Sombra

Sombra
"In my world, there are no secrets."
Background
Real name	Olivia Colomar
Status	Alive
Birth	December 31st
Age	32 (Overwatch 2) 30 (Overwatch)
Nationality	Mexican
Occupation	Hacker
Base	Dorado, Mexico
Affiliation	Los Muertos (formerly) Talon (formerly)
Game info
Role	Damage
Sub-Role	Recon
Health	225
Perk level up	1,420 XP (Minor) 3,410 XP (Major)
Voice	Carolina Ravassa (English) Emmanuelle Rivière (French) Lara Trautmann (German) Tiziana Martello (Italian) Chiwa Saitō (Japanese) Kim Yeon-u (Korean) Xiao N (Mainland Mandarin) Lin Fang-syue (Taiwanese Mandarin) Anna Cieślak (Polish) Carol Crespo (Brazilian Portuguese) Veronika Sarkisova (Russian) Anahí de la Fuente (European Spanish) Lourdes Arruti (Latin American Spanish)
Cosmetics	Cosmetics page
Quotes	Quotation page
Character video

MainStoryCosmeticsQuotesStadium

Sombra is a Recon Damage hero in Overwatch. Released on 15 November 2016, she is the 23rd hero to be added to the game.

Overview

Sombra Hero Selection

Stealth and debilitating attacks make Sombra a powerful infiltrator. She is the archetypal technomancer of Overwatch the same way Widowmaker is the archetypal sniper. Her hacking can disrupt her enemies, ensuring they're easier to take out, while her EMP provides the upper hand against multiple foes at once. Sombra’s ability to Translocate and camouflage herself makes her a hard target to pin down.

• 
  Key Art

• 
  3D Portrait
• 
  2D Portrait

Abilities

Passive Abilities

Sub-Role: Recon

Type

Passive Ability

You detect enemies below half health through walls after damaging them.

Duration:

3.5 seconds

• Additional details

Additional details:

• The duration starts from the last instance of damage you dealt to them, so long as they are below half health.

Opportunist

Type

Passive Ability

You detect enemy ultimate abilities on nameplates, and deal more damage to hacked enemies.

• Additional details

Additional details:

• Deal 20% more damage to hacked targets.
• Can benefit from Hack effect applied by another friendly Sombra.
• When an enemy has their ultimate, this icon shows up above them.

Weapons

Machine Pistol

Type

Weapon

Effect Type

Hitscan

Ignores barriers.

Ignores Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.

Ignores Deflect/Javelin Spin.

Ignores damage boosts.

Ignores Amplification Matrix.

Short-range automatic weapon.

Damage:

8 - 2.4

Falloff range:

15 - 35 meters

Headshot:

✓ (x2)

Rate of fire:

20 shots/s

Ammo:

60

Reload time:

1.2 seconds animation

Projectile radius:

0.04 meters

Spread:

2.3 degrees (max)

critical

Deals 2x damage when hitting critical locations.

hitscan

Projectile attacks and healing with no travel time, hitting targets instantly.

Sombra’s fully-automatic machine pistol fires in a short-range spread.

• Additional details
• Keywords
• Example video

Additional details:

• Damage per second:
  • 160 while firing (114.3 overall w/reload)
  • 192 while firing w/ opportunist
• Maximum spread is reached after 6 shots.
• If primary fire is released there is a 0.16 seconds recovery period before it can be used again.

Keywords:

critical

Deals 2x damage when hitting critical locations.

hitscan

Projectile attacks and healing with no travel time, hitting targets instantly.

Example video:

Special Abilities

Hack

6 seconds (heroes)
3 seconds (non-heroes)

Type

Ability

Effect Type

Targeted

Ignores barriers.

Ignores Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.

Ignores Deflect/Javelin Spin.

Ignores damage boosts.

Ignores Amplification Matrix.

Hold to hack. Hacked enemies cannot use abilities and can be seen through walls. Hacked health packs spawn faster and can't be used by enemies. Taking damage interrupts the hack attempt.

Cast time:

0.65 + 0.4 seconds

Duration:

8 seconds (reveal, heroes)
1.0 seconds (ability disable, heroes)
45 seconds (health packs)
10 seconds (disable, objects)
3 seconds (disable, B.O.B.)

Max. range:

15 meters

cleansable

Applies a negative status effect that can be removed by Cleanse.

hacked

Abilities are silenced. Reveals if enemy Ultimates are ready.

Sombra hacks enemies to temporarily stop them from using their abilities, or hacks first aid kits to make them useless to her opponents.

• Additional details
• Keywords
• Example video

Additional details:

• Hack can target heroes, health packs and most enemy objects.
• Sombra can see the ult status of hacked enemies (above their healthbar).
• Hack goes on a shorter 3 second cooldown if a non-player unit is hacked or if Hack is interrupted by taking damage.
  • If Hack is interrupted without taking any damage, it does not go on cooldown.
• Hack cannot be used on an enemy that is already hacked. This refers to the duration of the reveal debuff rather than the ability lock.
• Using Hack on enemy objects or health packs doesn't end Stealth, but instead reveals Sombra to nearby enemies.
  • Using Hack on enemy heroes will exit Stealth, however.
• An unobstructed line of sight to the target is required for the entirety of the startup animation. Barriers break line of sight instantly. Walls also break line of sight, but there is a brief grace period where Hack can continue.
• Hacked heroes cannot activate their abilities for 1 second and are revealed to Sombra's team for 8 seconds.
  • A "HACKED" text will appear to the players while their abilities are locked.
  • Hack disables all hero-specific movement passive abilities. Heroes that have a higher base movement speed keep their increased speed.
  • Hack completely turns off Lúcio's Crossfade, retracts Sigma's Experimental Barrier and Wrecking Ball exits Roll.
  • Hack does not affect weapons nor passive abilities tied to weapons.
  • Hacked heroes display a check mark above their head if they have their ultimate ability available.
• Hacked Health Packs respawn four times faster — 2.5 seconds for small Health Packs, 3.75 seconds for mega Health Packs — and can be seen through walls to all allies within 30 meters. Hacked Health Packs cannot be used by the enemy team unless their area effected by Sonic Disruption.
  • Healing from hacked Health Packs is credited to Sombra in the scoreboard, but she does not gain any ultimate charge from it.
  • Health Packs cannot be hacked before the round starts.
  • Sombra cannot hack Health Packs that have already been hacked by an enemy Sombra or Hanzo with Sonic Disruption.
• Following objects can be hacked, either disabling them briefly or completely destroying them.
  • Torbjörn's Turret and Illari's Healing Pylon are disabled for 10 seconds when hacked.
  • Ashe's B.O.B. is disabled for 3 seconds when hacked.
  • Hacking Lifeweaver's Petal Platform prevents it from activating or causes it to fall on ground, destroying it, if already activated.
  • Hacking Baptiste's Immortality Field completely destroys it.
  • Some objects, such as Symmetra's Sentry Turrets or Teleporter, cannot be targeted by Hack, but can still be hacked with EMP, refer to Objects#List of objects for a complete list.
• Non-heroes that are hacked have a skull above them that drains over time. This represents the duration of the hack.
• Hacked can be completely removed by Zarya's Particle/Projected Barrier, Zenyatta's Transcendence or abilities that grant phased out status, such as Wraith Form and Protection Suzu. Becoming phased out while casting hack also prevents it from finishing.
• Becoming Unstoppable, such as through Overrun or Fortify, prevents Hack's ability lockdown, but not its reveal or Opportunist damage boosting.

Keywords:

cleansable

Applies a negative status effect that can be removed by Cleanse.

hacked

Abilities are silenced. Reveals if enemy Ultimates are ready.

Example video:

Virus

LSHIFT

6 seconds

Type

Ability

Effect Type

Projectile

Ignores barriers.

Ignores Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.

Ignores Deflect/Javelin Spin.

Ignores damage boosts.

!

Ignores Amplification Matrix.

Infect enemies with a projectile that deals damage over time. Virus damages hacked targets at a faster rate.

Damage:

35 (impact, normal)
70 (impact, hacked)
75 (DoT)

Headshot:

✕

Cast time:

0.06 + 0.38 seconds

Duration:

4 seconds (normal)
2 seconds (hacked)

Projectile speed:

51 m/s

Projectile radius:

0.5 meters

ability critical

Deals bonus damage in an Area of Effect or under specific conditions. Ignores Critical Immune.

armor piercing^✱

An effect applied by this attack deals damage to Armor as if it were Health.

cleansable

Applies a negative status effect that can be removed by Cleanse.

travel time

Projectile attacks and healing with travel time. Can be Negated.

• Additional details
• Keywords

Additional details:

• Virus's impact damage on hacked targets is doubled and the damage over time is dealt at double rate if the target is hacked.
  • The total DoT amount remains the same whether the target is hacked or not or if they become hacked or lose the debuff after the ability has impacted, but the rate and duration of the effect are adjusted accordingly.
  • The hacked effect does not have to be from the same Sombra that applied the Virus. For example, hitting Virus on a target hacked by Echo that has copied Sombra also triggers the benefits.
• Objects can also be damaged, and if they are hackable, they can also be damaged faster.
• Virus cannot headshot. However, eliminating a hacked hero with the impact damage shows in the kill feed as a critical hit.
• Impact damage is affected by Amplification Matrix but damage over time is not.
• Virus does not benefit from Opportunist, but does from Hack.

Keywords:

ability critical

Deals bonus damage in an Area of Effect or under specific conditions. Ignores Critical Immune.

armor piercing^✱

An effect applied by this attack deals damage to Armor as if it were Health.

cleansable

Applies a negative status effect that can be removed by Cleanse.

travel time

Projectile attacks and healing with travel time. Can be Negated.

Translocator

E

6 seconds

Type

Ability

Effect Type

Arcing projectile
Movement

Ignores barriers.

Ignores Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.

Ignores Deflect/Javelin Spin.

Ignores damage boosts.

Ignores Amplification Matrix.

Throw a beacon and teleport to it. Become stealthed for a short duration after teleporting.

Cast time:

0 + 0.4 seconds

Duration:

0.25 seconds (teleport delay)
0.4 seconds (invulnerability)
5 seconds (invisibility)

Radius:

4 meters (detection)

Mov. speed buff:

+60% (base)
+40% (damaged)

Projectile speed:

72 m/s

absent

Does not Contest or Capture objectives while stealthed.

ignore barrier

No effects of this ability collide with Barriers or heroes.

invulnerable

Cannot be damaged. Contests objectives, but does not capture them.

perfect cleanse

Removes Cleansable status effects as well as Stun, Knockdown and Displace.

phased

An Evasive ability that causes all attacks pass through the hero. Removes Sticky Abilities.

strong movement

Silenced by Hinder.

strong projectile

A projectile that cannot be Negated.

Sombra tosses out a translocator beacon. She can instantly return to the beacon’s location while it is active (including when it’s in mid-flight).

• Additional details
• Keywords
• Example video

Additional details:

• Cooldown for Translocator begins upon teleporting to it.
• Once thrown, the translocator activates immediately upon colliding with terrain or a terrain-like object, such as Ice Wall, or after 0.25 seconds have passed.
  • This results in effective range of 18 meters along the trajectory.
  • Translocator destroys breakables, such as fences, while in flight and does not activate upon hitting them.
• The translocator cannot be damaged, and it does not collide with heroes or objects.
• Being stunned, knocked down, hacked, rooted or hindered prevents Translocator from being used.
  • If Sombra becomes is affected by aforementioned effects (including Chain Hook and Charge) or caught in Graviton Surge while the Translocator is in air, the teleport will go through and the negative effects will be removed.
  • If Sombra becomes affected by Sigma's Gravitic Flux, the teleport goes through but its effects will not be removed.
• Translocator cannot be used while pulled by Life Grip.
  • If Sombra was pulled while Translocator is in air, she will still teleport to it, interrupting the pull.
• Sombra becomes phased out for 0.4 seconds after teleporting, making her immune to damage as well as removing and preventing most negative effects.
• After teleporting, Sombra gains stealth after a 0.25 second fade out period. Once the duration ends or stealth is interrupted it has a 0.3 second fade in period. Sombra is partially visible while fading in/out.
• Stealth is interrupted if Sombra uses primary fire, quick melee, Virus, EMP, or tries to hack an enemy hero.
  • These actions will immediately cause Sombra to start to fade in upon the key press, but they will not be initiated, unless the key is held or pressed again once Sombra has completely faded in.
    • There is no fade in delay if stealth is broken within 0.75 seconds of entering stealth.
• Sombra becomes "revealed" if she uses Hack, takes damage or can be seen through abilities, such as Sonic Arrow or Infra-Sight. When revealed, Sombra will remain in stealth, but Sombra is visible to the entire enemy team. This is indicated by a "REVEALED" message shown at the top of Sombra's screen.
  • Taking damage reveals Sombra for 1.3 seconds.
• If an enemy hero comes within 4 meters of Sombra, they can "detect" Sombra. When detected, Sombra will remain stealthed, but is visible to that specific enemy hero. This is indicated by a "DETECTED!" message, shown at the top of Sombra's screen.
  • B.O.B. cannot detect Sombra.
• Targeted enemy abilities and following auto-targeting attacks cannot target Sombra, unless she is detected by the player or revealed: Deadeye, Tactical Visor, Biotic Grasp Alt Fire and Biotic Orb (damage).
  • Zenyatta's Orb of Discord will remain attached to Sombra while she is stealthed, as long as there are no obstacles between them, but it will not indicate her location. However, Translocator's teleportation will remove the effect if it was applied before it.
• Following enemy objects cannot auto-target Sombra, unless she has been revealed: Sentry Turret or B.O.B..
• Torbjörn's Turret can only attack Sombra when she is out of stealth.
• Sombra can activate Petal Platform while stealthed.
• Sombra cannot contest map objectives while stealthed.
  • If Sombra enters the objective area stealthed, she will remain in stealth.
• Stealth's movement speed buff does not count towards global movement speed buff cap.
• Movement speed buff is tied to the stealth effect. The buff is retained while detected or revealed, but ends if stealth is interrupted.

Keywords:

absent

Does not Contest or Capture objectives while stealthed.

ignore barrier

No effects of this ability collide with Barriers or heroes.

invulnerable

Cannot be damaged. Contests objectives, but does not capture them.

perfect cleanse

Removes Cleansable status effects as well as Stun, Knockdown and Displace.

phased

An Evasive ability that causes all attacks pass through the hero. Removes Sticky Abilities.

strong movement

Silenced by Hinder.

strong projectile

A projectile that cannot be Negated.

Example video:

Ultimate Ability

EMP

Q

1850

Type

Ultimate Ability

Effect Type

Area of effect

Ignores barriers.

Ignores Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.

Ignores Deflect/Javelin Spin.

Ignores damage boosts.

Ignores Amplification Matrix.

Deal damage to all nearby enemies based on their current health, hacking them and destroying barriers around you.

Damage:

25% of current health

Headshot:

✕

Cast time:

0.3 + 0.34 seconds

Duration:

8 seconds (reveal, heroes)
3 seconds (ability disable, heroes)
45 seconds (health packs)
10 seconds (disable, objects)

Radius:

15 meters

Movement speed:

1.25 m/s (jump)

area of effect^✱

Affects targets in a spherical area.

armor piercing

Deals damage to Armor as if it were Health.

cleansable

Applies a negative status effect that can be removed by Cleanse.

destroy barrier

Destroys Barriers and Bubbles. Pierces heroes.

fixed

This ability's damage is unaffected by Amp.

hacked

Abilities are silenced. Reveals if enemy Ultimates are ready.

Sombra discharges electromagnetic energy in a wide radius, damaging shields, health, and hacking all opponents caught in the blast.

• Additional details
• Keywords
• Example video

Additional details:

• EMP is line of sight blocked by terrain.
  • Mei's Ice Wall blocks line of sight to enemies behind it.
  • Lifeweaver's Tree of Life and Petal Platform do not block EMP.
• EMP completely destroys all barriers, including Photon Barrier, Baptiste's Amplification Matrix, and Domina's Panopticon.
  • If Zarya projects a barrier on a target with shields (e.g. herself), the barrier protects the health and the player will not be hacked. Zarya will gain the Energy from the damage absorbed.
• In addition to the objects that can be hacked by Hack, EMP also hacks Symmetra's Sentry Turrets and Teleporter, Mei's Blizzard and Wrecking Ball's Proximity Mines, disabling them for 10 seconds. They must be within Sombra's line of sight, ignoring barriers. Refer to Objects#List of objects for a complete list.
  • Some objects, such as Tree of Life, cannot be hacked but may still be damaged by EMP.
  • Mei's Ice Wall is completely unaffected by EMP.
• Unlike other ultimate abilities Sombra alerts her entire team regardless of distance from her that she had used her EMP. This is done by a radio transmission sounding "EMP activated."
• Sombra can start gaining ultimate charge after 5 seconds of using EMP.
• Sombra receives a small vertical boost from activating EMP.

Keywords:

area of effect^✱

Affects targets in a spherical area.

armor piercing

Deals damage to Armor as if it were Health.

cleansable

Applies a negative status effect that can be removed by Cleanse.

destroy barrier

Destroys Barriers and Bubbles. Pierces heroes.

fixed

This ability's damage is unaffected by Amp.

hacked

Abilities are silenced. Reveals if enemy Ultimates are ready.

Example video:

Perks

Minor Perks

A Minor Perk can be chosen at level 2.

Encrypted Upload

Type

Minor Perk

Hack can be used while invisible, successful hacks increase the duration of stealth by 3 seconds.

• Additional details

Additional details:

• Sombra becomes revealed when hacking enemy players, but no longer exits stealth.
• Stealth's duration increases when hacking enemies, healthpacks, and deployables.
• Allows Sombra to remain in stealth indefinitely if used in conjunction with Translocator.

CTRL ALT ESC

Type

Minor Perk

Teleporting with Translocator while below half health initiates passive health regeneration.

Major perks

A Major Perk can be chosen at level 3.

High-Speed Bandwidth

Type

Major Perk

Hacked health packs grant allies 25% movement speed and 50 overhealth for 4 seconds.

Overhealth:

50

Duration:

4 seconds

Mov. speed buff:

+25%

Viral Replication

Type

Major Perk

Hitting a hacked enemy with Virus spreads Virus to enemies within 8 meters.

Radius:

8 meters

• Additional details

Additional details:

• The spreading Virus only deals the over time portion of the damage.
• If the Virus spreads to another hero that is hacked, it will not trigger another spread.

Hero-specific options

Setting name	Options	Description
Hack sensitivity	10% ... 100% (default: 100%)	Adjusts the targeting sensitivity of Hack. Setting this to a lower value reduces the maximum view angle for acquiring a target.
Toggle Hack	Off (default)	Hack deactivates when player stops holding the button.
	On	Hack deactivates when player presses the button again.
Hide stealth detection ring	Off (default)	Stealth detection ring is present when in stealth.
	On	Stealth detection ring is hidden when in stealth.
Disable translocator camera lock	Off (default)	The camera locks in place during the translocator's teleport.
	On	The camera does not lock in place during the translocator's teleport.

Strategy

Stealth and debilitating attacks makes Sombra a powerful infiltrator. Her hacking can disrupt her enemies, ensuring that they're easier to take out, while her EMP provides the upper hand against multiple foes at once. Sombra’s ability to Translocate and camouflage herself makes her a hard target to pin down. She lacks alternative means of dealing damage, so using Hack can help even the odds between Sombra and her opponents.

Weapons & Abilities

• Stealth (passive): This is the main method for Sombra to infiltrate the enemy team. She will cloak herself and enter into an invisible status with increased movement speed. Any offensive actions, emotes, or taking any amount of damage will break the invisibility.
  • Sometimes using the speed boost is more important than the invisibility itself; you can use it to run towards objectives and rely on your Translocator to get you out of danger instead.
  • There is a somewhat lengthy period between when Sombra breaks out of stealth and when she can act. When you intend to cancel your camouflage, know that you will be vulnerable for this time, so choose your location carefully.
  • Most friendly buffs will not reveal Sombra's location, but Zarya's bubble does (and possibly some other buffs). Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do about this except communicate with your team.

• Machine Pistol: Sombra's primary weapon. Her Machine Pistol shoots in a very fast fire-rate and has a large magazine. It has a large spread and deals little damage per shot. The gun works best in short-range combat, as it has damage falloff around mid-range.
  • While the Machine Pistol is lacking in accuracy at range, it makes up for that in magazine size and fire rate. Sombra can unload onto close-range targets and dispatch them with ease, especially when aiming for headshots.
  • The Machine Pistol's reload is finished slightly after Sombra inserts the magazine into the gun, not after the animation completes.
  • Early reloading of the Machine Pistol can be cancelled by activating Hack during the reload animation.
• Virus: Sombra's alternative source of damage. Sombra throws a projectile at an enemy target or object dealing minor impact damage, but good damage over time. However, a hacked target will take increased impact damage and quicker damage over time.
  • It's best to use it at close range, where it's a bit trickier to dodge it than mid- to long-range. Also, you can quickly follow up with damage from your Machine Pistol.
  • The increase damage over time occurs regardless of when you hack the target. Though it's preferable to hack the target first and then follow up with Virus to maximize your damage output and benefit from the increased impact damage.

• Hack: Sombra's key ability. The Hack can be performed by pressing secondary fire towards a target, taking a few moments to finish. After Sombra finishes the Hack, the enemy will have their abilities disabled for a few seconds. Sombra can also hack health packs to make them respawn even faster while simultaneously preventing the enemy from using it. Sustaining any amount of damage during the activation of Hack will interrupt the ability.
  • Since Hack will notify your target of your presence, it can sometimes be better not to do it, even if it will make them weaker. Bastion in Sentry mode is a good example of where it may be more valuable to just go straight for the kill.
  • Priortizing who to Hack is a core part of mastering the ability. Try to think of who would be the most affected by a Hack, and keep in mind that it also highly depends on the current situation. Instead of a support hero such as Mercy or Ana — perhaps there is a Genji harassing your backline that your team is having trouble pinning down, or you've spotted a hiding Reaper who may have his Ultimate ready.
  • Don't underestimate the power of hacking Health packs; although it no longer generates ultimate charge, they still respawn quicker and are unusable by the enemy. However, it is important to prioritize hacking packs based on their use by your teammates and/or denying their use from the enemy team.

• Translocator: Sombra will throw a beacon in an arc, that teleports her to its location after a small delay or if it collides with terrain.
  • Sombra is briefly invulnerable after teleporting. This can be used to remove negative effects from her, such as damage over time effects, or if timed well, dodge telegraphed damaging abilities, like Self-Destruct.
  • When Sombra recalls, a visual effect displays the direction of her teleport, as well as showing at the point of her recall.
  • Don't be afraid to use the translocator as more than a means of escape; it provides Sombra with some of the best mobility in the game. Use it to take the high ground mid-fight to throw off your opponent's aim or to avoid important cool-downs such as Helix Rocket or Chain Hook and turn the fight in your favor. It can also open hack opportunities that might otherwise be difficult to secure, such as hacking a flying Pharah.

• EMP (Ultimate): Sombra's ultimate ability. Sombra discharges her energy and creates a blast in a large radius around herself. All enemies within the blast will be Hacked and unable to use any abilities for a few more seconds than her Hack. Any active barrier from enemies will be destroyed.
  • EMP is able to pierce through barriers to hack multiple targets, and hack all health packs in the area of effect.
  • EMP's blast doesn't go through walls, floors, ceilings, or solid objects. Keep this in mind when moving into position to activate EMP.
  • EMP is an excellent "initiator" ability; it should be the first ultimate to be used during a team fight, as it can leave the enemy team with no abilities or barriers to escape or protect them from your teammates' ultimates.
  • EMP has a variety of potential uses. Identify the most valuble use for the EMP before popping it. Using it as an initiation ult can be effective, but if you miss the enemy Zenyatta, he may cancel out your push by using his Transcendence.
  • Determine whether or not you need to use your Translocator to pull off an EMP or save it to reposition after your ult. Sometimes you can simply drop from high ground, use EMP and then translocate back and fight from above.
  • Coordination is key to ensure that your teammates are in position and have their abilities ready to follow-up on your EMP, lest you waste it and only inconvenience the enemy team.

General strategies

• Choose fights carefully. Sombra requires planning before taking engagements to maximize her chances. If you're going for a backline kill, determine your target ahead of time and consider if and how many of the enemy team can potentially one-shot you. Heroes like Cassidy and Roadhog can often stun and kill you before you are able to escape.
• Timing is critical for Sombra. Engaging when your team is not fighting the enemy means more opponents can freely target you. If you're planning a distraction, use your team's outlines to determine if they are in position to capitilize. Communicating who you have lured away from the choke is also useful for your team.
• Adaptability is also crucial for Sombra. You need to be able to recognize when you need to remain back with your team to peel an enemy flanker like Genji, to infiltrate the backlines and land a critical hack, or to constantly pressure the enemy team by contesting the objective and pulling them from the choke. Often you will switch between all of these styles in the same match. Keeping tabs on what the enemy is running, the kill feed, and your own team's communication is key to determining what you need to be doing.
• Sombra's stealth and translocator allow her to get behind enemy lines easier than any hero. Getting the jump on an enemy Widowmaker or taking down Reinhardt's shield with a good Hack can mean all the difference when trying to take a point. Remember, however, that she cannot take on a whole team by herself. Be sure to communicate with your team so they can jump in after you've done your piece.
• Highground is very useful for Sombra, try to utilize it as frequently as you can. It acts as a sort of defense against some heroes and it is easier to pull off hacks from above. Additionally, Sombra's gun is deceptive — its range and spread is good enough to fight from the high ground, and the angle will help you land headshots.
• If Sombra takes any damage of any kind, stealth is instantly broken. As such, try to avoid running through fights while invisible; you may get caught in the crossfire and become exposed as a result. Coming within 4 meters of enemies will cause you to be detected, allowing nearby enemies to see you.
• Sombra is highly reliant on her teammates to capitalize on her abilities during team fights. Communicating with your teammates on enemies with low HP, your intended hack target, and when you are going to use EMP is necessary to realize her full potential during team play.

Match-Ups and Team Synergy

Tank

Hero	Match-Up	Team Synergy
D.Va	A battle against D.Va all comes down to whether or not you land a hack. If you hack the D.Va, she's rendered useless, a slow brick with pitiful gunfire that can't fly or negate attacks. Even in a one-on-one fight, a hacked D.Va is easy prey. Should the D.Va catch you before you land the hack, though, you will have more difficulty fighting her. However, if you hang back behind your team, you can usually hack D.Va while she's distracted, as she'll often be using her Defense Matrix before being able to react to your hack. Just be wary that D.Va has much higher health than you, and if you fail to hack her in a one-on-one fight, a skilled D.Va can easily track you down and take you out, regardless of whether you Translocate (since she can just follow your trail of light).	Shattering enemy barriers with your EMP can pave the way for a full team wipe with D.Va's Self-Destruct. In general, it's better to have the D.Va use her ability before yours; this way, the enemy team will more likely huddle around a barrier for you to break with EMP and not be able to react in time, whereas if you activate EMP first, they'll be more likely to split apart and flee.
Orisa	Hacking Orisa unfortunately doesn't have quite the same impact as Hacking other Tanks does. All you remove is her ability to activate Fortify and Javelin Spin, but her high health and Fusion Driver primary attack can help her fend for herself even once hacked. Even so, Orisa struggles with being engaged from multiple directions, so flanking her can greatly hinder her if she doesn't have teammates watching her back. Since Fortify grants immunity Hack's ability lockdown, it is very difficult to prevent Orisa with good reactions from activating Fortify or Terra Surge.	Sombra can use Hack or EMP to prevent enemies from using abilities to escape or mitigate damage from Terra Surge.
Reinhardt	Reinhardt is by far one of Sombra's easiest marks. While you can't hack through his shield, it's simple enough through stealth to get behind or above him to perform a hack, at which point he becomes nearly useless, allowing your previously held back team to move in and steamroll the opposition. At close range he may be dangerous, but it's incredibly simple to toss your Translocator and flee his low range. Even Fire Strike is easy enough to avoid if you see it coming. When activating EMP, Reinhardt should always be one of your top priorities to hit with it. Not only does EMP negate his abilities as usual, but if his shield is active at the time it will be destroyed. Even if he survives the following assault, his shield will have incredibly low health, making him an easy target.	One of the only counters to Reinhardt's powerful Earthshatter Ultimate is an enemy barrier. With that in mind, hacking an enemy Reinhardt or performing an EMP to shatter all barriers in the vicinity can pave the way for your allied Reinhardt to smash the enemy team.
Roadhog	If you're hooked by Roadhog, you're easy pickings. However, if you manage to hack him, like all Tanks he becomes much easier to handle. Losing his Hook and Take a Breather makes him a large target with a short range and a low clip size. However, he still has sizable health, which may make it difficult to kill him before your hack wears off or if he has a friendly healer nearby. With your stealth abilities, it should be easy enough to hack him before he can notice you. Even when hacked, his Scrap Gun can still deal heavy damage, so be wary and try to avoid its fire. Your Machine Pistol's large spread means you'll need to fight Roadhog rather close to effectively damage him, which is where he's more comfortable. Try to converge on him with your team when he's hacked, or keep your distance so he can't deal heavy damage to you. Hacking him during Whole Hog will cancel the ability completely, so try to land a quick hack while he's facing away from you.	Using hack or EMP to nullify an enemy barrier can help your Roadhog plow through them with his Whole Hog Ultimate. This will also make it easier for him to hook opponents who may have been protected by barriers.
Sigma	Hacking Sigma leaves him unable to reposition Experimental Barrier, but even when hacked his Hyperspheres deal massive damage, so be wary around him. When he is activating Kinetic Grasp, though, he's prone to a quick and easy Hack. Gravitic Flux can be cancelled with Hack or EMP within the cast animation, before he places the ultimate.	Hacking or using EMP on enemies can reduce their ability to flee or deploy barriers, which can help a friendly Sigma grab them all with his Gravitic Flux. Also, flankers will see Sigma as a prime target to harass, so if you stay by him and hack any flankers that come his way, you should both be able to quickly eliminate them.
Wrecking Ball	You are one of Wrecking Ball's greatest counters, and one of his greatest nightmares. Wrecking Ball's strength comes from his ability to quickly barrel through an enemy, disrupt them, and flee. By Hacking him, you force him out of his ball and strip him of his mobility, making him a big slow target for you and your team to snuff out. Be sure your team quickly kills him once he's hacked, though, because as soon as his Hack wears off he's certain to attempt a quick getaway. In addition to removing his mobility, EMP will also strip him of any shields that he may have active from Adaptive Shield. In a pinch, a Hack or EMP can shut down the mines of his Minefield.	Triggering EMP over a hoard of enemies huddling under a barrier can help ensure that a friendly Wrecking Ball's Minefield hits as many opponents as possible.
Winston	Due to Winston's constant mobility, it will be more difficult for you to go unnoticed than it would be with other Tanks. His Barrier Projector blocks hacking just like Reinhardt's shield, but unlike Reinhardt, Winston's shield covers him in a 360 degree radius, making it more difficult to sneak behind him and hack him. If you manage to begin a hack on Winston, it's very simple for him to jump away to avoid the hack, and if his jump is on cooldown, he'll usually be close enough during your hack to retaliate with his Tesla Cannon, nullifying the hack. Even if you hack him, his Tesla Cannon will track your movements, making combat with him very difficult. Hacking during Primal Rage won't negate it, but it will stop him from using his Jump Pack, rendering him much less volatile. If you hack an overextending Winston nearer the end of his ultimate, he will be unable to escape or redeploy his barrier, and will usually be easy pickings for your team. On the plus side, EMP will immediately destroy a projected barrier. Still, overall you should keep away from Winston if you can and let your more well-equipped teammates handle him.	Hacking mobile heroes or heroes with barrier abilities can help a friendly Winston keep a bead on them and finish them off.
Zarya	Hacking Zarya strips her of her shielding abilities. Not only does this nullify her defense, but by removing her ability to charge her gun, it also indirectly weakens her offense as well. Once she's been hacked, she's still more of a formidable foe than the likes of Reinhardt or D.Va, but she's still generally rather easy to handle. EMP not only destroys her active barriers, but it also also eliminates her shields, making her much easier to kill, although she does gain 40 energy per barrier destroyed by EMP. Keep in mind that Zarya can't be targeted by Hack while she has a barrier up, so just back off and wait until the barrier dissipates before performing the hack.	A cluster of enemies gathered by Graviton Surge are easy prey for a massive EMP. Be wary of enemy Zenyattas, though, who will instinctively activate Transcendence once his team is grabbed by a Graviton Surge. If the enemy team has a Zenyatta, it's often better to hack him or use EMP before your Zarya activates Graviton Surge, which will keep him from activating Transcendence and secure a team wipe for your allies.

Damage

Hero	Match-Up	Team Synergy
Ashe	At a range and up close, Ashe is a very threatening opponent to fight. Hacking her has little impact, as most of her power comes from her impressive rifle. In general it's best to stay out of her line of sight and focus on other opponents to Hack. When Ashe deploys BOB, though, you can Hack him to completely shut him down, an incredibly helpful maneuver.	Breaking an enemy's barriers with EMP can not only help a friendly Ashe land more accurate shots, but can also help ensure BOB has a clean line of sight to gun down your enemies.
Bastion	The mere sight of Sombra on the enemy scoreboard can be very disruptive to Bastion gameplay. While hacking Bastion will not force him out of Assault mode, your ability to easily get behind him and shoot his core while he's in it poses a serious threat. Even if he turns around to shoot you before you can finish him off, you can continue to harass him if you can take cover fast enough, forcing him to either focus on your team and leave his back vulnerable again or waste precious transformation time trying to hunt you down (and expose his back to the rest of your team). His Ultimate is very easy for you to interrupt, so follow him if his Ultimate is ready and you see him heading for cover.	Hacking or using EMP on enemies can help Bastion run them through quicker, especially tanks like D.Va or Sigma who can block an unlimited amount of fire while their abilities are available.
Cassidy	If you wish to hack Cassidy, you'll need to catch him by surprise; otherwise, he'll be able to quickly land a shot on you to cancel the hack, if not outright kill you. Should you hack him, though, just stay close range and you should be able to take him out, as without Flashbang or Fan the Hammer, he's not as potent at close range. If the Cassidy hits you with Flashbang by surprise, you will most likely be finished off by Fan the Hammer; however, if you have a Translocator already planted elsewhere, you have a slight chance of one of his shots missing. In this scenario, mash the ability button as quickly as you can, and you may just manage to Translocate to safety. Hacking Cassidy negates Deadeye, so if you hear him activate it nearby, try to sneak up on him and hack him before he can fire.	Sombra's hacks can stop tanks like Reinhardt from keeping their barriers up, allowing a friendly Cassidy to make better unblocked shots. Using EMP on a crowd of enemies hiding behind a barrier can help Cassidy wipe them all out with Deadeye.
Doomfist	As Doomfist's power comes from comboing his abilities one after the other, you're one of his harshest counters. Land a quick Hack on him while he's focused on a teammate, and he'll become nearly defenseless. Just be sure to stick with your team when your opponents have a Doomfist, as he'll try to isolate not only your teammates if they're left alone, but also you; if you're trapped in a fight alone with Doomfist, you'll want to use your Translocator to flee as quickly as possible, because a few punches from him will quickly finish you off.	As barriers will protect enemies from Doomfist's Meteor Strike, it may be helpful to use EMP to break through them to give your friendly Doomfist a clear shot.
Echo	Hacking Echo removes her incredible mobility as well as a lot of her kill potential because she will not be able to use sticky bombs or focusing beam and will have to rely solely on her tri-shots, which your machine pistol can beat out most of the time in close to mid range combat. However, Echo is very difficult to kill if you don't get the hack off, because she can easily fly out of your effective range and burst you down, so if she thwarts your hack attempt, translocate away. Try to hack Echo out of the sky if she's flying over your teammates, as you can drop her onto them with no way to escape. In addition, if Echo ever uses Duplicate, hacking her can take away a lot of her ultimate's value as the whole point is to use the ultimate or abilities of another hero.	(To be added)
Genji	When hacked, Genji can do very little against Sombra; at the loss of his Swift Strike, Cyber Agility and Deflect, all he has are his Shuriken, which are far less effective than your Machine Pistol at close to mid range. Hacking after a Swift Strike or during Deflect is incredibly easy, as Genji is unable to attack back during the duration of the hack. You can also use your stealth abilities to get around Genji and hack him before he can notice you. When unhacked, Genji is more difficult to deal with. It's wise to have a Translocator ready at a safe location if he gets you to low health so you can warp away. If he attempts to Deflect your fire, that's a perfect time to perform a hack and seal his fate. Hacking during Dragonblade doesn't cancel his Ultimate, but it does stop him from performing Swift Strike, making the Ultimate much less potent.	Hacking or using EMP on enemies can help make them easier targets for a friendly Genji, especially when he's using his Dragonblade.
Hanzo	It's easy enough to close the gap with Hanzo with Translocator and Thermoptic Camo; the problem is fighting him once you've done so. Even if you hack him, that only removes his trick arrows, and his primary fire is still powerful enough to handle himself in a fight. Try to jump around frequently to avoid his fire, and you should be alright. Be wary of Hanzo's Sonic Arrow while camouflaged; you will receive a notice that you're being detected, so watch out for stray arrows flying your way. A quick hack can disrupt Dragonstrike, but the timing has to be precise, making this a very difficult maneuver.	Hacks or an EMP can immobilize quick heroes such as Tracer or Winston, which can make them easier shots for Hanzo's standard fire as well as his Dragonstrike.
Junkrat	Hacking Junkrat will cause him to lose his Concussion Mine and Steel Trap, but it will only take a few of his grenades to quickly kill you. If you keep your distance when attacking, though, you should be alright. If you manage to hack him while activating Rip-Tire, it will cancel Rip-Tire while consuming his Ultimate charge; however, the timing on this is extremely precise, so it's not likely you'll catch him in the act. Instead, if you hear him activating his Ultimate, your stealth and speed should make it easy to find his vulnerable body, allowing you to quickly shoot him down. His Steel Trap can be very annoying, as it can cut off your flanking routes, deny you easy access to hacked healthpacks, or perhaps worst of all, be placed over your Translocator if he finds it. Be sure to place your Translocators carefully.	Removing barriers with EMP or hacking enemies such as Reinhardt can give Junkrat clearer shots with his grenades, as well as helping him hit more enemies with RIP-Tire.
Mei	By hacking Mei, you deny her of her two greatest defensive stalling assets, her Ice Walls and Cryo-Freeze. While a Mei will normally try to stall an objective while her team regroups, hacking her makes her incredibly easy to pick off by you or your team. It helps that you can keep your distance while hacking and avoid her primary fire, and you should be able to avoid her icicle shots until she's hacked. Once she's hacked, you can quickly mow her down without breaking a sweat. Just be careful not to get too cocky; even if she's hacked, she can still freeze you solid and follow up with a headshot, so keep your fight at a distance so you won't get frozen. Have a Translocator planted nearby in case she starts freezing you.	EMP can keep heroes with mobility abilities from fleeing Mei's Blizzard, and it can also disable D.Va's Defense Matrix and Sigma's Kinetic Grasp, preventing them from absorbing the projectile.
Pharah	If you land a hack on Pharah, she'll lose her Jump Jet and Hover, rendering her a much easier target for you and your team to take out. Hacking also interrupts Barrage, so if you catch her mid-fire, you should attempt to hack her to cancel the ability. If the Pharah sees you and is fighting you off while you try to hack her, disengage and flee, as it will only take a couple of rockets to quickly snuff you out.	Using Hack or EMP to nullify enemy barriers can help Pharah land more direct hits with her standard rockets and with Barrage.
Reaper	Hacking Reaper removes all of his mobility, forcing him to walk at a slow pace. That being said, at close range, Reaper can still easily outdamage you, hacked or not. Always be sure to keep your distance from Reaper, and you should be able to handle him okay. If caught by surprise, attempt to Translocate out of the engagement rather than fighting back. You can hack him to cancel Death Blossom, but he will most likely hit you with his barrage mid-hack, so it may not be worth the attempt.	Destroying enemy barriers with Hack or EMP can help clear the way for Reaper to run through your enemies with Death Blossom.
Soldier: 76	Hacking Soldier: 76 strips him of his Helix Rockets, Biotic Field, and Sprint, but his Pulse Rifle shouldn't be underestimated. At close to mid-range, a hacked Soldier: 76 is still capable of going toe to toe with you. If he isn't hacked, he can maintain his health or quickly hit you with rockets, so be cautious. Hacking him during Tactical Visor won't cancel his ability, it will only cause him to lose the abilities previously mentioned; while losing Helix Rockets will reduce his lethality slightly, his regular fire will still be more than enough to gun down you and any unprepared teammates.	Hacking or using EMP to destroy enemy barriers or reduce enemy mobility can give Soldier: 76 more clear shots with his standard gunfire and with Tactical Visor.
Sombra	If the enemy team has a Sombra, then you'll both be competing for hacked health packs. Try to claim as many as you can; not only will this stop the enemy Sombra from hacking them, this will also refuse the enemy team of a good deal of healing while providing more healing for your team. Unless you catch the other Sombra by surprise, don't attempt to hack her, because she may be attempting to hack you too, and it's not worth the gamble to see who started the hack a split second sooner. It's better to engage with gunfire, which will stop her hack if she's attempting one on you.	In a No Limits game with multiple Sombras, you can cover more ground, hack more health kits, and land more hacks on enemies. That being said, running two Sombras means having a smaller damage output than usual, which will make it difficult for your team to eliminate Hacked enemies.
Symmetra	While you can move past Symmetra's turrets while cloaked, you're incredibly vulnerable to them if you get caught due to your low health. If you encounter Symmetra head to head, unless she's already wounded, your best chance is to fling your Translocator far away and escape. Even if you somehow manage to hack her, all you're removing is her capacity to build turrets or project a teleporter, which won't matter that much in a direct battle. If Symmetra has a teleporter active, you're an excellent candidate to sneak behind enemy lines and hunt it down. EMP will completely eradicate Photon Barrier, making your Ultimate an effective counter to hers.	Sombra has no notable team synergy with Symmetra.
Torbjörn	You can hack Torbjorn's turrets, but they must be focused on an enemy to do so (or you must hack from around a corner so it can't hit you), which is often easier said that done in a firefight. As for Torbjorn himself, all hacking will do is negate his ability to deploy a new Turret or activate Overload or Molten Core. That being said, if Torbjorn is without his turret and doesn't have Overload active, you can generally handle him in a one-on-one bout. If you're having difficulty with his Turret, EMP will completely shut it down for a brief period of time for your team to move in.	Using EMP to annihilate enemy barriers can help Torbjorn's turret land more shots, as well as allow Torbjorn himself to land direct hits with his Molten Core.
Tracer	The outcome of a battle with Tracer all comes down to who gets the drop on whom. If you manage to Hack Tracer while she's unaware, then she's child's play; without Blink or Recall, she can be gunned down in seconds. However, if she catches you by surprise, you'll be in for a much tougher fight. Her continuous fire will grant you little opportunity to perform a hack, and with Blink she has the upper hand in disorienting you. Don't forget, you have your own Recall-like ability in the form of your Translocation; if your Translocator is planted on a health kit, you can retreat from the fight at any time and heal. Otherwise, if the fight isn't going well, you can throw the Translocator to high ground where she will have difficulty chasing you down.	Hacking or using EMP on enemies will make them more stationary targets for an allied Tracer to attack. If you see wounded enemies with Opportunist, inform your Tracer; she may be able to slip into the enemy's back line, eliminate them, and retreat before she can be attacked.
Widowmaker	Like Hanzo, you can use your stealth abilities to bypass Widowmaker with little difficulty. Unlike Hanzo, however, Widowmaker is much less dangerous at close range. Even with her automatic fire, you'll generally outdamage her. If you hack her prior to the engagement, you'll remove her ability to use her Grappling Hook to escape. If you're in danger of dying, you'll always be able to Translocate to a safe location if you set up your Translocator prior to fighting the Widowmaker. Infra-Sight will allow Widowmaker's team to notice you while you're invisible; don't try to wade too far into enemy territory during its duration and stay under cover, and you should be safe.	When a friendly Widowmaker's Infra-Sight is active, your team will be able to see the locations of every opponent. Since you have the ability to detect which enemies are at low health, you can call out weakened targets to eliminate one after the other.

Support

Hero	Match-Up	Team Synergy
Ana	Ana doesn't have sustained fire like many other heroes, which means that even if you don't catch her by surprise, it's still pretty easy to avoid her fire to land a hack on her. Without her Sleep Dart or Biotic Grenade, all Ana has is her primary fire, which while potent even at close range, is still not enough to overpower you if you land your shots right. However, if she catches you with a Sleep Dart before you can hack her, you're as good as dead, so be cautious. Likewise, if she hits you with Biotic Grenade, it's better to escape since it will only take a shot or two from her rifle to finish you off.	While a Nano-Boosted Sombra is rarely a good idea, using EMP to weaken the enemy team can help a Nano-Boosted ally more efficiently wipe them out.
Baptiste	EMP completely destroys an active Amplification Matrix, but Hack does not. Hacking the Immortality Field's generator will temporarily disable it; in a pinch, you can use EMP to disable it and anyone nearby. As teams tend to huddle around an Immortality Field, though, this could be an easy way to Hack a good number of opponents at once, opening up a window for a powerful follow-up ultimate.	Sombra has no notable team synergy with Baptiste.
Brigitte	Hacking Brigitte will cut off her abilities that can help her fight off enemies. However, it doesn't cut off Inspire; while her self-heal from Inspire is manageable, in a group fight she'll still be more than capable of healing her team through her flail attacks. Only land a Hack on her from a safe distance or from behind a barrier, otherwise you run the risk of her quickly taking you out with a Shield Bash. If she fails to activate Inspire once she's been hacked, her huge hitbox for a support will more often than not lead to a kill.	Sombra has no notable team synergy with Brigitte.
Kiriko	Kiriko can be a massive obstacle to typical Sombra strategies. Protection Suzu can un-hack your targets or grant temporary immunity to hacking, disrupting your most useful ability. Picking her off first is no easy feat either, as she can use it on herself to block your hacking attempt, or cleanse herself of the hack after her abilities get back online to deny you your usual bonus damage against hacked targets. Her kunai can deal an unexpected fatal blow with their high critical hit damage, bursting you down before you can use your Translocator. Even picking off stray targets is risky as long as she's alive, as she can use Swift Step to reinforce them even without line of sight. Try to wait until she's distracted or her Protection Suzu is on cooldown to ambush her.	Your EMP is an excellent follow up to her Kitsune Rush, and vice versa.
Lúcio	Hacking a Lúcio turns off his auras and wallride, leaving him a sitting duck with only his primary fire. Regardless, in a 1 on 1 battle, unless Lúcio knocks you into a pit when you have no translocator down, you should be able to handle yourself fairly against him. A well-timed EMP will immediately nullify Lúcio's Sound Barrier, which can be imperative if your teammates use an Ultimate such as Gravitic Flux.	Sombra has no notable team synergy with Lúcio.
Mercy	If you land a hack on Mercy, she loses Guardian Angel, her prime method of escape. Without it, she'll be incredibly easy to gun down if her team isn't nearby to protect her. If a Mercy is in the process of using Resurrect, hacking her will cut it off and provide you and your team enough time to finish her off.	Sombra has no notable team synergy with Mercy.
Moira	Hacking Moira strips her of both Biotic Orb and Fade, her most potent abilities for fighting and survivability. Due to Biotic Grasp's lock-on ability, though, it will be difficult to complete a Hack against a Moira aware of your presence. Fade will cleanse virus, and can be used to either escape you or to pursue you. Try to Hack Moira while she is distracted; otherwise, don't attempt to engage if you're alone. Even if you do Hack her, her Biotic Grasp's self-heal may be able to keep her alive long enough to recover from your Hack. If you land a Hack on her in a team fight, you and your team can quickly finish her off. A Hack or EMP will instantly stop Coalescence, so if she activates it, stay out of her view and Hack her while her attention is focused on your team.	Sombra has no notable team synergy with Moira.
Zenyatta	Hacking Zenyatta will remove his ability to send out his Harmony or Discord orbs, though if they're already on a target they will remain so until they are returned automatically. This will reduce Zenyatta's viability, but it won't make him harmless. Even without his Discord Orb, a Zenyatta with good aim is still an even match for you. He has more advantage at a range, so try to keep the fight in close quarters, running around him and disorienting him. Zenyatta should be one of your top priority target to eliminate after activating EMP because he only left with a measly 50 Health if caught inside your Ultimate. Also, if your team is preparing a team-killing ultimate such as Graviton Flux or Graviton Surge, it's crucial to hack Zenyatta or use EMP near him so he won't be able to protect his team with Transcendence.	With your ability to see enemies with low health, you can call out targets for a friendly Zenyatta to hit with a Discord Orb, which will help you and your team quickly finish weakened enemies off.

Map Strategies

Control

Control Map Strategies
Map	Strategy & Stage Tips
Overall Strategy	TBA RATING | TBA FEATURE Map strategy details for Overall Strategy are currently missing. You can help the Overwatch Wiki by adding them!
Antarctic Peninsula	TBA RATING | TBA FEATURE Map strategy details for Antarctic Peninsula are currently missing. You can help the Overwatch Wiki by adding them! Labs Strategy details missing. Sublevel Strategy details missing. Icebreaker Strategy details missing.
Busan	TBA RATING | TBA FEATURE Map strategy details for Busan are currently missing. You can help the Overwatch Wiki by adding them! Downtown Strategy details missing. Sanctuary Strategy details missing. MEKA Base Strategy details missing.
Ilios	TBA RATING | TBA FEATURE Map strategy details for Ilios are currently missing. You can help the Overwatch Wiki by adding them! Lighthouse Strategy details missing. Well Strategy details missing. Ruins Strategy details missing.
Lijiang Tower	TBA RATING | TBA FEATURE Map strategy details for Lijiang Tower are currently missing. You can help the Overwatch Wiki by adding them! Control Center Strategy details missing. Garden Strategy details missing. Night Market Strategy details missing.
Nepal	TBA RATING | TBA FEATURE Map strategy details for Nepal are currently missing. You can help the Overwatch Wiki by adding them! Village Strategy details missing. Shrine Strategy details missing. Sanctum Strategy details missing.
Oasis	TBA RATING | TBA FEATURE Map strategy details for Oasis are currently missing. You can help the Overwatch Wiki by adding them! City Center Strategy details missing. Gardens Strategy details missing. University Strategy details missing.
Samoa	TBA RATING | TBA FEATURE Map strategy details for Samoa are currently missing. You can help the Overwatch Wiki by adding them! Beach Strategy details missing. Downtown Strategy details missing. Volcano Strategy details missing.

Escort

Escort Map Strategies
Map	Strategy & Stage Tips
Overall Strategy	TBA RATING | TBA FEATURE Map strategy details for Overall Strategy are currently missing. You can help the Overwatch Wiki by adding them!
Circuit Royal	TBA RATING | TBA FEATURE Map strategy details for Circuit Royal are currently missing. You can help the Overwatch Wiki by adding them! Attack Strategy details missing. Defense Strategy details missing.
Dorado	TBA RATING | TBA FEATURE Map strategy details for Dorado are currently missing. You can help the Overwatch Wiki by adding them! Attack Strategy details missing. Defense Strategy details missing.
Havana	TBA RATING | TBA FEATURE Map strategy details for Havana are currently missing. You can help the Overwatch Wiki by adding them! Attack Strategy details missing. Defense Strategy details missing.
Junkertown	TBA RATING | TBA FEATURE Map strategy details for Junkertown are currently missing. You can help the Overwatch Wiki by adding them! Attack Strategy details missing. Defense Strategy details missing.
Rialto	TBA RATING | TBA FEATURE Map strategy details for Rialto are currently missing. You can help the Overwatch Wiki by adding them! Attack Strategy details missing. Defense Strategy details missing.
Route 66	TBA RATING | TBA FEATURE Map strategy details for Route 66 are currently missing. You can help the Overwatch Wiki by adding them! Attack Strategy details missing. Defense Strategy details missing.
Shambali Monastery	TBA RATING | TBA FEATURE Map strategy details for Shambali Monastery are currently missing. You can help the Overwatch Wiki by adding them! Attack Strategy details missing. Defense Strategy details missing.
Watchpoint: Gibraltar	TBA RATING | TBA FEATURE Map strategy details for Watchpoint: Gibraltar are currently missing. You can help the Overwatch Wiki by adding them! Attack Strategy details missing. Defense Strategy details missing.

Hybrid

Hybrid Map Strategies
Map	Strategy & Stage Tips
Overall Strategy	TBA RATING | TBA FEATURE Map strategy details for Overall Strategy are currently missing. You can help the Overwatch Wiki by adding them!
Blizzard World	TBA RATING | TBA FEATURE Map strategy details for Blizzard World are currently missing. You can help the Overwatch Wiki by adding them! Attack Strategy details missing. Defense Strategy details missing.
Eichenwalde	TBA RATING | TBA FEATURE Map strategy details for Eichenwalde are currently missing. You can help the Overwatch Wiki by adding them! Attack Strategy details missing. Defense Strategy details missing.
Hollywood	TBA RATING | TBA FEATURE Map strategy details for Hollywood are currently missing. You can help the Overwatch Wiki by adding them! Attack Strategy details missing. Defense Strategy details missing.
King's Row	TBA RATING | TBA FEATURE Map strategy details for King's Row are currently missing. You can help the Overwatch Wiki by adding them! Attack Strategy details missing. Defense Strategy details missing.
Midtown	TBA RATING | TBA FEATURE Map strategy details for Midtown are currently missing. You can help the Overwatch Wiki by adding them! Attack Strategy details missing. Defense Strategy details missing.
Numbani	TBA RATING | TBA FEATURE Map strategy details for Numbani are currently missing. You can help the Overwatch Wiki by adding them! Attack Strategy details missing. Defense Strategy details missing.
Paraíso	TBA RATING | TBA FEATURE Map strategy details for Paraíso are currently missing. You can help the Overwatch Wiki by adding them! Attack Strategy details missing. Defense Strategy details missing.

Push

Push Map Strategies
Map	Strategy & Stage Tips
Overall Strategy	TBA RATING | TBA FEATURE Map strategy details for Overall Strategy are currently missing. You can help the Overwatch Wiki by adding them!
Colosseo	TBA RATING | TBA FEATURE Map strategy details for Colosseo are currently missing. You can help the Overwatch Wiki by adding them! Pushing Strategy details missing. Defending Strategy details missing.
Esperança	TBA RATING | TBA FEATURE Map strategy details for Esperança are currently missing. You can help the Overwatch Wiki by adding them! Pushing Strategy details missing. Defending Strategy details missing.
New Queen Street	TBA RATING | TBA FEATURE Map strategy details for New Queen Street are currently missing. You can help the Overwatch Wiki by adding them! Pushing Strategy details missing. Defending Strategy details missing.
Runasapi	TBA RATING | TBA FEATURE Map strategy details for Runasapi are currently missing. You can help the Overwatch Wiki by adding them! Pushing Strategy details missing. Defending Strategy details missing.

Flashpoint

Flashpoint Map Strategies
Map	Strategy & Stage Tips
Overall Strategy	TBA RATING | TBA FEATURE Map strategy details for Overall Strategy are currently missing. You can help the Overwatch Wiki by adding them!
Aatlis	TBA RATING | TBA FEATURE Map strategy details for Aatlis are currently missing. You can help the Overwatch Wiki by adding them! Station Strategy details missing. Garden Strategy details missing. Town Center Strategy details missing. Bazaar Strategy details missing. Resort Strategy details missing.
New Junk City	TBA RATING | TBA FEATURE Map strategy details for New Junk City are currently missing. You can help the Overwatch Wiki by adding them! Arena Strategy details missing. The Ducts Strategy details missing. Refinery Strategy details missing. Junkyard Strategy details missing. Bomb Flats Strategy details missing.
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In-Universe References

"¿Quién es 'Sombra'?"

Sombra's existence has been hinted at since early pre-beta builds of the game.

• The name Sombra first appeared during Ellohime's pre-beta stream of Overwatch. While exploring Dorado, Ellohime discovered a table in the LumériCo power plant's control room with three classified manila file folders labeled "SOMBRA [CLASIFICADO]," "SOLDADO: 76 [CLASIFICADO]," and "JACK MORRISON [CLASIFICADO]," along with photographs of Morrison before and after becoming Soldier: 76. These folders can still be seen in-game.

• Some newspapers on the ground in Dorado have an article featuring a silhouette in a hooded cloak, with the headline "¿Quién es 'Sombra'?" ("Who is 'Sombra'?"). This is actually an early version of Sombra's design.

• Many terminals can been seen in the LumériCo power plant on Dorado. Some of the terminals that display "Niveles de Sincronización del Núcleo" ("Core Synchronization Levels") have blinking error messages which read, "ACCESSO NO AUTORIZADO: Protocolo Sombra" ("UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS: Sombra Protocol").

• Reaper sometimes says, "Where's Sombra when you need her?" when he spawns on Dorado.

• In the comic Ana: Old Soldiers, while attempting to infiltrate Hakim's compound in Egypt, Soldier: 76 overhears radio chatter between Reaper and Hakim coming from the earpiece of a fallen guard. The two briefly discuss intel regarding an incident involving Helix Security International. Reaper threatens that Sombra better be able to make use of it.

• On August 30th, 2016, some newspapers in the Overwatch PTR were changed, replacing a headline about Roadhog with one about a "Global Hacking Spree." The newspapers were added to the live game on September 1st.

• After the September 1st patch, the Numbani news ticker was updated with the headline "LumériCo reports massive breach at Dorado power plant, latest attack in global hacking spree."

• With the September 22nd PTR patch, several in-game references were changed or added.
  • The terminals in the power plant were changed to display "ACCESSO NO AUTORIZADO: Protocolo Sombra V2.3". In addition, the terminal screen was added to a room in Volskaya Industries.
  • Two of the Dorado newspapers, including the one with the Sombra article, had the headline "Ola Mundial de Hackeos" ("Global Hacking Spree") added.
  • The newspaper from King's Row was added to other maps, including Temple of Anubis, Hollywood, and in the MV-261 Orca on the Control maps.

• 
  Classified documents found in LumériCo.
• 
  Newspaper article about Sombra strewn across Dorado.
• 
  A warning found on security terminals in LumériCo.
• 
  Newspaper article about global hacking spree in King's Row.
• 
  Numbani news ticker displaying hacking spree headline.
• 
  Updated terminal warnings in LumériCo.

Achievements

Name	Icon	Description	Reward
Hack The Planet		Hack 15 enemies without dying as Sombra in Quick or Competitive play.	Pixel
Power Outage		Hack 5 enemies at once as Sombra in Quick or Competitive play.	Cute

Alternate Reality Game

Main article: Sombra/ARG

Following the announcement of Ana as the 22nd Overwatch hero, a series of cryptographic puzzles about Sombra were slowly released, dubbed the Sombra ARG by the community.

Developer Comments

• Eurogamer questioned Jeff Kaplan about whether it was strange that fans had theorized that Sombra would be featured in Hero. Jeff replied, "No, it was not strange. We have put a lot of hints, all over the game and out of the game, so I would say it's about time that people are concerned with who Sombra is. I hope they keep researching more and find more hints that are out there."

• When asked about Sombra in an interview with Kotaku, Jeff Kaplan said, "I think people have learned that she’s a fun character for them to search and to learn more about and that, like the X-Files, the truth is out there. We’ll see what players discover over time. [...] I think that’s up to Sombra, to give you a cheeky answer. Sombra will let people know when she wants more to be known about her. She’s very good at that sort of thing."

• As of June 6th, 2016, there were still undiscovered hints about Sombra, according to Jeff Kaplan.

• On August 3rd, 2016, Fairlight_Excalibur asked the developers he was interviewing about the compass from the Summer Games video, and was told by Jeff Kaplan, "That sounds like deep CIA stuff. Way above our heads." Later, he asked if all of the clues regarding Sombra that had been "scattered around" had been located, if not solved. Jeff replied, "I gotta be honest with this one, this stuff is so far over my head, that I just don't understand. It's very top secret covert ops, even on the team, so most people don't even know." After Fairlight said he felt lied to and that Jeff did know, Kaplan replied, "It's a mystery."

Trivia

Close up of Halloween Terror candies.

• Sombra was the first damage hero to be added to the roster post Overwatch 1's launch.
• The ammo counter on Sombra's machine pistol is in hexadecimal, and as such reads 3C when the magazine is full.
• The Halloween Terror loot boxes have candies with the Sombra skull icon on the wrapper.
• Sombra is also the only hero that can have another hero's highlight intro appear in her own (her "Hacking" Highlight Intro has another Hero's highlight intro as a prelude before it).
• Unlike most of the heroes, Sombra uses her right hand for the "Quick Melee" attack, instead of the left hand used by most of the heroes.

Cultural References

• "Sombra" is a Spanish word which translates as "shadow" or "shade."
• The skull used in Sombra's icons refers to the art used for skulls in Mexico's Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) festival.
• Sombra's voice line "I know Kung Fu" quotes Thomas Anderson/Neo from The Matrix.
• Sombra's voice lines "Mess with the best, die like the rest" and "Hack the Planet" both quote the 1995 cult classic film, Hackers.

Misc. Character Information

• Sombra's real name wasn't revealed until Zarya's comic, Searching.
• Michael Chu has indicated that Sombra considers Reaper and Widowmaker to be genuine friends of hers, but that the friendship is "complicated."
  • Sombra appears to consider Sigma a friend in Overwatch 2 via her interactions. At the least, she shows genuine concern for his wellbeing.
• Sombra's favourite drink is Mezcal.
• Sombra has a 'tell' when she goes into stealth mode, often appearing at the 11 or 1 o' clock position relative to her opponent's firearm.
• Sombra's interactions in Ashe in Overwatch 2 indicate that she's still in contact with Los Muertos.
• Sombra regularly looks up Cassidy's search history when she's in need of a laugh.
• Sombra is not fond of Don Rumbotico's current liquor. In her words, "the old stuff was much better."
• At some point, Mauga burnt down a Talon server room. This caused Sombra to lose numerous bank account numbers and her favorite pizza recipes.
• Sombra is in contact with Illari.
• Sombra has tapped the Hashimoto clan's calls.
• In Eichenwalde, Sombra can state "I don't... want to stick around here. Something in the air makes my eyes water..." Given the context of the Battle of Eichenwalde, this may indicate that Sombra has lingering trauma from the Omnic Crisis.

Disputed Information

Note: The following information is from gameplay trailers and is of dubious canon status.

• Sometime after Overwatch's reformation, Sombra and her fellow Talon members engaged Overwatch in a firefight at Petra. Talon was forced to retreat.

Merchandise

• A Sombra Funko Pop figure went on sale in 2018.
• A Sombra nendoroid went on sale in Q1 2019.

Development

Early concept art of the Omniblade (left) and Sombra (right).

Sombra originated during the game's early development as a proposed character called the Omniblade, an agile female ninja who would wield shuriken and kunai, predating Hanzo and Genji. As ideation progressed a Mesoamerican theme was incorporated into her design and she was given the name Sombra, however the concept was shelved when they began incorporating elements of her suggested kit, including a double jump and throwing knives that could reveal enemies through walls, into the two new ninja heroes.

Early concept art of Sombra as a stealth hacker

At a later point they conceived of a stealth hacker hero and decided to use the earlier Sombra concept as its foundation. Having previously attempted to build Genji as a slow-moving stealth assassin character and finding it to be unfun, they decided to instead make Sombra an agile infiltration hero focused on gathering intel and disrupting the enemy team, devising her thermoptic camo suit, hacking tendrils, and machine pistol, lending the character a cyberpunk aesthetic. Elements of her new kit seem to have been pulled from the playable Spec Ops class from the initial pitch for Prometheus, which had stealth and EMP abilities, as well as Hivemind, a proposed hero created for the Prometheus pitch meeting with abilities called Disable and EMP pulse. At this point in development Sombra had a hood and a longer coat, however her silhouette began to overlap with the also in-development Ana, so they decided to steer her in a different direction, eventually arriving at her final design.

Initially, Sombra was invisible 100% of the time. This concept generated two problems however. It reduced the sense of Sombra helping her own team (per friendly players not seeing her), and inflicted stress on the enemy team, not knowing if they were safe. Additionally, what she could and couldn't hack went through numerous revisions. She started off as a Support hero, and initially, there was no cooldown for her hacking abilities.

Reveal

October 8, 2016 leak

Prior to the reveal of Ana as the 22nd playable hero in Overwatch, a photograph of Ana wearing her Shrike mask found on Temple of Anubis was incorrectly identified as Sombra, leading to a widespread assumption that the two characters were one and the same, and that Sombra was the rumored in-development support sniper character.

Voice lines extracted from the Public Test Region after Ana's release featured the first suggestions that Sombra would have a stealth ability. On October 8, 2016, a photo of a posting on Blizzard's enterprise social network was leaked online, containing the details for an internal test build featuring the Junkenstein's Revenge event and Sombra, including a screenshot and her bio.

On November 1, 2016, the image urls for unreleased Blizzcon 2016 fine art prints of Sombra and a Diablo III necromancer, hosted on Blizzard's gear store, were leaked, seemingly corroborating the earlier October 8 leak. She was officially announced at BlizzCon 2016 as the 23rd hero.

Removed abilities

Stealth

3.5 seconds

Type

Passive Ability

Effect Type

Movement

When out of combat, become invisible and move faster.

Cast time:

0.25 (fade out)
0.375 seconds (fade in)

Duration:

∞

Radius:

4 meters (detection)

Mov. speed buff:

+60%

Sombra becomes invisible and her speed is boosted considerably. Attacking and using offensive abilities disables her camouflage.

• Additional details
• Example video

Additional details:

• Stealth starts on a shorter 1 second cooldown upon respawning.
• Sombra automatically turns invisible 3.5 seconds after not taking an offensive action, receiving damage or being affected by crowd control.
  • Entering stealth has a fade out period, during which Sombra is still partially visible.
  • Following actions count as "offensive": activating primary fire, quick melee, Virus or EMP or using Hack on an enemy Hero.
    • Excluding Hack, these actions will immediately take Sombra out of stealth upon the key press, but they will not be initiated, unless the key is held or pressed again once Sombra has completely faded in.
      • There is no fade in delay if stealth is broken within 0.75 seconds of entering stealth.
      • Pressing the Hack button does not interrupt stealth. Only when Hack targets an enemy hero it will immediately take Sombra out of stealth. Additionally, Hack's cast time starts immediately and does not have to wait for Sombra to fade in.
  • Using Translocator or hacking a health pack or object do not interrupt stealth.
• If an enemy hero comes within 4 meters of Sombra, they can "detect" Sombra. When detected, Sombra will remain stealthed, but is visible to that specific enemy hero. This is indicated by a "DETECTED!" message, shown at the top of Sombra's screen.
  • B.O.B. cannot detect Sombra.
• Sombra becomes "revealed" if she uses Hack on an object or health pack or can be seen through abilities, such as Sonic Arrow or Infra-Sight. When revealed, Sombra will remain in stealth, but Sombra is visible to the entire enemy team. This is indicated by a "REVEALED" message shown at the top of Sombra's screen.
• Targeted enemy abilities and following auto-targeting attacks cannot target Sombra, unless she is detected by the player or revealed: Deadeye, Tactical Visor, Biotic Grasp Alt Fire and Biotic Orb (damage).
  • Zenyatta's Orb of Discord will remain attached to Sombra while she is stealthed, as long as there are no obstacles between them, but it will not indicate her location.
• Following enemy objects cannot auto-target Sombra, unless she has been revealed: Sentry Turret or B.O.B..
• Torbjörn's Turret can only attack Sombra when she is out of stealth.
• Sombra can activate Petal Platform while stealthed.
• Sombra cannot contest map objectives while stealthed.
  • If Sombra enters the objective area stealthed, she will remain in stealth.
  • If Sombra enters the objective area unstealthed, the cooldown of stealth will be paused until she leaves the objective area.
    • The remaining cooldown will be set to 1 second if it was less than that.
• Sound effect and voiceover distance is 15 meters.
• Stealth's movement speed buff does not count towards global movement speed buff cap.

Example video:

Translocator (old)

E

6 seconds

Type

Ability

Effect Type

Arcing projectile
Movement

Ignores barriers.

Ignores Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.

Ignores Deflect/Javelin Spin.

Ignores damage boosts.

Ignores Amplification Matrix.

Throw a beacon, then press E again to teleport to it. Press F to remove it.

Health:

5

Cast time:

instantly for throw + 0.5 s. recovery
0.4 s. invulnerability (translocating)

Duration:

∞

Projectile speed:

25 meters per second

Sombra tosses out a translocator beacon. She can instantly return to the beacon’s location while it is active (including when it’s in mid-flight).

• Additional details
• Example video

Additional details:

• Reworked in Season 7 of Overwatch 2.
• Cooldown for Translocator begins immediately upon throwing it, or when it is destroyed.
• Can be manually destroyed using the Interact key. Destroying it this way does not reset the cooldown.
• The translocator can neither be thrown or activated while rooted or hindered.
• The Translocator bounces off walls but not slopes.
• Translocator can be placed on and lifted by Petal Platform if the latter was deployed first.
  • If a translocator is placed on Petal Platform and the platform is destroyed, the translocator is destroyed as well.
• Sombra has a very brief moment of invincibility upon translocating, removing most negative effects from Sombra.
  • Removes damage over time effects, such as Dynamite.
  • Removes attached objects, such as Magnetic Grenade and Sonic Arrow.

Example video:

Removed Perks

Viral Efficacy

Type

Minor Perk

Virus' cooldown is reduced by 3 seconds when an enemy affected by Virus is eliminated.

• Additional details

Additional details:

• Replaced by Encrypted Upload in Season 16.

Stack Overflow

Type

Major Perk

Effect Type

Targeted

Ignores barriers.

Ignores Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.

Ignores Deflect/Javelin Spin.

Ignores damage boosts.

Ignores Amplification Matrix.

Hack's silence duration is increased by 100%, but its range is decreased by 15%.

Max. range:

12.75 meters

• Additional details

Additional details:

• Replaced by Viral Replication in Season 16.

White Hat

Type

Major Perk

Effect Type

Targeted

Ignores barriers.

Ignores Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.

Ignores Deflect/Javelin Spin.

Ignores damage boosts.

Ignores Amplification Matrix.

Hack can be used on allies to restore 100 health over 2 seconds.

Healing:

100 over 2 seconds

• Additional details

Additional details:

• Removed in Season 18.
• Hack cannot be interrupted by getting damaged when used on allies.
• Hacking allies does increase Stealth's duration if Encrypted Upload is picked as a minor perk.

Healthy Hacker

Type

Major Perk

Hacked health packs provide up to 75 overhealth to Sombra.

Overhealth:

75

Duration:

10 seconds

• Additional details

Additional details:

• Removed in Reign of Talon Season 1
• Starts to decay at a rate of 10 overhealth per second once the duration ends.
• Health packs can be picked up while full health
• Picking up a Health Pack while Sombra is at maximum overhealth resets the degeneration timer.
• Picking up a health pack to gain overhealth only consumes it.
• The perk was originally called "Hacky Packy", but it was renamed to "Adept Hacker" before its release in Season 18. Then at around Season 18 Mid Season, it was renamed to Healthy Hacker, its current name

Media

Former Portrait

• 
  Overwatch 1 Hero Portrait

Concept Art

• 
  Antifragile Slay Star Skin Concept Art by Tina Wei
• 
  Antifragile Slay Star Skin Weapon Concept Art by Tina Wei
• 
  Ed Skin Concept Art by Tina Wei
• 
  Ed Skin Weapon Concept Art by Tina Wei
• 
  Face Changer Skin Concept Art by Daryl Tan
• 
  Rime Skin Concept Art by Hicham Habchi
• 
  Rime Skin Weapon Concept Art by Anh Dang
• 
  Zhulong Skin Concept Art by David Kang
• 
  Zhulong Skin Weapon Concept Art by David Kang

Balance Change Log

For more information, see Patch Notes.

• Overwatch PvP
• Overwatch 1

Overwatch PvP

Patch

Description

23 Apr 2026

Stealth

• Movement speed bonus reduction while revealed by damage reduced from 50% to 33%.

14 Apr 2026

Perk Costs

• Minor Perk cost reduced by 6%.
• Major Perk cost reduced by 5%.

Stealth

• Movement speed bonus reduced by 50% while revealed by damage.

10 Feb 2026

With the introduction of the Recon Sub Role Passive, Sombra’s Opportunist has been updated to avoid overlap. Revealing enemy ultimate status on nameplates provides unique information that supports Sombra’s fantasy.

Opportunist

• No longer detects enemies below half health.
• Now reveals enemy ultimate abilities on nameplates.

Healthy Hacker – Major Perk

• Removed.

High-Speed Bandwidth – Major Perk

• Hacked health packs grant allies 25% movement speed and 50 overhealth for 4 seconds.

11 Nov 2025

Healthy Hacker has struggled to provide consistent value as a result of its short active window. These adjustments extend its effectiveness and offer more opportunities to benefit from the perk, even when combat occurs away from health packs.

Encrypted Upload

• Stealth duration on successful hack increased from 2 to 3 seconds

Healthy Hacker

• Time before overhealth degeneration increased from 6 to 10 seconds
• Overhealth degeneration increased from 10 to 25
• Overhealth granted increased from 50 to 75
• Packs can now be picked up at full overhealth to reset the degeneration timer

26 Aug 2025

White Hat - Major Perk

• Removed.

Healthy Hacker - Major Perk

• New Major Perk.
• Hacked health packs provide up to 50 overhealth to Sombra.

20 May 2025

Developer comments: Invisibility is a frustrating mechanic to play against for many, so we're increasing the windows for counterplay. Sombra will now take longer to exit stealth and to disappear after taking damage.

Translocator - Ability 2

• Fade in time increased from 0.15 to 0.3 seconds.
• Stealth reveal duration on taking damage increased from 1 to 1.3 seconds.

22 Apr 2025

Viral Efficacy

• Removed.

Encrypted Upload

• New Minor Perk.
• Hack can be used while invisible, successful hacks increase the duration of stealth by 2 seconds.

Stack Overflow

• Removed.

Viral Replication

• New Major Perk.
• Hitting a hacked enemy with Virus spreads Virus to enemies within 8 meters.

18 Mar 2025

Developer Comments: Improving Sombra's Major Perks to ensure they're providing value without heavily impacting her core gameplay.

Stack Overflow

• Range penalty reduced from 30% to 15%.

White Hat

• Hack is now uninterruptible from damage when healing allies.

18 Feb 2025

Hero Perks

Viral Efficacy

• Virus' cooldown is reduced by 3 seconds when an enemy affected by Virus is eliminated.

CTRL ALT ESC

• Teleporting with Translocator while at critical health initiates passive health regeneration.

White Hat

• Hack can be used on allies to restore 100 health over 2 seconds.

Stack Overflow

• Hack's silence duration is increased by 100%, but its range is decreased by 30%.

10 Dec 2024

Global Projectile Size Bonus

• Hitscan radius small reduced from 0.05 to 0.04 meters.

29 Oct 2024

Hack

• Now exits stealth when hacking an enemy target.

Translocator

• Delay before entering stealth reduced from 0.5 to 0.33 seconds.
• Fade in time reduced from 0.3 to 0.15 second.

EMP

• Ultimate cost reduced by 10%.

21 Oct 2024

Translocator

• Cooldown reduced from 7 to 6 seconds.

15 Oct 2024

Developer Comments: This is a significant change to Sombra's playstyle in the hopes of making her more interactive for the opposing team and shifting some of her power from the utility of Stealth and Hack into increased lethality.

Stealth having a limited duration less than the Translocator cooldown is intended to create brief windows of vulnerability. It still enables Sombra to cross through dangerous areas unseen, but to really hang around in the enemy backline will require moving from cover-to-cover similar to other flanking heroes. No longer having the stealth movement speed removed upon taking damage also enhances its usefulness as an escape tool.

Hack

• No longer ends Stealth but does reveal Sombra.
• Hacked ability lockout effect duration reduced from 1.5 to 1.0 seconds (EMP duration unchanged).
• BOB hacked stun duration reduced from 10 to 3 seconds.

Translocator

• Cooldown increased from 5 to 7 seconds.

EMP

• Ultimate cost increased 12%.

Stealth

• No longer passive and now activates by using Translocator.
• Now has a 5 second duration.
• Added stealth timer around the reticle and removed ability icon.
• Taking damage now reveals Sombra for 1 second instead of ending stealth.

Opportunist

• The Opportunist passive has been added back in.
• Increases Sombra's weapon damage versus hacked targets by 20%.
• See critically injured enemies through walls.

3 Sep 2024

Virus

• Damage over time reduced from 90 to 75.

20 Aug 2024

Developer Comment: The increased movement speed while in stealth will better enable Sombra to get into advantageous positions or be slightly more evasive with the new lower health.

• Base health reduced from 250 to 225.

Virus

• Impact damage increased from 25 to 35

Stealth

• Bonus movement speed increased from 45 to 60%.

16 Apr 2024

Virus

• Total damage over time decreased from 100 to 90.

19 Mar 2024

EMP

• The previous reduction to ultimate cost has been reverted.

12 Mar 2024

Developer Comments: Virus deals critical impact damage when it hits Hacked targets, and this change makes using it as a follow-up more compelling. The Translocator now destroys breakable objects, preventing Sombra from teleporting a shorter distance than expected.

Virus

• Impact damage increased from 10 to 25.

Translocator

• Destroys breakables while in flight.

EMP

• Ultimate cost reduced by 8%.

13 Feb 2024

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.

9 Jan 2024

Stealth

• Grace period where Stealth can be canceled immediately after entering it increased from 0.5 to 0.75 seconds.
• Cooldown now pauses at 1 second while capturing or contesting objectives from 1.5 seconds.
• Cooldown on respawning decreased from 1.5 to 1 second.

5 Dec 2023

Developer Comments: The 1.5 second lockout duration didn't feel impactful enough for an ultimate ability but generally EMP is more interesting and effective when it's focused on the disabling aspect rather than the damage.

EMP

• Ability lockout duration increased from 1.5 to 3 seconds.
• Damage reduced from 30 to 25% of current health.

31 Oct 2023

EMP

• Ultimate cost decreased 10%.

10 Oct 2023

Machine Pistol

• Damage increased from 7.5 to 8.
• Minimum Spread reduced from 0.5 to 0.
• Number of shots until max spread has been increased from 3 to 6 shots.
• Reload time reduced from 1.4 seconds to 1.2 seconds.

Hack

• Cast time reduced from 0.75 seconds to 0.65 seconds.
• Now cancels Stealth when hacking an enemy hero.
• Cooldown increased from 4 to 6 seconds.
• Hack has a reduced cooldown of 3 seconds if Hack is interrupted or if a non-hero enemy is hacked.
• The "Hacked" warning text will now only appear while you are silenced and not for the remainder duration of the hack debuff.

Opportunist

• Removed.

Stealth

• Ability reworked to be a passive. Sombra automatically becomes invisible after 3.5 seconds while not shooting, using a damaging ability, or receiving damage.
• Stealth movement speed bonus reduced from 60% to 45%.
• Fade Out duration into Stealth reduced from 0.375 seconds to 0.25 seconds.
• Fade In duration from Stealth reduced from 0.5 seconds to 0.375 seconds.
• Updated the UI messaging to the Sombra player when hacking Health Packs to "Revealed" instead of "Detected". Now the message "Detected" is only used when an enemy player is in the detection radius.

Translocator

• Can no longer can be manually activated. Translocator will now automatically teleport Sombra after 0.25 seconds from being thrown or when impacting the environment.
• Reduces the Stealth passive cooldown after teleporting.
• Projectile speed increased from 25 to 72.
• Cooldown reduced from 6 seconds to 5 seconds. Cooldown now begins after
• Sombra teleports to the location of the Transponder.
• Projectile launch initial vertical offset removed.

EMP

• Ultimate charge cost increased by 15%.
• Health percent damage decreased from 40% to 30%.

Virus

• This is a new ability assigned to Ability 1 by default.
• Fire a projectile that damages an enemy over time. Damage is dealt faster on Hacked enemies.
• Impact Damage: 10 (20 on hacked target).
• Damage over time: 100 over 4 seconds (100 over 2 seconds on hacked target).

10 Aug 2023

Developer Comments: EMP frequency is a little too high given its relative power so we are increasing its cost. It will now also deal the usual percentage of max health damage to Lifeweaver’s Tree of Life ultimate instead of treating it like a barrier and destroying it instantly.

EMP

• Ultimate cost increased 15%.
• No longer destroys Lifeweaver's Tree of Life.

11 Apr 2023

Developer Comment: We are expanding what Sombra's EMP turns off to keep it consistent with how it affects other device-controlled ultimates.

EMP

• Can now disable Blizzard

7 Feb 2023

Developer Comments: Sombra is underperforming after her last round of changes. While we make progress on a small rework for her abilities, this damage increase will help strengthen Sombra even against targets that aren't affected by her Hack effect. It's a small increase per projectile, but it adds up quickly due to her fast fire rate. The health pack duration increase is a minor buff to avoid needing to re-hack them quite so often.

Machine Pistol

• Damage per projectile increased from 7 to 7.5

Hack

• Health pack hacked duration increased from 30 to 45 seconds

17 Nov 2022

Hack

• Ability lockout duration reduced from 1.75 to 1.5 seconds
• Hacked enemies are no longer valid targets for hacking for the duration of the 8-second effect
• Hacked enemy damage multiplier reduced from 40% to 25%

4 Oct 2022

Hack

• Ability lockout duration increased from 1 to 1.75 seconds

Developer Comment: The duration of Hack’s ability lockout often goes unnoticed, unless it’s being used as an active interrupt. While we’re not looking to go back to previous lockout numbers, we do want Sombra to have slightly more time to feel as though the ability is effective. This change stays in line with our goals for less crowd control abilities in Overwatch 2, and we’ll continue to closely monitor performance data and player feedback to ensure that this remains the case.

5 May 2022
(beta)

Developer Comment: After a week of testing the new damage passive, we decided to balance Sombra’s Stealth speed with the 10% movement speed increase in mind.

Stealth

• Movement speed reduced from 65 to 50%

26 Apr 2022
(beta)

GENERAL

• Sombra Hack effect is now removed by phase effects

HERO

Machine Pistol

• Damage reduced from 8 to 7
• Spread reduced by 10%

Hack

• Cooldown reduced from 8 to 4 seconds
• Cooldown is no longer reduced when hacking health packs
• Cast time increased from 0.65 to 0.85 seconds
• Health pack hack duration reduced from 60 to 30 seconds
• Ability lock duration reduced from 5 to 1 second
• Reveals hacked enemies through walls to Sombra's team for 8 seconds
• Interrupting Hack during the channel time now incurs the full cooldown
• Stun duration on Bob reduced from 5 to 2 seconds
• Now destroys Baptiste’s Immortality Field when it is hacked

Stealth

• Fade-in time reduced by 50%
• Enemy detection radius increased from 2 to 4 meters
• Can now use Hack during Stealth without ending the Stealth ability, but is revealed to enemies while hacking and for 0.75 seconds after hacking

Opportunist

• Damage dealt to hacked targets is now increased by 40%

EMP

• In addition to hacking them, now also deals 40% of current health as damage to enemies
• No longer deals additional damage to base shield health pools
  • EMP still deals massive damage to barriers

Overwatch 1

Patch

Description

22 Apr 2021

Stealth

• Movement speed bonus increased from 50 to 65%

Developer Comment: Sombra's gameplay usually involves a lot of time waiting for opportune moments to strike and using the Translocator to disengage at a safe distance. Speeding up her movement in Stealth should help get her back into the action more quickly.

13 Oct 2020

Translocator

• Improved smoothness of Sombra's First Person camera when Translocating short distances to a Translocator that is in view

12 Mar 2020

Machine Pistol

• Spread decreased by 10%

15 Oct 2019

Translocator

• Cooldown increased from 4 to 6 seconds
• Cooldown now begins immediately upon deploying the beacon or if it is killed by an enemy

Developer Comment: Having the Translocator cooldown begin right when it is thrown allows Sombra more flexibility in how she can use it. For example, she can now often redeploy it instantly after teleporting to it, or quickly destroy and reposition it while sneaking around. The cooldown has been increased to compensate for this change.

13 Aug 2019

Hack

• Duration on enemy players reduced from 6 to 5 seconds

EMP

• Activation time increased from 0.2 to 0.35 seconds

Developer Comment: Hack is a potent disabling ability with a long duration. Reducing the duration slightly will make it feel less oppressive as the hacked player without greatly reducing its effectiveness. The increased activation time on EMP allows for more time to react and opens up more counterplay opportunities for the opposing team.

19 Mar 2019

Hack

• Cooldown is reduced by half when hacking a health pack
• Changed the visual appearance to more clearly indicate when something has been hacked

Developer Comments: The cooldown on Hack often made it feel less effective to target health packs instead of players. This will make both health packs and players viable targets for hacking.

9 Aug 2018

General

• Reduced the size of Sombra’s head hit volume

Developer Comments: The head changes are mostly a bug fix, as her head hit volume was abnormally large, especially from behind. Previously if you fired at her from behind near her upper spine, you could land a head shot. Now her head volume is much more accurate.

24 Jul 2018

General

• Added a note to Sombra’s Hero Information page about her ability to remove her own Translocator

Stealth

• Now lasts indefinitely
• No longer can contest objectives while invisible
• Movement speed buff decreased from +70% to +50%

Translocator

• Now lasts indefinitely
• Can now be destroyed (has 5 health)
• Radius reduced

Developer Comments: These changes allow Sombra to more easily play as an infiltrator and scout for her team, as well as give her time to pick and choose when to reveal herself to ambush her enemies.

20 Mar 2018

Hack

• Now goes on a 2-second cooldown when interrupted by damage
• Now more consistently interrupted when targets break line of sight

Developer Comments: We’re also removing the 0.1 second window of time during a hack where it couldn’t be canceled via line of sight or with other abilities including Tracer’s Recall and Zarya’s Particle Barrier, which was originally put in place so the hack wouldn’t be interrupted by small objects such as light posts. We’ve implemented a separate fix for that issue, so she should still be unaffected by those small objects.

27 Feb 2018

EMP

• No longer blocked by small objects (e.g. sign posts)

Hack

• No longer gains ultimate charge from health pack healing
• Cast time reduced from 0.8 seconds to 0.65 seconds
• Now disables the following abilities:
  • Genji—Cyber-agility
  • Hanzo—Wall Climb
  • Pharah—Hover Jets
  • Lúcio—Healing Boost and Speed Boost (turns off current song entirely), Wall Ride
  • Mercy—Angelic Descent

Machine Pistol

• Machine Pistol spread reduced from 3 to 2.7

Opportunist

• Enemy health bars are now visible when health drops below 100% (formerly 50%)
• Her ability to detect enemies through walls at 50% or less remains unchanged

Translocator

• Duration increased from 15 seconds to 20 seconds

Developer Comment: The goal of these changes for Sombra is to remove the necessity for her teammates to take damage and heal themselves with her hacked health packs to try to get her ultimate charged up quickly. Her ultimate will now come up less often, but there are more abilities that are disabled by Hack so it is more effective when used. Previously, Opportunist would only activate when an enemy’s health bar dipped below 50% but now the passive will reveal all damaged enemies which should help Sombra identify targets in her line of sight to pick off. Overall these changes should make her more effective and less reliant on her ultimate.

10 Oct 2017

Hack

• Now interrupts the following ultimate abilities during their cast time: Ana's Nano Boost, Orisa's Supercharger, Mei's Blizzard, Reinhardt's Earthshatter, and D.Va's Call Mech

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.

21 Mar 2017

Hack

• Sombra’s teammates can now see hacked health packs through walls

Stealth

• Sound effects and VO distance has been reduced to 15 meters when Sombra enters or exits Stealth

Translocator

• Cooldown reduced from 6 seconds to 4 seconds

Developer Comments: Sombra can be devastating in the right hands, but infiltrating and harassing enemies could often feel difficult. These changes should increase her effectiveness and teamplay.

28 Feb 2017

• New Hero Option: Hack Sensitivity
  • Allows players to adjust the targeting sensitivity on Sombra’s Hack ability

24 Jan 2017

Hack

• Cooldown has been reduced from 12 seconds to 8 seconds
• Time it takes to hack a target has been decreased from 1 second to 0.8 seconds

Developer Comments: Sombra often had difficulty hacking enemies, even when she surprised the target. This change should help her execute hacks more easily.

15 Nov 2016

New Hero: Sombra (Offense)

External links

• Official Site - Sombra