How to QUICKLY succeed in ranked - Knowledge and Continuous Improvement
All you need to know in order to improve yourself as a player and eventually succeed in ranked.
Is reading all of this worth your time?
This will be beneficial ONLY for players stuck in mid masters (3600~ with exceptions of course) and below, who want to improve quickly and then keep on improving. If you are not in that category, you either won't find this helpful, you've already mastered all of it, you are already working on everything, or you are simply way too good for all of this to matter (will explain later). This will be quite long and (I hope) informative. There have been quite a few of these posts lately but I think this will also help. If you are not ready to go through it all, then you are not ready to move up the ranks :'(. Also, none of the main points will be in order. All of them combined is what makes you continuously improve and eventually succeed in ranked.
Quick info about myself (skip if not interested):
I've always played Support on my Overwatch teams but I mainly play the FILL role in ranked. Season 1 High 79 (top 200 - 54 hours) and Season 2 High 4121 (Top 200 so far - 65 hours) -> My Profile.
Ex "pro" (in quotes since even though I was a top player, I was never salaried) from Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory and DirtyBomb. Years of top level FPS experience in those 2 games and some lower level experience in others. Also played mainly ranked in LoL (got to diamond 1 or 2 playing support only before I quit to compete in DirtyBomb). More info and achievements can be found HERE.
As you can see, I don't have hundreds of hours in ranked but I made my way to at least Grandmaster and top 500. Looking at many other players around my rank, they have all at least doubled or tripled my playtime. I assume there are many players with the same or even faster climb (there must be) but I am not writing all of this for them :)
Let's start with the newer players and then transition into the veterans of the game. You can skip if you've been around since either the beta or when the game came out if you wish.
How to improve and be ready for ranked if you are kind of new to the game and the scene?
Don't queue up for ranked once it opens up for you since you are definitely NOT ready yet. Start by playing quick play a lot and make sure you focus your practice by having a role that you like and you can excel at: TANK, DPS, or SUPPORT.
For example - If you like playing mostly Zarya and Roadhog, make sure to get games on Reinhardt / Winston as well and be proficient with all 3 (or 4).
Example - If you like playing Mei and Pharah, then make sure you also practice Hanzo / Genji
Of course, that will take time and a lot of patience. You can group up with friends or solo, it doesn't really matter as long as your play time is aimed at improving your specific hero pool. That practice will give a nice boost to your mechanics and positioning.
DO NOT get yourself limited to 1 hero only and then get in ranked. That will only limit your potential growth and get you stuck in one of the lower ranks. The people that have made it to the top with 1 hero only are 4 or 5 and for those players, there are probably thousands that got stuck really fast. Playing 1 hero only is not optimal because every hero has a counter.
Remember, the point of this type of practice in QuickPlay is NOT to win. You are simply covering all aspects of the heroes that you play and that you will use in ranked. You are practicing how they move, shoot, jump, crouch and behave in all types of situations. You are also practicing your positioning and game awareness with the given hero. With time, you start realizing not only how to shoot people but how to move around the map, how to flank, how to counter enemy compositions and so on.
Switching off to Bastion or DPS to win the map when you are practicing TANKS will not help you. It will only force you to do something similar when the game is not going your way. Of course, if your team is already full with players picking your heroes then consider switching to something else in a different role that you'd want to practice (explained below).
After you start feeling confident* playing your hero picks and you are actually contributing big time to your team with them, it's time to pick up AT LEAST 1 hero from each of the other roles. Those are you off picks.
Example - If you decided to be a TANK main (Zarya, Roadhog, Reinhardt, Winston, or D. Va) then pick 1 support hero and 1 dps hero and start practicing them and including them in your practice rotation. Since you are focusing on QuickPlay, teams are always missing either a support, dps, or tank so you will be good on always filling in on something.
After you're confident* with your play on those heroes as well, I'd say you are ready to hit up ranked and set yourself up nicely for quick and continuous improvement. If you want to increase your chances of climbing ranked even faster, then become proficient with 2 more heroes that are not in your selected MAIN role. That will give you a big champion pool diversity which will only increase your chances of winning later on.
---- What does it mean to feel confident in this game? It simply means that when you play, whether you win or lose, you have this feeling that you have done your absolute best. You landed all or most of your shots, you healed people in crucial situations, you timed your ults perfectly to counter the enemy, you blocked damage or enemy ults, you were holding your own all game and so on. So, you are convinced that you couldn't have played any better.
Remember that a player is never really the best he or she can be and that there is ALWAYS room for improvement.
How to improve if you've been around a while?
Here comes the hard part. You've already been "climbing" for a while but you are not getting anywhere or at least you're not where you want to be. Keep in mind that if you want to be and you believe to be Grandmaster but you are stuck in Silver-Platinumafter 400 hours, then you might just be at your perfect rating. Consider starting from the beginning and look up the previous part that you just skipped :).
Hardware
Have the perfect tools to set yourself up for success. Once again, there might be people that succeeded by doing or having something different but that doesn't mean that you will be able to repeat what they did. If you didn't read the previous part - for every 1 player that became good doing things way differently, there are thousands or more that didn't make it.
If you are still reading, then you must truly want to improve. I am not saying to go out and buy new things but if you have the chance then do it because they DO HELP and will definitely help you improve at a faster rate.
Monitor - 144 HZ monitor is a must. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. You are free to read up as to why and what it provides but the difference, especially between 60 HZ and 144 HZ, is massive.
Mouse and Mouse Pad - Your mouse and mouse pad combo is maybe the most important aspect since your aim in Overwatch is of great value, especially for DPS player. If anyone is stuck with a ball mouse, throw it away and buy something new. I've personally used Logitech MX 510, MX518, G400, Razer Chroma, and Zowie FK1. Picking your mouse and pad is your choice. People also have different ways of holding their mice. I can only provide links to reviews but it's up to you to review further and pick what you like best.
Gaming Mice
Mousepads
Headphones - Unlike other FPS games, I think the value you get out of sound in Overwatch is not as crucial. Don't get me wrong, it is still very important but you don't have to count steps in order to be ahead of the enemy. Personally, I have a Sennheiser PC360s and I will only change them if they break. They are well worth the money but if it often gets loud around you, make sure to pick headphones with closed-back design.
Read more about the 2 designs
Some Headphone Reviews
PC - The actual hardware in your PC is also important. You want to be able to get good and STABLE FPS. I always base my FPS based on my monitor refresh so 144 (154 in game I believe) is enough for me. Generally, as long as you don't drop FPS and your picture is not lagging, you are good to go. Configurations and what hardware you should buy is a whole different story. Feel free to ask if you want but I won't go into detail right now and I don't know much about that anyway.
Gameplay
You've covered all the needed steps and now you are ready to get climbing.
Beast Players - As I mentioned earlier, there are players that don't need all of this because they are just good at every game they touch. I've had the pleasure of playing with 2 such players on my teams in other games before. They just play the game without any advice or anything of the sort and they become monsters on what they play. Don't assume that you are like them. These players are rare and the rest of us need time, patience and a lot of practice to get to their level so read the rest of this.
Practice Range - Start by hitting the Practice Range for a while before you queue up for ranked for the day. Also, do it if you took a long break of not playing during the day. You want to be warmed up. Additionally, you can also play a QuickPlay game or two after the Practice Range.
Example - If you are a Tank main, practice Roadhog hooks on the moving targets and Zarya tracking. If you are support, practice wall riding as Lucio or flicks with Ana. You could also practice tracking and flicks with Zenyatta. Same thing with DPS heroes.
Here are some useful videos that can help you:
Taimous McCree, Tracer, Widow Flicks
Talespin Pharah
Playtime - Figure out when to queue up. Depending on your time zone, your perfect times may vary. I've used the same method in DirtyBomb and in League. I've always started playing after 8 EST to keep myself away from players that don't care about improvement (this is all my opinion obviously). I feel like people playing after that time are generally more serious and I have more fun playing with them. Of course, there are always exceptions.
Solo or Duo - If you are below Master, I'd consider playing duo with a friend that you know is good. You can also add a player you think is good and play with him or her. It just gives your team a nice boost and even though the games might be a little bit harder, the 2 of you should be able to overcome that difference and win more often than not. Don't be discouraged if you don't have people to play with. Solo queueing also works as long as you have a decent hero pool as explained above. Generally, if you are truly good and improving, you will climb even by solo queuing. Once in Master, I'd consider just going solo. You can also play with others only if you are sure your hero pools mesh well and all of you can carry the game. Personally, I feel like the solo games I play at this higher level are just better suited for me. Soloing allows me to play around the queued up stacks that are on my team since I fill most of the time.
FILL - You are now warmed up and getting into your ranked game. I am not saying that you should but if you want to try it out then always let people pick whatever they want and then fill. That way you allow your team to be on their best heroes and if you are really good and deserve to be higher, then you will do your job just fine on your fill role.
Communication against even teams is key so always be in voice chat. Always be in voice chat in general. I've seen a lot of people boasting about how they got to master by never talking or listening. They still don't realize that they could be a lot higher if they communicated and helped the others on the team.
Communicate everything you think is important. Nobody complains because you give out too much information. If you know where the enemy is pushing, if you slept someone, killed someone, or someone is very low HP then communicate that. It helps you get in the habit of playing and talking and then also helps your teammates.
Communication can also be used to lead your team. If you get a pick, you have the choice to tell your team to push now because you just opened up the way for them. Similarly, if you die or see someone on your team die, you can communicate your team to fall back.
Communication is crucial but it's also fragile. People are used to different things. Some prefer softer and easy communication while others prefer a more serious tone. Nevertheless, if you are always nice, nobody will ever get mad at you for asking your team to push.
Examples - I got a pick, let's push now ' We have the advantage so let's push ' Fall back, I just died ' Keep fighting, you are up players ' Let's push from [this] side because they are not watching it ' Take care of the [Genji] for me please ' Focus the [Winston] and we got this ' Protect me so I can get my ult and so on
Another important aspect is to always communicate something BEFORE it happened or as IT IS HAPPENING. Make sure to tell your team you need help or to let them know where the enemy team is coming from. Talking after you are dead is too late in some cases.
Simple communication that anyone can do. I feel like providing a reason after you say something is also important. It just feels like players are more likely to do what you say / ask if you provide a short reason. If you just say let's push now then the team might not listen. If you say, hey, I killed their Ana, they can't heal so let's push and clean them up now - I believe the team is more likely to listen and act.
Team Compositions - Don't assume that everyone is as good or as well prepared as you. Spell out things for your teammates if you believe that will help them. Use your mic to suggest team compositions and hero switches before the game starts and also during the game. Always suggest things in a nicely manner and provide reasoning.
Additionally, you might tell people what you are doing so they know not to do the same thing. If you are Mei and your idea is to wall off a certain part of the map, communicate it so you are on the same page with the team. Don't assume they know your idea just because you've been doing it for a while.
Also, if you don't get the hero you want, you can always ask nicely if the player wants to switch because you are confident you will play at your best. If that doesn't work, you should be prepared to play something else since you've practiced your main role and a couple of off picks. Never get into arguments about how you can do better on the given hero though. It's just pointless and it doesn't help anyone.
Toxic Players - There are many of them and you can't do much about them except to report them. So, either mute the ragers or report and mute them and move on. I know it's hard but that's what must be done. Don't spend time arguing unless it's a healthy argument where both sides are civil and understand each other's point. Usually, you know if you can have a healthy argument within the first 5 seconds. I am still at fault for this and I'm working on fixing it. Sometimes emotions get to you but remember to just mute and move on. You can always unmute later on.
Switches- If the game is not going your team's way, you could always ask to switch with another player. Don't start calling people bad and don't be toxic. Simply switch with someone if you know you can do better. People who will refuse to be carried to victory are not that many. I can't begin to describe how many games I've been in where my team would get absolutely destroyed round 1 and then I'd ask to switch and hold the enemy team with Junkrat or Winston on the first point. I've had the same done to me as well where I would not be doing much and someone wanted to play my role and believe me, switches like that work.
Switch anyway - If you know you will lose and nobody wants to switch, make the switch anyway. I know it may sound stupid to most but if you see that your team has not gotten a single kill in the past 3 minutes, don't bank on them acing the enemy team next. Simply communicate that you are going [Genji] and ask for someone to cover your previous role one more time. At least this way you have the chance of changing something rather than just losing without trying anything at all. I've personally switched from Lucio to Winston a couple of times and it worked in games where my team was losing pretty hard and fast.
Note: This last point is ONLY in critical situations where NOTHING is happening. If your team is doing just fine but you believe you can do a little more, that doesn't mean you should mess everything up and go 4th DPS and leave your team with a solo healing Lucio.
Situations - Everything in Overwatch is situational. With your experience playing the game, you should realize when things need to change based on the situation presented. Just because Winston worked last game that doesn't mean you stay on Winston against 4 tanks in the next game. You also don't go Pharah to counter Widow / McCree, don't go Widow to counter Winston, don't pick Roadhog to counter Reaper and you definitely don't Reinhardt charge McCree's ult across the map. Deep understanding of all heroes comes with play time and watching professional matches.
Outside Sources - Use whatever is available to learn more about the game and what pro players do. Trust me, pro players are the fastest at finding niches and exploring opportunities. Follow the competitive scene closely, you will only improve your own play as a result.
over.gg for results
Gosu Gamers Matchticker for future matches
Gosu's Youtube page for VODS
Juv3nile Reinhardt Tips
Papasmurf Reinhardt Tips
Flame analysis
I'd also consider following MonteCristo and DoA as they seem to be picking up Overwatch rather fast and will soon provide tons of valuable information.
Don't Overdo it - The point of improving and climbing fast is not to do it by playing 30 games per day. If you can, then power to you but if you are still reading this then I doubt that is working out for you. Always know what rank you started at for the day and keep track of your progress. If you lost 4 in a row, it's time to take a break, maybe even for the whole day. Similarly, if you won 4 in a row, it's time to keep going as you are now on a win streak and the system seems to be working in your favor. Usually, If I just lost 3 in a row and in 2 of those games I had people either not being in voice chat or doing their 1 trick pony stuff, then I just stop for a couple of hours or for the day. This part is REALLY IMPORTANT. I know you want to play more, so do I, but if you really want to climb, then you will take that break and cool off. Ending on a good note even with a single win is also good since it gives you that morale boost the next day. So, if you are on a big win streak, do stop at some point before you lose. You will still have the win streak the next day.
The way this system works - I am not sure if I am correct about this but I think the Overwatch system is similar to what League of Legends has. Basically put, every 1 to 3 games, you have relatively easy wins where the system set you up to win. If you win those 1-3 games, the system puts you in a hard situation where you are supposed to lose (against better players than the ones on your team). If you win the hard match, the system changes and the next 2-3 games will be easy wins until the system puts you in a harder match yet again and so on. That's how you advance way faster.
However, if during your 1-3 easy games you somehow lose, the system loops again and you start from the beginning of the 1-3 easy games. Thus, never really climbing much as you don't gain that much rank. Also, if you lose the series of 1-3 easy games, the system might decide that you are not at the right rank and might break the loop and give you some harder matches more frequently until you win 1 or 2 of them so it can put you back in the same 1-3 easy game loop. It's confusing and it might be wrong. The idea is that after winning some easy games, you HAVE to win that 1 hard game the system throws at you to really advance out of your rank and then you get some more easy games until you are tested again with a hard game.
The easiest example I can give is from when I duo-queued with a friend and we had to play against 4 pro players from Immortals and 1 more pro player from another team. We won and then we won the next couple of games easily. Of course, it doesn't ALWAYS work like that but I believe it gets close. Keeping that in mind, it gets easier to decide when to stop playing and when to continue playing.
Conclusion - Always keep in mind that no matter how good you are, how hard you practice, how hard you carry, how much better you are than other people, how good your communication is, and how positive you are, you will always lose games and you will always be put in situations that you simply can't win. You will have MANY of those games but it's important to keep your cool, take breaks, and play again only when you are ready.
I believe I covered everything. Hopefully I helped at least 1 player with this wall of text. You can follow me on
if you found this interesting. I'll try to put up more video content soon.
Feel free to ask questions.