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

Overview

Hanzo's versatile arrows can reveal his enemies or rapid fire to strike multiple targets. He can scale walls to fire his bow from on high, or summon a titanic spirit dragon.

• 
  3D portrait
• 
  2D portrait

Abilities

Passive Abilities

Sub-Role: Sharpshooter

Type

Passive Ability

Critical hits reduce your movement ability cooldowns.

• Additional details

Additional details:

• Critical hits will grant cooldown reduction to Movement Abilities based on 0.75% of damage dealt.

Wall Climb

SPACE

Type

Passive Ability

Effect Type

Movement

Jump at walls to climb up them.

Duration:

Up to 1 second

Movement speed:

7.15 m/s (vertical)

movement

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

• Additional details
• Keywords

Additional details:

• Wall Climb ends when the player stops holding the button, the wall ends or the duration is up. It cannot then be used again until the player has landed on a walkable surface.
• Hanzo will grab and mantle ledges if the input is held while facing a ledge of a walkable surface.
  • This does not count as starting Wall Climb, and can be done even if Wall Climb was already used.
  • Destroys fences and other breakables in the way when mantling a ledge.
• Can reach up to 8.8m height (10m with Lunge) due to momentum being kept after Wall Climb ends.

Keywords:

movement

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

Weapons

Storm Bow

Type

Weapon

Effect Type

Arcing projectile

Hold to charge then release to launch arrows further.

Damage:

125 (max charge)
25 (min charge)

Headshot:

✓ (x2)

Rate of fire:

0.82 shots/s (max charge)
2 shots/s (min charge)

Ammo:

∞

Mov. speed penalty:

-30%

Projectile speed:

110 m/s (max charge)
25 m/s (min charge)

Projectile radius:

0.125 meters

Spread:

None

critical

Deals 2x damage when hitting critical locations.

travel time

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

Hanzo nocks and fires an arrow at his target.

• Additional details
• Keywords
• Example video

Additional details:

• Damage per second: 102.46 at full charge, 50 at min charge
• Fire recovery stops while using melee.
• The arrow can deal damage no earlier than 0.032 second after being launched.
• Takes 0.72 seconds to reach maximum draw. Draw can be held indefinitely.
• The minimum draw time required to kill a full health target (without armor) with a single headshot:
  • 150 HP = ~0.43 seconds.
  • 175 HP = ~0.50 seconds
  • 200 HP = ~0.58 seconds.
  • 225 HP = ~0.65 seconds.
  • 250 HP = 0.72 seconds.
• The draw progress is preserved while wall climbing.
• Hanzo can undraw with Reload or Secondary Fire.
• An arrow takes ~6 seconds to land when fired straight up with minimum charge.

Keywords:

critical

Deals 2x damage when hitting critical locations.

travel time

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

Example video:

Special Abilities

Sonic Arrow

LSHIFT

12 seconds

Type

Ability

Effect Type

Arcing projectile
Area of effect

Reveals enemies for a short time upon impact.

Headshot:

✓ (x2)

Duration:

6 seconds

Radius:

9 meters

area of effect^✱

Affects targets in a spherical area.

critical

Deals 2x damage when hitting critical locations.

sticky

Projectile attacks that stick to enemy heroes and Barriers. Removed by Phased.

travel time

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

Hanzo launches an arrow that contains a sonar tracking device. Any enemy within its detection radius is visibly marked, making them easier for Hanzo and his allies to hunt down.

• Additional details
• Keywords
• Example video

Additional details:

• Pressing the ability key turns the next arrow from Storm Bow or Storm Arrows into a Sonic Arrow. This does not change the speed, damage or projectile radius of the arrow. Pressing the key again before firing changes it back.
  • Being hit by crowd control or releasing the draw does not change the arrow back.
• The cooldown starts when the arrow is fired.
• If the arrow becomes stuck on a moving target (e.g. an enemy hero), the effect follows.
  • If the target becomes invalid (e.g. destroyed, retracted, cleansed), the arrow will fall off and continue its effects in its current location.
• A visual effect indicating the scan area is shown to enemies when Sonic Arrow lands.
• Enemies can hear a sound while near an attached Sonic Arrow.

Keywords:

area of effect^✱

Affects targets in a spherical area.

critical

Deals 2x damage when hitting critical locations.

sticky

Projectile attacks that stick to enemy heroes and Barriers. Removed by Phased.

travel time

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

Example video:

Storm Arrows

E

8 seconds

Type

Ability

Effect Type

Arcing projectile

The next 5 arrows ricochet and fire instantly at reduced damage.

Damage:

75

Headshot:

✓ (x2)

Rate of fire:

4 shots/s

Ammo:

5

Cast time:

0 + 0.29 seconds

Duration:

Up to 5 seconds

Projectile speed:

140 m/s

Projectile radius:

0.125 meters

Spread:

None

critical

Deals 2x damage when hitting critical locations.

transformation

An alternate state with unique functionality that is not ended prematurely by Displace, Hacked, Sleep, or Stun.

travel time

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

Hanzo’s next several arrows fire instantly, but at reduced damage.

• Additional details
• Keywords

Additional details:

• Damage per second: ~300 while firing
• Cooldown starts when the ability ends.
• Can be manually cancelled by pressing the ability key again.
• Each arrow from Storm Arrows will bounce off a surface once.
  • If a Sonic Arrow is fired while Storm Arrows is active, it will stick to a surface only after it has bounced once.
• The enemy cannot interrupt the ability with crowd control, such as a stun or sleep.

Keywords:

critical

Deals 2x damage when hitting critical locations.

transformation

An alternate state with unique functionality that is not ended prematurely by Displace, Hacked, Sleep, or Stun.

travel time

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

Lunge

SPACE

4 seconds

Type

Ability

Effect Type

Movement

Double Jump.

Max. range:

7.85 meters

Movement speed:

15.66 m/s

strong movement

Silenced by Hinder.

Hanzo can double jump, allowing him to change direction mid-jump.

• Keywords

Keywords:

strong movement

Silenced by Hinder.

Ultimate Ability

Dragonstrike

Q

1700

Type

Ultimate Ability

Effect Type

Projectile (initial arrow)
Area of effect (dragons)

!

!

!

!

Launch a deadly Dragon Spirit that devastates enemies it passes through.

Damage:

125 (initial arrow)
200 per second (outer)
400 per second (inner)

Headshot:

✓ (x2)

Cast time:

0.94 + 0 seconds

Duration:

0.5 seconds (initial arrow)

Max. range:

10 meters (initial arrow)
Infinite (dragons)

Area of effect:

40 meters length (dragons)

Radius:

4 meters (outer)
2.4 meters (inner)

Projectile speed:

20 m/s (initial arrow)
15 m/s (dragons)

Projectile radius:

0.175 meters

area of effect

Affects targets in an area.

armor piercing

Deals damage to Armor as if it were Health.

barrier piercing

Pierces Barriers and heroes.

critical^✱

Deals 2x damage when hitting critical locations until the projectile expires.

fixed

This ability's damage is unaffected by Amp.

travel time

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

Hanzo summons a Spirit Dragon which travels through the air in a line. It passes through walls in its way, devouring any enemies it encounters.

• Additional details
• Keywords
• Example video

Additional details:

• Hanzo can gain ultimate charge while Dragonstrike is active, but the damage dealt by it does not generate any charge.
• The initial arrow can headshot with the default 2x multiplier.
• The initial arrow and the AoE both pierce enemies, barriers and other objects, and both cannot be blocked by walls.
  • Also damages the barriers and objects it passes through.
• The initial arrow can be destroyed by Defense Matrix, Kinetic Grasp, Power Matrix, Javelin Spin and Kekkai Sanctuary and reflected by Deflect before turning into AoE.
• The initial arrow is affected by damage amplification and armor, but the AoE is not.
• The hitbox is actually both dragons, meaning the ultimate deals less damage at the edges, and combined at the center.^[4]
• If shot directly and the target is still, it takes approximately 2.6 seconds for the dragons to pass through them. Over this time, it can deal up to 1050 damage against a stationary target in the middle.
• Does not drain nor interrupt Storm Arrows.

Keywords:

area of effect

Affects targets in an area.

armor piercing

Deals damage to Armor as if it were Health.

barrier piercing

Pierces Barriers and heroes.

critical^✱

Deals 2x damage when hitting critical locations until the projectile expires.

fixed

This ability's damage is unaffected by Amp.

travel time

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

Example video:

Perks

Minor Perks

A Minor Perk can be chosen at level 2.

Sonic Disruption

Type

Minor Perk

Sonic Arrow hacks nearby Health Packs for 30 seconds.

• Additional details

Additional details:

• Similarly to Sombra's Hack, hacked health packs respawn four times faster, can be seen through walls and cannot be used by the enemy.

Dragon Fury

Type

Major Perk

After hitting an enemy with Primary Fire, gain 20% attack speed for 1.5 seconds.

• Additional details

Additional details:

• Attack speed does not stack. Subsequent hits refresh the duration.

Major perks

A Major Perk can be chosen at level 3.

Frost Arrow

R

14 seconds

Type

Major Perk

Effect Type

Arcing projectile
Area of effect

!

!

!

Press Reload to ready an explosive frost arrow that slows enemies by 35% for 2 seconds.

Damage:

60 (max charge, area of effect)
20 (min charge, area of effect)

Headshot:

✓ (x2)

Duration:

2 seconds

Radius:

4 meters

Movement slow:

-35%

• Additional details

Additional details:

• Reload key no longer undraws the bow; now only Secondary Fire can undraw.
• Can be used with Storm Arrows, causing the next ricocheted arrow to apply the effect (similarly to Sonic Arrow)
• Cannot be used with Sonic Arrow equipped.
• Cooldown begins once the arrow is fired, not equipped.

Scatter Arrows

Type

Major Perk

Effect Type

Arcing projectile

On first ricochet, Storm Arrows split into 5 shots dealing 33% damage and bounce 1 extra time.

Damage:

75 → 25 (after bounce)

Headshot:

✕

Shots per volley:

1 → 5 (after bounce)

• Additional details

Additional details:

• Damage per second: 500 (w/ all 5 arrows hit)
• Once split, Storm Arrows lose the ability to critical hit.
• Before splitting, Storm Arrows function as usual, dealing full damage and are able to critical hit.

Hero-specific options

Strategy

Hanzo is a medium-range sniper with strong team utility and area denial abilities. The relatively silent and hard-to-see nature of his arrows makes him a stealthier sniper than Widowmaker, able to get kills and then retreat before his enemies see him. Storm Bow's arrows have a travel time and arc which can make accuracy difficult at long-range, requiring him to be good at predicting where the enemy is about to move or get dangerously close to his opponents to accurately hit them.

Weapons & Abilities

• Wall Climb (Passive): Hanzo can climb up any flat, vertical surface by pressing and holding the jump button while next to that surface. Hanzo can release the jump button and press it again to leap off the wall at any point during the climb.
  • Hanzo's main method of moving around the map. Use side routes to appear in the areas your enemies least expect, as it will make it easier for you to get kills.

• Storm Bow: Hanzo's main weapon. Pressing and holding the primary fire button will cause Hanzo to draw the bow back. Releasing the primary fire button will fire a projectile arrow from the bow. The damage and range of the arrow depends on how long the primary fire button was held down, up to a maximum amount. You can press the secondary fire button at any time to drop the shot without firing an arrow.
  • The arrows from Storm Bow can headshot, greatly increasing the damage they deal. You should try to aim for headshots if your enemy is either stationary or moving in a predictable way. Otherwise, aim for bodyshots.
  • The arrows travel in a slight arc. Be sure to compensate for this at longer distances by aiming slightly above your target.
  • Fully drawn headshots deal 250 damage, which instantly kills most non-tank heroes. Take your time planning your shots instead of firing rapidly, as one good shot is all it takes to instantly swing a fight in your team's favor.

• Sonic Arrow: When activated, Hanzo prepares a special Sonic Arrow, which is fired the next time he uses his Storm Bow. After the Sonic Arrow impacts a solid surface, it sends out a series of sonic pulses for a brief period of time, revealing all nearby enemies by silhouetting them in red (akin to Widowmaker's Infra-Sight). Hanzo can cancel Sonic Arrow's deployment by activating the ability again.
  • Sonic Arrow allows Hanzo (and other teammates) to see enemies as they round corners, making it easier for him to prepare shots with his Storm Bow.
  • An arrow fired in the air at minimum charge takes 6 seconds to land, but the cooldown starts immediately. With Sonic Arrow lasting 6 seconds on the ground, the next one can this way be fired immediately after the first one is about to expire, allowing an area to be continuously revealed for total of 12 seconds.
  • Sonic Arrow emits a distinct sonar visual and audio cue that enemies can detect upon hitting a surface, so a shrewd enemy can see when you have it up and choose to be more careful with their movements. However, in the chaos of battle, this effect can become very unnoticeable, so try to either time it during the chaos of a massive fight or hide the arrow in unconventional places around the target to reduce the likelihood of the enemy being alerted to their detection.

• Storm Arrows: Upon activation, the Storm Bow will be pulled to the maximum, and will be engulfed in wind. For a few seconds, Hanzo will be able to fire multiple arrows instantly, at full projectile speed, but reduced damage.
  • This greatly, but briefly improves his fire rate and damage per second, making it a great tool for attacking enemies or barriers.
  • Storm Arrows provides Hanzo with the fastest way to eliminate enemies. Most non-tank heroes can be taken out with a double headshot from Storm Arrows, and some squishier, 225 hp enemies can be taken out with one headshot and one bodyshot. Against tanks Storm Arrows can take a large chunk of their HP away, which can lead to an elimination or at least force them on defensive.
  • Each arrow from Storm Arrows will bounce off a surface once, which can be helpful in hitting enemies behind cover and getting a sonar arrow to specific angles without the risk of peeking.

• Lunge: When Hanzo jumps in midair, he will jump horizontally in the direction currently held, much like Tracer's Blink.
  • Useful for either engaging or disengaging from enemies, reach locations that are farther away, and get back to the fight faster.

• Dragonstrike (Ultimate): Hanzo's Ultimate ability. When activated, Hanzo will, after a short cast time, fire a special arrow that creates a pair of spiraling twin dragons that will fly straight forwards in the direction of his crosshairs. These dragons will pass through all solid surfaces or barriers, dealing damage over time to any enemies that come in contact with them. The closer an enemy is to the center of the twin dragons, the more damage they will take.
  • Dragonstrike is mostly used as an area denial tool, as enemies can rather easily see and hear when it's coming due to its rather slow travel speed and long startup. Use it to force enemies out of cover or when they are occupied fighting in a tight space that they have few ways of escaping from.
  • Dragonstrike can be combined with abilities that prevent movement like Reinhardt's Earthshatter or Zarya's Graviton Surge to deal extremely high damage. When used in this way, Dragonstrike can be just as powerful as Ultimates like Pharah's Barrage.

General Strategies

• Like Widowmaker, Hanzo can also be played from long range, however he often has trouble accurately hitting shots at this distance, unless his enemies are moving through a narrow space. Use Hanzo's mobility to move to off-angles, such as the side or behind your opponents to get into a position that you can both stealthily fire on them and can easily escape from if they choose to go after you. Keep in mind that Hanzo is somewhat deadlier than Widowmaker at close range if he is able to land headshots well, so don't be afraid of standing your ground if only a single person comes after you.
• The key to playing Hanzo effectively is patience. Firing rapidly into a crowd may seem tempting due to your lack of damage falloff and potential for a one-shot, but doing so is a highly unreliable tactic due to Hanzo's slow fire rate and inconsistent damage output. Instead, take aforementioned off-angles and take a moment to see how the enemy is moving before you take a shot: this will make predicting their movements far easier and give you a better chance at nailing them with that decisive headshot.

Match-Ups and Team Synergy

Tank

Hero	Match-Up	Team Synergy
D.Va	D.Va can cause a lot of problems at close range, and is more than capable of getting there. She is, however, easy to hit while she's firing, as her movement speed slows to a crawl in the process. Try not to activate Storm Arrows if she has Defense Matrix ready, as she will cause you to waste its duration. Instead, bait it with standard shots while remaining agile, and always try to land critical hits on her cockpit. If you manage to destroy her Mech, one or two arrows will be enough to snuff her out.	(To be added)
Orisa	Orisa's large hitbox makes her an easy target, but you generally want to avoid shooting Orisa. She can mitigate a lot of damage to herself by rotating her abilities, and has little means to block damage to her teammates. However, if she mismanages her abilities you can try to burst her down with storm arrows. Orisa doesn't have any gap closers, so she isn't a major threat, but watch out for her Energy Javelin, as it can deal notable burst damage if it knocks you into a wall.	Orisa can use her abilities to knock enemies out of cover into your line of sight. Dragonstrike can be comboed with Terra Surge, similar to Zarya's Graviton Surge, or used to take away an escape route.
Reinhardt	Reinhardt's barrier makes it difficult for Hanzo to get his damage off. In addition, should Reinhardt somehow close the distance, Hanzo will be easily dispatched in just a couple of swings. Use high ground and off-angles to get around his barrier and stay out of his hammer's reach. If Reinhardt's barrier goes down or he charges in recklessly, he can be rather easily bursted down.	Earthshatter and Dragonstrike make for a powerful combo, as the long stun duration means the opponent likely won't be able to get out of the way before the dragons hit them.
Roadhog	If Hanzo gets hooked, he will be easy pickings for Roadhog. However, your range easily allows you stay out of his hook's range in most situations. Having no mobility, Roadhog isn't very threatening at range, and his large hitbox and lack of armor means Hanzo can quickly charge his ultimate off of him. However, similarly to Orisa, Roadhog is very durable and lacks means to protect his allies, so it is often better to ignore him and go for the squishies.	Be ready to follow Roadhog's hook with burst damage.
Sigma	(To be added)	(To be added)
Wrecking Ball	(To be added)	(To be added)
Winston	Winston can quite literally get the jump on you, and once he approaches you he'll most likely put down a Barrier Projector to prevent your allies from helping at range. However, his large body is easy to hit with arrows. Use Lunge to get some distance from him and try to lure him out of his barrier where you can land your shots. If he's waiting to lunge on you again, though, try to regroup with your team; even if you land your shots, the damage from his landing in addition to his Tesla Cannon can kill you quickly, no matter how nimble you are.	(To be added)
Zarya	She can quickly build off charge from Hanzo due to his high burst, and if he's caught at close range with her at high charge, he stands little chance. However, without her personal bubble, she is an easy target.	Graviton Surge combos fantastically with Dragonstrike, as it will line up a good number of opponents to be run through by your dragon. Be cautious of eenmies like, Zenyatta or Lúcio, though, as their Ultimates can protect their team from this combo.

Damage

Hero	Match-Up	Team Synergy
Ashe	With higher burst at every range as well as more consistent mobility, a Hanzo of equal skill to Ashe can easily kill her without issue. Her large head hitbox also makes it to land crits on her. Be wary of her dynamite when alone, however, as it can put you at a massive disadvantage.	(To be added)
Bastion	(To be added)	(To be added)
Cassidy	Much like Ashe, you out-damage Cassidy at all ranges and can easily dispatch of him at a distance due to his large headshot hitbox. However, be very careful of him at close-range: if he catches you with his Flashbang, you're as good as dead.	(To be added)
Doomfist	You have advantages over Doomfist, at range, you can easily shoot at him with barely any means for Doomfist to retaliate and be left exposed without abilities, Sonic arrow can be used to more easily track him, and if he manages to get close to you your storm arrows can deal devastating damage, if not outright kill him, don’t get too cocky though, if you’re missing your shots or the enemy Doomfist is flanking you, he can usually kill you before you can kill him.	(To be added)
Genji	If you let Genji approach you (which should be easy for him with Cyber-Agility and Swift Strike), he will trump you at close range. However, you have the upper hand at a distance. Use Sonic Arrow to keep track of his position, and if he tries to approach you, climb walls or air dodge to stay away from him. While it's best to kill him before he can even get to you, if he does make his way towards you, try to fall back to your team while using Storm Arrows to keep him from attacking you. Additionally, try to charge up a shot in front of him without actually firing, this may bait him into using Deflect early and drastically swing the fight in your favor. Although not very common, enemy Genji can deflect Dragonstrike if he is close and clever enough. Shooting it against walls will prevent this.	Use your sonic arrow to assist Genji in killing other players.
Echo	(To be added)	(To be added)
Hanzo	(To be added)	(To be added)
Junkrat	(To be added)	(To be added)
Mei	Always maintain your distance from Mei: you stand no chance against her at close range by yourself. Her Ice Wall can block your arrows for a short period of time, and her Cryo-Freeze can make it difficult to burst her down. Overall, just keep your distance and don't hesitate to run if she hits you with an icicle.	Thanks to her strong CC capabilities, Mei can combo up well with Hanzo's massive concentrated burst. Like Earthshatter and Graviton Surge, Mei's Blizzard can set up an enemy team for a Dragonstrike for massive damage.
Pharah	Despite not technically being hitscan, Hanzo's projectiles are fast and accurate enough so that a good player can hit her fairly consistently. A tip to use is to try and aim at her abdomen or lower half while she's airborne: more often than not she will descend slightly between shots, so trying to go for only headshots will end up in you missing.	(To be added)
Reaper	At anything other than close range, Reaper will do little more than tickle you and be an easy target. However, if he closes the distance, he can burst you down easily before you can get away. Always watch your back when he's around, and use Sonic Arrow to ruin his element of surprise. If he does get up-close, use Lunge to disengage while firing some shots back at him.	(To be added)
Soldier: 76	(To be added)	(To be added)
Sombra	Sombra is very threatening to you if you are alone, as it is easy to land shots on you while you are slowed by your draw and her Virus damage can finish you off even if you manage kill her or fend her off, so stick close to your supports. Use your Sonic Arrow to scout for locations where she could be coming from to ruin her element of surprise.If you get hacked, stand your ground: one good shot can either end the fight or force her to retreat.	(To be added)
Symmetra	At a range, Symmetra is an easy target that can be downed in one or two shots. In addition, since Hanzo is not usually someone to lead a charge, it is unlikely he will get hit by one of her turret nests. However, one must be wary of her Teleporter, as it can easily allow enemies to catch you off-guard at close-range, where you will be very vulnerable. Thankfully, your high burst can allow you to destroy her Teleporter before it has a chance to send allies through it. Whenever you see an opportunity, burst down her teleporter ASAP to relieve pressure both on you and your team.	(To be added)
Torbjörn	Torbjorn's turret is completely static and can be destroyed in a couple of shots, making you very effective at taking it down. In addition, Torbjorn himself is a very wide target too, so unless he's up close, he stands little chance in a one-on-one fight.	(To be added)
Tracer	Tracer's slim frame is hard to hit with arrows, especially with her Blink ability. With Sonic Arrow, though, you can keep tabs on where she's hiding, and you can prepare an arrow for when she peeks her head out from cover. If Tracer does try to flank you, use Wall Climb to get to a higher location where she can't chase you or try to land a headshot on her for a quick kill; Tracer's 175 HP makes her susceptible to be one-shot by Storm Arrow or headshot > melee combo from Strom Arrows.	Tehre is no notable synergy between Hanzo and Tracer. Howeve, enemies distracted by Tracer may move more predictably from your POV, making them easier to hit easier to hit.
Widowmaker	Widowmaker is one of the few heroes that can still be one-shot without a damage boost. Ultimately, the battle with Widowmaker at anything but close-mid range is in her favor as your arrows' travel time will make it difficult to hit her while her weapon is hitscan. If you need to duel her, try to surprise her from and unexpected angle or when whe is shooting at someone else. If she misses her shot, try to predict when she's about to shoot again and prefire where she might try peek from next.	(To be added)

Support

Hero	Match-Up	Team Synergy
Ana	Ana's lack of mobility (especially while scoped-in) makes her an easy target for Hanzo, who can kill her quickly without much issue. Additionally, since Hanzo will usually fight close to teammates and at range, Sleep Dart won't be too detrimental to him outside of just leaving him out of the battle momentarily. Even so, don't underestimate her at long range: unlike your arrows, her scoped shots are hitscan and can kill you if you miss too many of yours.	(To be added)
Baptiste	(To be added)	(To be added)
Brigitte	Storm Arrows can quickly burst down Brigitte's shield and leave her virtually defenseless, and her larger-than-average hitbox makes her easy to down with just a few shots from a distance. One must be wary of her up-close, however, as she can quickly set you up for her teammates with a Shield Bash.	(To be added)
Lúcio	Lucio's high speed can make him difficult to hit, though his Wall-Ride can sometimes cause him to move in predictable patterns. As for an up-close battle, provided you aren't alone, he likely won't be able to burst you down before you do the same to him.	(To be added)
Mercy	(To be added)	Mercy's damage boost bumps the headshot damage from Storm Bow to 300, which allows Hanzo to one-shot almost all non-tank heroes.
Moira	Never let yourself be caught alone by Moira: if you do, she won't hesitate to take you out. Stick close to teammates to minimize the damage of her orbs and her right-click, and try to burst her down with either Storm Arrows or a headshot before she can use Fade to escape.	(To be added)
Zenyatta	Like Ana, Zenyatta lacks mobility of any kind, and his large head hitbox in particular can make it easy to kill him in just one shot. Even so, don't get too reckless fighting him: his damage may not be as strong as yours, but it is still strong enough so that he can take you down quickly if you run in carelessly.	Like Mercy's damage boost, headshots from Storm Bow against a target tagged by his Orb of Discord deal 300 damage, which can one-shot most non-tank heroes.

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.
Suravasa	TBA RATING | TBA FEATURE Map strategy details for Suravasa are currently missing. You can help the Overwatch Wiki by adding them! Market Strategy details missing. Garden Strategy details missing. Palace Strategy details missing. Temple Strategy details missing. Ruins Strategy details missing.

Achievements

Name	Icon	Description	Reward
The Dragon Is Sated		Kill 4 enemies with one of Hanzo's Spirit Dragons in Quick or Competitive play.	Cute
Simple Geometry		Get 3 killing blows with a single use of Hanzo's Storm Arrows in Quick or Competitive play.	Pixel

Trivia

• Hanzo and Genji were the first playable heroes in Overwatch to be related.
• Despite popular belief, Hanzo's Dragonstrike is not magic.^[5]
• Equipping Hanzo's Lone Wolf or Okami skins will change his Dragonstrike's appearance to wolves and will change his voice lines to reference wolves instead of dragons.
• Hanzo is one of few heroes who doesn't often speak in their native language. While most heroes have various dialogue in their native language, Hanzo only speaks their native language during his Ultimate ability. This is presumably because his voice actor Paul Nakauchi is American and isn't a fluent Japanese speaker.^[6]

Cultural References

• The design on 38 year old Hanzo's pants and scarf is a Japanese pattern called seigaiha, which means "blue sea and waves".^[7]
• Hanzo's name could be a reference to the famous samurai and Japanese historical icon, Hattori Hanzō.
• Hanzo's archery theme may have been inspired by Kyūdō, a Japanese martial art of archery.
• The Hanzo National Church was founded in Brazil by Mateus Mognon. This was done to demonstrate the ease of founding a religion in the country.^[8]
• Hanzo's voice line "Shot through the heart. And I'm to blame" is a paraphrase/reference to American rock band Bon Jovi's 1986 hit song You Give Love a Bad Name.

In Other Games

• Both Genji and Hanzo are playable heroes in Heroes of the Storm.^[9]
• Hanzo appeared in Loverwatch, taking on the role of Cupid.^[10]

Merchandise

• Blizzard Entertainment once sold the collectible Overwatch - Hanzo 13" Premium Statue in 2018 alongside other heroes' statues.
• The Hanzo vs. Genji LEGO Overwatch, featuring a segment of the dojo where the two fought in Dragons, was revealed by Target in 2018.^[11]
• A "Demon Hanzo" Cute but Deadly figure is available since October 19, 2018.^[12]
• A Genji vs. Hanzo Nendoroid diorama by Blizzard Entertainment is on sale in June 2018.^[13]
• As part of Hasbro's Overwatch Ultimates Series, they released a Hanzo and Genji 6" figure dual pack in August, 2019.^[14]

Misc. Character Information

• Hanzo originally uses three arrows in combat: Standard, Sonic and Scatter arrows.^[15] The Standard arrow is redesigned alongside minor changes to the Sonic arrow after Hanzo's two year time-skip.^[16]
• Hanzo has delicate ankles, leading him to wear mechanical greaves.^[17]
• Hanzo "loves" geometry.^[18]
• As a general rule, Hanzo avoids cities due to their loud and distracting scenery. As a general rule, he also avoids people.^[2]

Development

Genji and Hanzo were originally envisioned as a single cyborg ninja hero named Hanzo who wielded both a bow and a sword, used parkour, and had an assassinate ability, using artwork for the Assassin class from the cancelled Project Titan.^[19] They were split into two distinct heroes early in development.^[20] During development Hanzo was known as "Bow Ninja" and Genji as "Sword Ninja."^[21] Both Hanzo and Genji's kits drew heavily from an early version of Sombra that predated both heroes, which resulted in the Sombra concept being temporarily shelved.^[22] His kit may have also taken inspiration from that of Huntress, a character created for the original Prometheus pitch.

Hanzo's old Scatter Arrow is one of the few abilities that were removed in Overwatch. It was instead replaced with Storm Arrows, which has been in his kit ever since.

Overwatch 2

Like almost all Overwatch Heroes, Hanzo was redesigned and given a new look for Overwatch 2. Kejun Wang was the concept artist behind his Overwatch 2 look, but otherwise not much is known about the idea behind it. It was stated that the general scheme concept for all new hero looks for Overwatch 2 to be aimed at keeping the "essence" of the hero, while showing some evolution and character growth in the design.^[23]

Removed Abilities

Scatter Arrow

E

10 seconds

Type

Ability

Effect Type

Initial shot: Arcing Projectile

Hanzo shoots a fragmenting arrow that ricochets off walls and objects and can strike multiple targets at once.

Damage:

Initial shot: See Storm Bow
Scattered:

• Fully charged: 75 per arrow
• Uncharged: 22 per arrow

Headshot:

✓ (x2)

Rate of fire:

See Storm Bow

Shots per volley:

6 scattered arrows

Projectile speed:

See Storm Bow

• Additional details
• Example video

Additional details:

• Replaced by Storm Arrows in the May 3, 2018 Patch.
• The projectile will scatter if it directly hits an enemy.

Example video:

Yamagami Technique

Type

Major Perk

Wall Climb accelerates your Lunge cooldown by 300%.

• Additional details

Additional details:

• Removed in Season 18.

Swift Lunge

Type

Minor Perk

Arrow hits reduce the cooldown of Lunge by up to 1 second, based on charge.

Hanzo's Broken Heart / Depression

One of the most common phrases used to describe the event where the Shimada Clan's elders forced Hanzo to attack Genji is "The event broke his heart." While most likely an expression, there does exist a real-world heart condition called Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, commonly referred to as Broken Heart Syndrome. This condition can be caused by grief from the death of a loved one, the loss of a relationship, job, or money—all of which apply to Hanzo. He abandoned his clan and, by extension, gave up his wealth and status as the Scion of the Shimada Empire in order to escape his abusive family.

Broken Heart Syndrome is usually temporary, but some people may continue to feel unwell even after the heart has healed. In some cases, feelings of stress, anger, and experiencing trauma triggers can exacerbate the condition and can even be fatal in some cases. Because of this, it’s logical to assume that after the event, any form of stress, anger, fear, or anything that triggers his trauma (Such as holding a sword or simply being at the Shimada Castle or in Hanamura) could pose a serious risk to Hanzo's health, and could very well kill him.

While the condition itself can be treated with medical care, it's unlikely that Hanzo received any treatment he needed, as it’s implied he's been self-isolated since leaving the clan. Another possibility is that Hanzo intentionally doesn't seek any medical treatment or therapy to help his possible condition due to feeling "unworthy" of receiving help. In an interaction where Hanzo says he doesn't fear death, Genji says that Hanzo "finds living to be the challenge." Which strongly implies that Hanzo suffers from severe depression and may even be suicidal, or at the very least, wants to die but continues to live as a form of self-punishment. It's also worth mentioning that Hanzo has, on several accounts, said that he is unworthy, beyond redemption, and thinks his father would be disappointed in him.

In Overwatch 1, his select quote is "With every death, comes honor. With honor, redemption" could suggest that Hanzo believes that taking his own life is the only way he can redeem himself and regain honor for killing his brother. This is further proven by his select quote in Overwatch 2, where he says, "Honor is all I have left,"  which could also imply that Hanzo is on a serious mental decline and may be experiencing more suicidal thoughts or acts of self-harm and might've even come close to doing it.

Media

Images

Former Portrait

• 
  Overwatch 1 Hero portrait

Gameplay Screenshots

Concept Art

• 
  Overwatch 2 Skin Concept Art by Kejun Wang
• 
  Casual Skin Concept Art by Hicham Habchi
• 
  Cupid Skin Concept Art by Cecilia Deyne
• 
  Cupid Skin Weapon Concept Art by Cecilia Deyne
• 
  Cyber Dragon Skin Concept Art by Yuzuke Kozaki
• 
  Cyberninja Skin Concept Art by Hicham Habchi
• 
  Daitengu Skin Concept Art by Kejun Wang
• 
  Drake Master Skin Concept Art by Emily Siu
• 
  Huang Zhong Skin Concept Art by Shan Qiao
• 
  Scion Skin Concept Art by Anh Dang
• 
  Wave Skin Concept Art by Anh Dang
• 
  Azure Flame Skin Concept Art by TB Choi

Videos

Balance Change Logs

For more information, see Patch Notes.

• Overwatch PvP
• Overwatch 6v6
• Overwatch 1

Overwatch PvP

Patch

Description

10 Feb 2026

Swift Lunge – Minor Perk

• Removed

Dragon Fury – Minor Perk

• Moved from Major to Minor.
• Attack speed reduced from 25% to 20%.
• Duration reduced from 2 to 1.5 seconds.

Frost Arrow – Major Perk

• Press Reload to ready an explosive frost arrow that slows enemies by 35% for 3 seconds.

16 Sep 2025

Storm Arrows - Ability 2

• No longer have a larger projectile size compared to regular arrows.

26 Aug 2025

Swift Lunge - Minor Perk

• New Minor Perk.
• Arrow hits reduce the cooldown of Lunge by up to 1 second, based on charge.

Yamagami Technique - Major Perk

• Removed.

Scatter Arrows - Major Perk

• Changed to a Major Perk.
• Now on first ricohet, Storm Arrows split into 5 shots dealing 33% damage and bounce 1 extra time.

22 Jul 2025

Storm Bow - Primary Fire

• Bases projectile size increased from 0.1 to 0.125 meters.

Dragonstrike - Ultimate Ability

• Ultimate cost reduced 8%.
• Damage per second increased from 300 to 400.

Dragon Fury - Major Perk

• Attack speed duration increased from 1 to 2 seconds.

Yamagami Technique - Major Perk

• Cooldown speed increased from 250% to 300%.

20 May 2025

Developer comments: Hanzo's been underperforming recently so we're reverting his bow draw speed back to its original, faster value. The Sonic Disruption perk isn't picked very often but increasing its duration will make it more useful and require less upkeep to control a health pack.

Storm Bow - Primary Fire

• Draw time reduced from 0.8 to 0.72 seconds.

Sonic Disruption - Minor Perk

• Health pack hack time increased from 12 to 30 seconds.

22 Apr 2025

Developer Comments: Restoring the functionality of Hanzo's Storm Bow to retain draw progress will enable him to use wall climb more effectively, improving his ability to take space and position himself.

Storm Bow

• Arrow draw progress is preserved while wall climbing.

Storm Arrows

• Projectile speed increased from 110 to 140 meters per second.

18 Feb 2025

Hero Perks

Sonic Disruption

• Sonic Arrow hacks nearby Health Packs for 12 seconds.

Scatter Arrows

• Storm Arrows split into 3 new projectiles on their first ricochet and bounce 2 extra times.

Dragon Fury

• After hitting an enemy with Primary Fire, gain 25% attack speed for 1 second.

Yamagami Technique

• Wall Climb accelerates your Lunge cooldown by 250%.

12 Nov 2024

Developer Comments: The Dragonstrike change enables it to damage non-player entities such as barriers, turrets, traps, and mines. This should increase its usefulness even when not eliminating opponents as it can now help clear the battlefield of other obstacles as well.

Storm Bow

• Time to fully charge decreased from 0.87 to 0.80 seconds.

Dragonstrike

• Now damages enemy buildable objects.

15 Oct 2024

Developer Comments: We are reverting Hanzo back to his previous health now that it's possible to take out an opposing Hanzo with a well-aimed headshot thanks to the weapon damage changes.

• Base health increased from 225 to 250.

17 Sep 2024

Developer Comment: This change restores Hanzo's one hit headshot kill against 250 health heroes, though it will require more accuracy with the smaller projectile size and is now slower to charge shots to reduce the frequency of projectiles being thrown out. After trying the recent iterations of Hanzo post Season 9, we feel the one-shot capability is too essential to the core gameplay feel of these sniper heroes (similar to Widowmaker) without a much larger rework. Being limited to a smaller range of heroes that could be one shot (225 HP and below) added some texture to the hero matchups but wasn't a satisfying compromise for either side.

Storm Bow

• Normal arrows are no longer affected by global projectile size increases.
• Maximum damage increased from 120 to 125.
• Time to fully charge increased from 0.72 to 0.87 seconds.

20 Aug 2024

Developer Comment: Hanzo doesn't quite fit the category of being as highly mobile as the other heroes we're moving to 225 HP, but like Widowmaker, has the potential long-range lethality merits, as he is now able to one-shot the 225 HP heroes. It's also nice for the Hanzo mirror match to be more decisive as well.

• Base health reduced from 250 to 225.

14 May 2024

Developer Comment: The Dragonstrike ultimate hasn't been very effective outside of being used in a combo with other abilities that restrict enemy movement, so we're increasing its speed to help position it as less of a zoning tool and more likely to deal some damage.

Dragonstrike

• Speed increased from 12 to 15 meters per second.

12 Mar 2024

General

• Global projectile size modifier for travel time projectiles with a speed greater than 50 meters per second reduced from 0.1 to 0.075 meters.

Hero

Developer Comments: We’re reverting the previous change to the base projectile size of Hanzo's arrows and replacing it with the general global reduction, which affects all travel time projectiles with a speed greater than 50 meters per second, resulting in Hanzo's arrow projectile staying the same total size as before this patch.

• Base projectile sizes increased from 0.075 to 0.1 meters. The total projectile size, when combined with the general hero change, is still 0.175 meters.

21 Feb 2024

• Base projectile sizes reduced from 0.1 to 0.075 meters. Total projectile size is now 0.175 meters.

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.

Storm Arrows

• Damage increased from 65 to 75.
• Cooldown reduced from 10 to 8 seconds.

10 Aug 2023

Developer Comments: Despite being conceptually strange, this gameplay mechanic felt good and fluid to use as Hanzo. However, it often resulted in some frustrating behavior for enemy players that can be alleviated without impacting Hanzo’s overall effectiveness too significantly.

Storm Bow

• Arrow draw progress is no longer preserved while wall climbing.

13 Jun 2023

Developer Comment: The Storm Bow damage adjustment is a small but significant change so that heroes with 250 health won't be eliminated with one critical damage shot. We've also updated the sound and visual for when Sonic Arrow initially lands to give nearby enemies more awareness that the ability was used.

Storm Bow

• Maximum damage reduced from 125 to 120.

Sonic Arrow

• Impact sound effect now plays for enemies.
• Visual effect is now briefly visible to enemies when first deployed.

7 Mar 2023

Developer Comment: Hanzo has high burst damage potential with Storm Bow and Storm Arrows and strong utility with Sonic Arrow but still underperforms compared to other heroes in the same role. This change increases his survivability without directly improving his strengths.

Lunge

• Lunge cooldown decreased from 5 to 4 seconds

26 Apr 2022
(beta)

Storm Arrows

• Damage reduced from 70 to 65

Overwatch 6v6

Patch

Description

18 Mar 2025

Storm Bow

• Time to fully charge each shot reduced from 0.72 to 0.8 seconds. ^[verify]

(Note: This change was reverted in both formats on May 20, 2025)

17 Dec 2025

Storm Bow

• Time to fully charge each shot reduced from 0.8 to 0.72 seconds.

Overwatch 1

Patch

Description

6 Jan 2022

Storm Arrows

• Arrows ricochet once upon impact

12 Jan 2021

Storm Arrows

• Shot recovery time reduced from 0.3 to 0.25 seconds

Developer Comment: This rate of fire change improves the feel and effectiveness of the Storm Arrows ability and though small, adds up over the course of firing 5 arrows.

19 Nov 2020

Storm Arrows

• Can now be manually canceled

16 Jun 2020

Storm Arrows

• Damage increased from 60 to 70

Developer Comment: The previous combination of changes to the projectile speed and the damage of Storm Arrows impacted Hanzo more than intended so we're reverting the Storm Arrow damage back its previous value.

28 Jan 2020

Storm Arrows

• Damage reduced from 70 to 60

16 Jan 2020

Storm Bow

• Maximum projectile speed reduced from 125 to 110

Developer Comment: The increased projectile speed Hanzo received in his rework ended up making his arrows too good at longer ranges. Decreasing the speed will reduce his sniping capability while still keeping him strong at mid-range.

13 Aug 2019

Storm Arrows

• Storm Arrows ammo reduced from 6 to 5

Developer Comment: The overall damage output of Storm Arrows was too high so we’re reducing the maximum number of shots.

19 Mar 2019

Sonic Arrow

• Detection radius increased from 7 to 9 meters

Developer Comments: Because of how dense the environment is on some maps, the Sonic Arrow can feel ineffective in some areas. Increasing Sonic Arrow’s detection radius should make it more effective.

9 Aug 2018

Lunge

• Cooldown increased from 4 to 5 seconds

Developer Comments: Hanzo’s Lunge ability allows him to be a bit too evasive, so we’re increasing the cooldown to make him easier to catch.

24 Jul 2018

Storm Arrows

• Duration reduced from 6 to 5 seconds
• Cooldown increased from 8 to 10 seconds

Developer Comments: Hanzo’s new kit has proven to be a bit too powerful, especially his new Storm Arrows ability. We’re lowering the frequency that he can have this ability available to make it more reasonable to play around.

22 May 2018

Storm Arrows

• Damage reduced from 80 to 70

Developer Comments: Hanzo’s Storm Arrows are doing too much damage considering his other changes, such as Lunge and projectile speed. This damage reduction will give Hanzo’s enemies a more reasonable chance to react and fight against him while using Storm Arrows.

3 May 2018

Storm Bow

• Projectile speed increased from 85 to 100

Sonic Arrow

• Cooldown decreased from 20 seconds to 12 seconds
• Duration decreased from 10 seconds to 6 seconds
• Radius decreased from 10 meters to 7 meters

New Abilities

Lunge

• Press jump while in the air to leap horizontally

Storm Arrows

• Replaces his existing Scatter Arrow ability
• Hanzo can now rapidly fire up to 6 arrows that deal reduced damage but are always fired at full power

Developer Comments: The goal of these Hanzo changes is to allow him to have new options and maintain his high damage output, while removing the frustration of fighting against the old Scatter Arrow. Hanzo is now much more mobile with his new Lunge ability, and with the combination of the bow projectile speed increase and the new Storm Arrows ability he can now deal his high damage more consistently than ever before.

23 May 2017

General

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

Storm Bow

• Increased charge speed by 10%
• Charged arrows now maintain their charge after climbing a wall, provided the button is continuously held

Developer Comments: Decreasing Hanzo’s draw time gives him more overall DPS, while also letting him fully charge an arrow and more quickly return to full movement speed when needed. And, like the change to Genji’s wall climbing, this is a quality of life change that will make climbing feel better.

1 Sep 2016

General

• Hanzo will now experience a 30% decrease in speed while aiming (formerly 40%)
• Maximum projectile speed has been increased by 30%
• Arrow size has been reduced by 33%

Developer Comments: Hanzo has the potential to deal a lot of damage, but he can feel really inconsistent, even at a medium distance. By increasing the projectile speed, we’re extending his reliable range, making it easier to land shots without having to perfectly predict enemy movement. To compensate for the increased projectile speed, we’ve decreased the size of his arrows, meaning his shots now require a bit more accuracy.

References

External Links

• Official Site - Hanzo
• Hanzo Guide on Icy Veins

v · d · e Heroes in Overwatch
Tank	Bruiser	Mauga	Orisa	Roadhog	Zarya
	Initiator	D.Va	Doomfist	Hazard	Winston	Wrecking Ball
	Stalwart	Domina	Junker Queen	Ramattra	Reinhardt	Sigma
Damage	Flanker	Anran	Genji	Reaper	File:Icon-Shion.png Shion	Tracer	Vendetta	Venture
	Recon	Echo	Freja	Pharah	Sierra	Sombra
	Sharpshooter	Ashe	Cassidy	Hanzo	Sojourn	Widowmaker
	Specialist	Bastion	Emre	Junkrat	Mei	Soldier: 76	Symmetra	Torbjörn
Support	Medic	Kiriko	Lifeweaver	Mercy	Moira
	Survivor	Brigitte	Illari	Juno	Mizuki	Wuyang
	Tactician	Ana	Baptiste	Jetpack Cat	Lúcio	Zenyatta