Honor Lives
  3. 2015-09-30, "It was a leak from IMDB, there were two voice actors listed as playing characters we didn't know of yet, specifically D.Va and 'Genji', with Gaku Space voice acting for Genji.". Reddit. Accessed on 2016-05-18
  4. 2014-11-10, Credits, listing Gaku Space in the voice over cast at 14:25. Youtube. Accessed on 2016-05-18
  5. 2016-11-29, Craftsmen Forge Genji's Glowing Sword From Overwatch. Kotaku, accessed on 2016-11-29
  6. [1] Tweet by Heroes of the Storm
  7. 2023-02-06, OVERWATCH 2 SEASON 3 STARTS FEBRUARY 7: NEW ANTARCTIC PENINSULA CONTROL MAP, ONE-PUNCH MAN COLLAB, LOVERWATCH DATING SIM, AND SO MUCH MORE!. PlayOverwatch, accessed on 2023-02-08
  8. 8.0 8.1 Overwatch 2, Genji Overwatch 2 Quotes
  9. Genji (Overwatch), Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed on 2015-11-07
  10. Genji (Overwatch 2), Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed on 2022-10-05
  11. 2016-05-20, Giant Overwatch action figures appear in Hollywood, Paris, Busan. Blizzard Watch, accessed on 2016-05-21
  12. Figma Genji, Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed on 2017-10-10
  13. 2017-10-26, Genji and Hanzo are the latest adorable Nendoroid figures, and I must have them. Blizzard Watch, accessed on 2017-10-27
  14. 2017-11-22, Overwatch Hoodies. Blizzplanet, accessed on 2017-11-23
  15. 2018-09-20, Blizzard wants you to put an eye out with their new Genji sword collectible. Blizzard Watch, accessed on 2018-09-21
  16. 2018-10-02, Blizzard teases new Overwatch LEGO sets. Shack News, accessed on 2018-10-08
  17. 2018-10-22, Full lineup of LEGO Blizzard Overwatch sets revealed. The Brothers Brick, accessed on 2018-10-22.
  18. Blizzcon 2017, Overwatch: Archives
  19. 2015-12-10, How Blizzard is making up Overwatch's story as it goes. PC Gamer, accessed on 2015-12-24
  20. 2017-12-22, Every Overwatch Hero Explained by Blizzard’s Michael Chu | WIRED (1:13). Youtube, accessed on 2017-12-23
  21. 21.0 21.1 Blizzcon 2016, Overwatch - What's New
  22. 2022-09-21, Overwatch 2: Kiriko | Developer Update. YouTube, accessed on 2022-09-27
  23. Game Informer #105: Build 'em Up, Break 'em Down
  24. https://www.twitch.tv/videos/350526499
  25. Blizzcon 2017, Overwatch - Archives
  26. Overwatch Retribution
  27. 2022-06-21, A DESIGN FIT FOR ROYALTY: AN INSIDE LOOK AT HER MAJESTY, THE JUNKER QUEEN. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2022-07-03
  28. Blizzcon 2019 Overwatch: Evolving the Art Panel


External links