Junkrat

Junkrat is a Damage hero in Overwatch.

Overview
Junkrat’s area-denying armaments include a Frag Launcher that lobs bouncing grenades, Concussion Mines that send enemies flying, and Steel Traps that stop foes dead in their tracks.

Strategy
Junkrat is a hero that excels at defending an area through the use of traps and indirect fire; he is valued for his damage output and area denial capabilities. He has strong mobility thanks to and deals high (if inaccurate) damage with his. He also can push objectives as well, and he can still change the battle after death thanks to. The explosive and arcing projectile nature of his weapon, however, makes it challenging for him to fight at close range with most heroes.

Weapons & Abilities

 * If you're about to die and confronting an enemy at close range, do your best to stay near to them, as Total Mayhem can net you a kill even after death.
 * If you see a friendly Zarya use, run into the Surge only as a last resort. you might just get a few people.
 * The grenades will be dropped at wherever Junkrat was killed, and do not inherit his momentum. Being killed while flying through the air will drop the grenades straight down to the ground.
 * Do not worry about getting too close to your own bombs, as they cannot hurt you.
 * When Junkrat dies, his bombs can still be by Genji and or destroyed by D.Va's.


 * While these grenades deal high damage, they are hard to aim properly, especially at small targets or targets that are above Junkrat. They are best used to provide indirect fire, flooding an area with grenades in order to make traveling through it as dangerous as possible for Junkrat's opponents.
 * The explosion from these grenades won't damage Junkrat due to Total Mayhem's passive.
 * The fact that the grenades arc make it difficult to attack characters such as Pharah, as she can easily dispatch you before you get a chance to kill her.


 * Since Junkrat takes no damage from his own Concussion Mine, he can use its explosion to blow himself into the air to travel faster or reach higher ground.
 * Try to lead the mine and predict the enemy movement as the mine has damage-falloff when the target isn't near the center of the explosion.
 * The knockback effect can also be used to knock enemies into pits, or to knock them away from Junkrat in order to give him some distance.
 * The mine can be destroyed by enemy players, causing no explosion.


 * Try to plant this trap in shadowed areas or around corners where enemies will be less likely to spot them before stepping on them. In a pinch, you can toss this trap on the ground at close range in the hopes of an enemy accidentally stepping on it.
 * The trap is extremely noticeable thanks to the red lights on it.

Junkrat's Ultimate ability. When activated, Junkrat temporarily gains control of a fast-moving, explosive tire. His view switches to the RIP-Tire, which can be steered with your normal movement controls, and can climb walls by holding the jump button while next to them (much like Genji or Hanzo's passives). Pressing either your primary or secondary fire will cause the tire to detonate, dealing heavy damage in a decent area, or exploding automatically once the tire's duration runs out. The RIP-Tire has a Health pool that, if depleted, will cause the tire to disappear with no explosion.
 * If Junkrat is killed while steering the RIP-Tire, he will still retain control of it until the tire either explodes or is destroyed.

General Strategies

 * While Junkrat can deal tremendous damage with his, it takes a considerable amount of skill and practice to accurately land grenades. In general, it's best to launch your grenades at an area, rather than at a specific target, as Junkrat's biggest strength comes from his ability to make any area hazardous to travel through. If you're forced to fight an opponent head on, try to lead your Frag Launcher shots so that your enemy will run into them.
 * Placing your and  well are key when playing Junkrat. Your Steel Trap should be placed in spots without much room to maneuver in order to force enemies to either destroy the trap or step on it. This can be used to protect your flank by telling you when an enemy is coming through the area where you dropped your trap. Place your Concussion Mine above a doorway or next to a wall that you know your opponents will be traveling by. The explosion can be used to both damage and separate the enemy team, allowing your team to pick off whoever gets blown towards you.
 * RIP-Tire's loud engines can be heard clearly by your opponents, giving them a general idea of where it is. Avoid driving it straight at your enemies, as they'll most likely be able to destroy it before it gets to them, wasting your ultimate. Instead, use side routes to get the tire behind your enemies, either by driving the tire through these routes, or taking the routes yourself and then unleashing the tire once you're behind them. Keep in mind that Junkrat is completely helpless while controlling the tire and easily killed, so try to activate RIP-Tire from a safe position.
 * Junkrat's Concussion Mine will stick to any surface, and can be used to surprise the enemy.
 * A combination of the Steel Trap and Concussion Mine can instantly kill 200 HP characters. This strategy works best when placing it over a health pack or at a choke point.
 * Junkrat excels at destroying stationary targets from a distance.
 * Professionals use RIP-Tire to take out Supports, this is a very undermined tactic, as a team without any healing will be greatly disadvantaged.
 * Junkrat's sit emote can be used to hide in a bush or cart, staying hidden while contesting the payload.

Story
"IT'S A PERFECT DAY FOR SOME MAYHEM." Junkrat is an explosives-obsessed freak who lives to cause chaos and destruction. He is on a number of most-wanted lists. He has a low opinion of omnics and those who believe they can be trusted. He likewise has a low opinion of "suits" (corporate businesspersons).

Junkrat's hair carries a burning smell with it. He lost his right leg to an accident with a home-made explosive. He dislikes shrimp.

Background
"Well then, Junkrat's the name, and junkratting's the...wait...junk... junk...junkrat-junk...Ugh, never mind! Joke cancelled! Move along! Blah!"

- Junkrat

The attack on the Australian omnium's fusion core forever altered the landscape of the Outback. After the detonation, the area was transformed into a harsh, irradiated wasteland, littered with debris and the twisted fragments of the ruined facility, and unlivable to most.

But there were some who survived. Calling themselves the Junkers, they scavenged the husk of the omnium and formed a lawless, cutthroat society in its shadow. Junkrat was one of them, eking out a living reclaiming metal and components from the ruins. Like many others, he was affected by the lingering radiation. This touch of madness made him ideal for handling dangerous explosives, a love which he turned into an obsession.

Wasted Land
"Gentlemen, gentlemen, this is all a misunderstanding. If I knew where a priceless treasure was buried, I'd be thrilled to tell the Queen all about it. But I don't, so...problem solved, yeah?"

- Junkrat tries to worm his way out of his predicament

He came to notoriety when he discovered an extremely valuable secret in the bones of the omnium. Though few knew the nature of what he found, he ran his mouth constantly, alluding to his discovery. As a result, he was pursued by bounty hunters, gangs, and opportunists wherever he went. He was cornered in a Junkertown bar by enforcers from the Queen of Junkertown herself. He'd blabbed on about his 'treasure' that she'd come to suspect that he was hiding something. Junkrat, desparate to get out of his situation, loudly announced that he'd share the location of the treasure...for a 10% share! He hoped that the man drinking at the bar would take him up on his offer, but he didn't respond, causing Junkrat to raise the offer to 25%. The man, whose name was Roadhog, came to Junkrat's aid, but more as an excuse to pummel the Queen's enforcers rather than aiding Junkrat himself. Roadhog grudgingly agreed to be Junkrat's personal bodyguard in exchange for a fifty-fifty share of the spoils. Junkrat tried to haggle him down, even going as high as 28%, but eventually relented at a 50% cut.

On the Road
"Well that's a fine 'how do ya do?'. What was it you think that got us the boot? The stealing the queen's cash? Blowing up her summer shack? The beatdown at the bar?"

- Junkrat after being kicked out of Junkertown

For some reason, Junkrat and Roadhog were kicked out of Junkertown, following a string of incidents that included stealing the Queen of Junkertown's money, blowing up her summer shack, and a bar brawl (possibly the same one where they both met). Whatever the reason, Junkrat blamed Roadhog for it. Still, as Junkrat was well aware, there were two things that solved every problem&mdash;money, and explosives. That gave him an idea...

With Roadhog in tow, Junkrat left the Outback, and embarked upon an international crime spree leaving nothing but havoc and bedlam in their wake. They were responsible for a string of robberies, arson, murder, and other crimes stretching from Sydney to King's Row. They had a creed of "no job too big, no score too small." It is known that they performed the heist of the Banco de Dorado by digging a tunnel. In the United Kingdom, they stole the crown jewels. Their spree of mayhem and chaos caused untold millions in property damage around the world.

British, French, and Latin American authorities offered rewards for information on the fugitives, and theorized that they were intent on crossing the Atlantic to North America. Their activities were reported on by A Moment in Crime, by which point the bounty on their heads had reached $25 million.

Going Legit
"Yeah yeah, 'quiet.' You called the right people, mate."

- Junkrat to "the Suit"

At some point, Junkrat and Roadhog were called in for a job on behest of a "suit" from Hyde Global in Sydney. He claimed that a factory of his in downtown Sydney had been taken over by omnic terrorists, and its workers taken hostage. Wanting to keep the police out of it, he asked the pair to deal with the situation, as he knew there was no-one better for getting jobs done "quietly." Junkrat was onboard&mdash;he was happy to take out omnics, and the down payment looked enticing. Ergo, the pair set off to the factory, Junkrat even open to the idea of "going legit." This job could be a new start for them. What wasn't a new start was his approach to problems, namely to blow open a hole in the factory roof and jump straight in, any thought of the hostages barely registering. Only there were none, only a horde of cop bots. The two blasted their way through the opposition, exited the factory, and then set the whole thing crashing down in yet another explosion. Marveling at the destruction, Junkrat was reminded by Roadhog that there were meant to be hostages. Only, there were none, only the robots. And as he inspected them, Junkrat realized that they weren't omnics, but rather Hyde Global automatons.

At this point the police arrived. Despite Junkrat's assertion that they were "professionals," that didn't prevent a shootout from starting (not that Roadhog being called "fat" by one of the officers helped his disposition). In the hail of gunfire, Roadhog helped Junkrat realize that the suit had set them up. It was a realization that was accurate, for in reality, the suit had intended for the pair to destroy the factory for the insurance payout. But the next day, Junkrat and Roadhog paid him a visit, stringing him up on a crane, and leaving him to die in an explosion that consumed the entire HG Sydney office block. As they made their escape, Junkrat was reaffirmed in his dislike of "suits," and could only ask whose idea it had been to "go legit" in the first place.

Return to Junkertown
"First, we light the fuse. Then, we put on our inconspicuous disguises and sneak into town. After that, we get our glorious blinged-out boom trolley right into the boss's place, reveal our ingenious deception, and boom! They'll never see it coming!"

- Junkrat's initial plan

Their worldwide heist complete, Junkrat and Roadhog returned to Junkertown, with a hover-trolley loaded with gold and explosives. At the town gates, Junkrat laid out his plan&mdash;light the fuse, put on 'inconspicuous disguises', sneak into town, get the trolley to the queen's throne, reveal their deception, and kaboom! Roadhog had Junkrat refine the plan so that it included them escaping the detonation, and escaping with the gold at that. The plan was set in motion, only to be screwed up as Junkrat revealed their identities to the gate warden. The gates were barred shut, leaving the pair with a trolley of gold, useless disguises, and a ticking fuse.

Trivia

 * Junkrat is 6'5" tall, and weighs 155 lbs (196 cm and 70 kg). This makes Junkrat the 4th tallest character in the game, though he appears shorter due to normally being hunched over.


 * Junkrat and Roadhog's shared backstory of Australia becoming a wasteland apocalypse bears strong resemblance to the setting of the Mad Max series.


 * Jeff Kaplan confirmed in a forum comment that Junkrat keeps Milk Tea with Boba half sweetened in his canteen.


 * According to Arnold Tsang, Junkrat is a big fan of Wrecking Ball, and was inspired to build his Rip-Tire by watching him compete in the Scrapyard.


 * Junkrat's surname 'Fawkes' could be a reference to Guy Fawkes. This is evidenced by a voice line that references the opening line of the Guy Fawkes Day song "The Fifth of November" that has a chance to trigger when he get a triple-kill or higher with his RIP-Tire.


 * Junkrat's buckle in his Fool and Jester skins have the letters "JSTR" on it (presumably standing for "Jester"), This may be an in-game parody of McCree's "BAMF" buckle.


 * Junkrat's Fool and Jester skins as well as his Haystack and Scarecrow skins have some similarities to the DC Comics characters "The Joker" and "Scarecrow", respectively.
 * The fact all three characters are in some way psychotic, reenforces the similarities.


 * Junkrat's Rip-Tire Ultimate ability is a play on the design of the rip-cord car toys.
 * In World of Warcraft, another game produced by Blizzard Entertainment, the "Iron Horde" faction uses "iron stars", giant rolling bombs that, once primed, would roll and crush anything in their path before exploding with enough force to wipe out whole squadrons. Considering the similarity between these iron stars and the RIP-Tire, it is possible that one of them may have influenced the other.


 * Junkrat is the seventh playable hero in Heroes of the Storm.


 * Junkrat blew off his own leg. How he lost his arm is still unknown.


 * Junkrat made his own grenade launcher.

Merchandise

 * A Junkrat Funko Pop figure will go on sale in 2018.


 * A Nendoroid Junkrat figure will go on sale in Q1 2019.


 * A Dr. Junkenstein figure is available for sale from Hot Topic and Box Lunch.

Development

 * Junkrat went through numerous designs, beginning with a set of early concepts depicting him as a bulky robot, a cyborg, a mutant, and even an alien. The team then gravitated toward designs in which he wore heavy bomb disposal armor, one of which inspired the initial prototype for Wrecking Ball, but gradually peeled away the layers of armor to showcase more of his maniacal personality, eventually settling on a silhouette similar to his final incarnation. They explored several different flavors of this design with a variety of different possible origin stories, including ones with military overtones and a version of him as a member of Los Muertos, but ultimately decided to make him one of the Junkers.


 * Junkrat's original ultimate ability was a giant shoulder-mounted missile, but it was considered visually confusing during gameplay and the RIP-Tire was developed instead.


 * Junkrat was implemented in the game at some point after Torbjörn.