Winston wields impressive inventions—a jump pack, electricity-blasting Tesla Cannon, portable shield projector and more—with literal gorilla strength.
Abilities
Tesla Cannon
Type
Weapon
Effect Type
Beam (multi-target)
Winston’s weapon fires a short-range electric barrage for as long as he holds down the trigger.
Damage:
60 per second
Headshot:
✕
Ammo per shot:
20 rounds per second
Ammo:
100
Reload time:
1.7 seconds
Max. range:
8 meters
Area of effect:
6 meter width
Example Video
Jump Pack
LSHIFT
6 seconds 2 seconds during Primal Rage
Type
Ability
Effect Type
Area of effect (landing)
Assisted by his energy pack, Winston lunges through the air, dealing significant damage and staggering nearby enemies when he lands.
Damage:
Jumping: 1 Landing: 1-50
Headshot:
✕
Max. range:
18 - 22 meters
Area of effect:
5 meter radius (landing damage)
Move. speed:
30 meters per second (initial)
Example Video
Barrier Projector
E
13 seconds
Type
Ability
Winston’s barrier projector extends a bubble-shaped field that absorbs damage until it's destroyed. Allies protected by the barrier can return fire from within it.
Winston embraces his animal nature, significantly boosting his health and making him very difficult to kill, strengthening his melee attack, and allowing him to use his Jump Pack ability more frequently. While raging, Winston can only make melee and Jump Pack attacks.
If Winston has more than 400 health at the end of the duration, it becomes 400. If he has any armor, it is transferred over. (E.g. 900 health, 50 armor becomes 400 health, 50 armor. 700 health, 0 armor becomes 400 health, 0 armor.)
Example Video
Strategy
Strength
Winston is one of the game's most mobile Tanks, capable of crossing vast distances in a single leap to bring the fight to his enemies. His Tesla Cannon can't be blocked by a general barrier, given its splash effect, making it very dangerous to most low-health heroes. The agility provided by his Jump Pack makes him a persistent menace that can easily disrupt any enemy team through constant harassment. Barrier Projector is his method of defense for himself or his teammates for a short duration. With the barrier being bubble-shaped, it can be one of the best barriers in the game. Primal Rage not only saves his life by increasing both his current and maximum health, it also greatly reduces the cooldown of Jump Pack and replaces his Tesla Cannon with melee attacks that can disrupt any enemy hit by it. He is of great use for diving into an open space and disrupting enemies.
Weakness
Much like Reinhardt, however, he is only capable of fighting at short range, and he is not nearly as consistently durable as the other Tanks. His damage output is considered to be lowest of its class, as any enemy healer will reduce the effectiveness of his weapon or even negate it. His personal barrier is very weak and has a very lengthy cooldown, not suited to be used as a main defensive tool. He has to make use of his Primal Rage to disrupt the enemies as much as possible; otherwise, it is a great ultimate battery due to his higher health and larger collision.
Weapons & Abilities
Tesla Cannon: Winston's primary weapon. The Tesla Cannon causes continual damage in a cone in front of Winston as long as the primary fire button is held down.
The Tesla Cannon automatically targets any enemies who are within the cone. Even evasive targets like Tracer cannot avoid being damaged by Winston so long as they are within range of the Cannon.
The Tesla Cannon has fairly low damage compared to the weapons of other Tanks. It's best not to go head-to-head with other Tanks unless they're already low on Health.
Tesla Cannon is not blocked by barriers or Genji'sDeflect.
Jump Pack: When activated, Winston performs a massive leap forwards. When he lands, he deals damage to all enemies in a small area and knocks them back.
With Jump Pack, Winston can easily reach distant enemies in a single bound. If your team is being harassed by Widowmaker or Hanzo, don't be afraid to leap onto them and take them out.
Jump Pack will immediately end if Winston collides with a solid object like a box or short wall when first activating Jump Pack. Make sure you have ample distance to vault over obstacles before using Jump Pack.
Once in the air, Winston has a small amount of air control, allowing him to curve around in the air. Use this to both evade enemy fire and to land on certain platforms.
Jump Pack goes in the direction Winston is looking, not straight in the air. Keep this in mind when trying to make longer jumps, as looking straight ahead will not get you as far.
Barrier Projector: When activated, Winston drops a small projector that creates a bubble-shaped barrier, absorbing a certain amount of damage from the enemy team before being destroyed. The bubble is hollow, meaning an enemy inside the bubble can still hit Winston or his allies if they are also inside the bubble. The barrier will disappear automatically after a few seconds.
Barrier Projector does not inherit Winston's momentum. If he drops it while in mid-air with Jump Pack, it will fall straight downwards.
Winston can "dance" between the edge of the bubble in order to keep himself safe for its duration. When an enemy enters into the bubble, move outside of it so that the enemy has to exit the bubble to attack you. Once they do, move back into the bubble. This lets you deal constant damage while the barrier absorbs most of your enemy's damage.
The barrier is rather fragile for a shield, and is best suited to short-term blocking or breaking up a control point. Winston should not rely on this ability to be the only shield on his team, as Reinhardt and Orisa are much more effective.
Primal Rage (Ultimate): Winston's Ultimate ability. When activated, Winston transforms into a berserk ape, gaining a massive amount of maximum Health, greatly shortening the cooldown on Jump Pack, and changing his primary weapon into fast-hitting hand swipes that deal damage and knock enemies back a great distance. Winston cannot use Barrier Projector while Primal Rage is active. Winston returns to base maximum Health after Primal Rage ends.
Primal Rage causes Winston's Health to be immediately refilled to the new, higher value. Use Primal Rage when you're in danger of dying.
Primal Rage has rather low damage output for an Ultimate, but the knockback from his hand swipes is impressive. Use this with frequent jumps to disrupt enemies and push them off objectives.
Jump Pack will immediately come off cooldown both when activating Primal Rage and when Primal Rage ends. This guarantees a safe entrance and exit to a skirmish.
General Strategies
Winston is a great Tank for new players. His Tesla Cannon automatically hits any enemies in front of him, minimizing the amount of aiming you need to do, and his Barrier Projector gives both him and his team extra survivability.
Winston is a fantastic counter to mobile enemies like Tracer or Genji. The autohit nature of Tesla Cannon prevents them from dodging the constant stream of damage from Winston, and Barrier Projector gives Winston more than enough Health to deal with them. When up against a good player using Tracer or Genji, consider switching to Winston.
Winston excels at bypassing chokepoints and attacking control points. He can force a defending team to fall back and defend the objective, allowing your team to pass through the chokepoint. Use Winston when you need to be able to get into an enemy's backline and break them up.
Barrier Projector is weaker than Reinhardt'sBarrier Field, though still capable of absorbing a good amount of damage. When it comes to guarding a chokepoint or an objective, Reinhardt is the better pick.
Don't stay in one place as Winston, as he's squishier than he seems. Use Jump Pack to constantly engage and disengage, retreating when you get low on Health. Memorize the location of large Health Packs, as this will help you get back to fighting more quickly.
Primal Rage is best used in cases where you need to force an enemy team away from a position. If they've heavily entrenched themselves in an area, use Primal Rage to knock them back so that your team has an opportunity to move in. Remember that you gain a massive amount of Health, and you fully heal to the new health pool when Primal Rage is used, so try to delay using it until you are low on Health to maximize the amount of time you spend in the fight.
Although Winston may seem as an easy class to play, he is quite difficult to master. Winston can be eliminated rather quickly if he jumps into a new area headfirst without teammates. Consider sticking with teammates and launching at solo targets like Widowmaker, Genji, Tracer, etc.
Winston is perfect for taking out Support heroes that are alone or have wandered from their team, so don't hesitate to go after them. Make sure you are quick, as the enemy will soon rush to save their Support.
Mechanics
Using melee attacks to repeatedly interrupt the Tesla Cannon fire does the same damage per second as simply firing the weapon. When attacking a single target, this technique is optimal, because it conserves ammunition and is more efficient against armored targets. The risk is that Winston needs to get closer to his target than he would usually have to, potentially making him miss out on damage if he loses track of his target.
After using the Jump Pack, a standard melee attack right before landing will cancel the melee animation while the damage of the attack is still applied. While the visual animation of the melee is cancelled, Winston still is unable to use his Tesla Cannon until 0.5 seconds after he used the melee attack. This makes using melee right before landing no more or less efficient than interrupting the Tesla Cannon with melee attacks while grounded.
To perform particularly short jumps with the Jump Pack, look straight ahead and press and hold backwards right before using the ability. To jump straight up, look straight up and press and hold backwards right before jumping.
Should you encounter an enemy D.Va in her Mech, she will be a difficult opponent. While her Defense Matrix may be incapable of blocking your Tesla Cannon, its low damage will be easily outmatched by D.Va's Fusion Cannons and Micro Missiles, which are sometimes enough to burst you to death before you can use Jump Pack to flee. Even if you deploy a Photon Projector, a good D.Va can often straddle it just as well as you can. If you attempt to flee with Jump Pack, D.Va can chase you down and finish you off if you're low health. Typically speaking, don't approach on an enemy D.Va unless you're with your team or you're certain she's near death. Should you get her out of her Mech, though, she's easy pickings. Your Tesla Cannon will home in on even the jumpiest of D.Vas and quickly snuff her out. At a distance she can deal a lot of damage to you, but you can leap to her with Jump Pack, and with her mobility gone she's easy prey. Barrier Projector can block not only Pilot D.Va's attacks, but also a Self-Destruct if deployed at the right time.
Although your Tesla Cannon will struggle to whittle through Reinhardt's high armor, it ignores his Barrier Field and pierces through it. Rather than harming Reinhardt himself, this is ideal for damaging any enemies clustering around a Reinhardt's barrier. You can use Jump Pack to ambush Reinhardt and those he's protecting. Should Reinhardt drop his barrier to attack you back, that will provide an opening for your teammates to press with an attack. As long as you can survive the encounter, you can flee with Jump Pack, heal, and return to heckle Reinhardt, as other than Charge he has no means of chasing you down. Should Reinhardt hit you with Charge, though, he will take out a huge chunk of your health, so should that happen it's important to immediately retreat.
Roadhog will prove to be one of your worst enemies. Your huge body and head hitboxes make you extremely vulnerable to Roadhog's Scrap Gun, which can potentially kill you in just two shots - and from greater range than against most heroes. Roadhog's enormous health total makes the Tesla Cannon do little more than tickle him, and his hook can pull you in and allow him to take off most of your health with a single combo. However, Barrier Projector can prevent you and your teammates from being hooked, and can even be used reactively in some situations to stop a hook, or to preemptively cover an advance that would otherwise be stymied by Roadhog's hook. Be wary, though, that Barrier Projector's cooldown is much longer than Chain Hook, meaning Roadhog will have plenty of opportunities to hook you before you can protect yourself again. Even in the miraculous situation where you catch a low-health Roadhog on the run, he can often use Take a Breather to nullify your Tesla Cannon's damage and restore his health. Try not to directly engage Roadhog, and if you know one is roaming about, save your Jump Pack to flee from him; if hooked, use Jump Pack to disengage immediately. Avoid diving onto characters being protected by Roadhog, as it will often result in your death instead of the death of your intended target.
The Tesla Cannon's low damage output will cause a one on one Winston bout to be a long, drawn-out stalemate. Barrier Projector will do nothing to defend does nothing against each other's Tesla Cannons, so don't bother unless other you need to protect yourself from other enemies in the vicinity. Only bother to pursue an enemy Winston if he's on the brink of death; otherwise, stick with your team and don't waste your time.
Multiple Winstons in a No Limits game can deploy multiple Barrier Projectors, resulting in a large area of protection.
Zarya's lack of armor and lower health when compared to other tanks will allow you to kill her faster than you would most other tanks. Jump Pack can allow you to hunt Zarya down while she has low health, while she has no mobility options that can help her escape. Zarya does have you beat in firepower, though, and she will be able to out-damage you even at low energy. Stop firing when she deploys her Particle Barrier, otherwise all you'll do is increase her Energy. Her weapon can't attack you at a distance, but its range is superior to that of your Tesla Cannon, meaning you'll have difficulty avoiding her attacks without Jump Pack. With high Energy, Zarya can make short work of you even if you are inside the Barrier Projector. Zarya can be especially annoying if you leap in to finish off an enemy, only for her to throw a Projected Barrier onto your target, saving her teammate and potentially gaining some Energy. Only engage Zarya when she is at low health and low Energy. If you and your team are grabbed by Zarya's Graviton Surge, quickly deploy a Barrier Projector, as it can help soak up some incoming damage.
Bastion will have no trouble gunning you down due to your large hitbox, and your Barrier Projector's low health will do little to stop the bullet rain. Even if you can get behind Bastion, the Tesla Cannon cannot headshot, giving Bastion plenty of time to snap around and run you down. Unless protected by the likes of Zarya's Projected Barrier, you should never engage Bastion when he is in Sentry Configuration. You stand a better chance if you catch Bastion in Recon Configuration, but unless he's at low health, he can simply transform and gun you down. Even when you are using Primal Rage, Bastion can chew through a huge amount of your health. Avoid messing with Bastion as much as possible and let your more suitable teammates kill it.
You are by far one of the strongest counters to Genji. He can't Deflect your Tesla Cannon, which will automatically hit him as long as you are aiming slightly in Genji's direction. This in turn nullifies one of his greatest assets, that being his agility. If Genji is attempting to heckle you from a distance, your Barrier Projector should provide sufficient protection. If Genji attempts to flee from you with a Swift Strike, you can just use your Jump Pack to chase him down and finish him off, which is helped by Jump Pack having a shorter cooldown than Swift Strike. If Genji activates Dragonblade and you have enough health to withstand several sword swings, instead of fleeing attack back with your Tesla Cannon, which may kill him before he can kill any members of your team.
Hanzo fights best against low-health enemies at a distance; thankfully, you fit neither of those bills with your sizeable health and your ability to quickly ambush opponents and attack them at close range. While Hanzo can climb walls and dodge in the air, these mean little to your Tesla Cannon's ability to track wily opponents. One concern you'll need to worry about is the burst damage of his Storm Arrows; this can mitigated by dropping your Barrier Projector after leaping towards Hanzo and dancing back and forth between it. Hanzo's Sonic Arrow can alert himself and his team of your existence, which can be beneficial for timing shots on you, so be careful about peeking from behind corners.
Junkrat's Concussion Mine and Steel Trap can be easily destroyed by your Tesla Cannon, so long as you fire with your weapon before accidentally stepping on a trap. Jump Pack allows you to quickly approach Junkrat; without hus Steel Trap to defend himself, Junkrat is forced to fight in close-range. Your Barrier Projector will allow you to deal consistent damage to Junkrat in relative safety; if your barrier is on cooldown, though, his grenades will easily hit you due to your large hitbox. A few direct hits will melt your health away quickly, so try to only fight Junkrat if your Barrier Projector is ready; if you're caught by surprise by him, don't hesitate to use Jump Pack to retreat to your team, as Junkrat's ability to chase after you is limited. If a wounded Junkrat is retreating, weigh whether or not you believe he'll have regrouped with his team before jumping after him to finish him off.
While McCree poses a threat at greater distances, Jump Pack will allow you to quickly close the distance. McCree's Flashbang and Fan the Hammer combo can still prove dangerous to you, but your high health should usually help you withstand the combo. Barrier Projector provides ample protection from McCree's Peacekeeper, and in close-quarters combat you can go in and out of the barrier to make it difficult for McCree to land his shots on you. In an emergency situation, you cal always use Jump Pack to flee from the fight; while you have to watch out for any Peacemaker shots he lands while you are midair, he has few means of pursuing you once you create some distance between the two of you. Take advantage of McCree's low mobility and your superior health, and you should do fairly well against him.
What Mei lacks in mobility, she makes up for in being superior to you in close-quarters combat. Barrier Projector can protect you from both her primary and secondary attacks, but if you attempt to kill her up close with your Tesla Cannon, she'll almost always freeze you solid before you get the chance. Even if you get her near death, your last of burst damage means she can safely enter Cryo-Freeze to recover her health. While you are capable of taking a few frozen headshots from Mei and living, in a team fight you'll be much more susceptible to her team. If you know the enemy team has a Mei, be careful about where you leap so you don't end up running into her and getting cornered.
As Pharah maintains her high altitude, the only hope for you to attack is to use Jump Pack to jump towards her and deal some damage with Tesla Cannon. You will be mid-air for around 1 or 2 seconds, but this will rarely be enough to deal any significant damage. You also can't do anything against Pharah from a distance, other than putting up a Barrier Projector to shield yourself and your team. With enough firepower for Pharah and her team, though, your barrier will shatter quickly, so be cautious around her. Primal Rage's reduced Jump Pack cooldown can help you reach Pharah's heights if need be.
Reaper is one of your worst nightmares. He can tear through your health with only a few rounds of his Hellfire Shotguns, and being such a huge gorilla, you make for an easy target for Reaper to easily land all of bullets on you.bullets onto him. You need to maintain a close range to damage enemies with your Tesla Cannon, and close range combat is Reaper's bread and butter. With higher firepower than you, higher health than average heroes, self-heal with The Reaping, and a reliable escape and pursue tool with Wraith Form, Reaper will win in any direct fight with you. Barrier Projector can't soak up Reaper's high damage as it has low health compared to the likes of Reinhardt's or even Orisa's barriers. You should only attempt to engage with a Reaper if he has low health, his Wraith Form is on cooldown, and you think you can finish him before he can start shooting you and regaining health with The Reaping. If you are forced into a fight with Reaper, deploy your Barrier Projector and weave in and out of it to hopefully avoid his attacks until you survive long enough to leap with Jump Pack to safety. Your ability to knock Reaper around during Primal Rage can keep him from landing close shots on you (or sometimes even knock him off a cliff for an environmental kill), but you shouldn't directly confront a group of enemies with Primal Rage when Reaper is among them, as even with your enhanced health he may be able to run you into the ground with help from his friends.
Soldier: 76's attack great range allows him to deal heavy damage to you at a distance, which is only made worse by your large size. Jump Pack can help you close the gap between you and Soldier: 76, and your Tesla Cannon can deal enough continuous damage to force him to retreat and regroup with his team. Should Soldier: 76 stand his ground and activate Biotic Field, though, he will be able to heal himself at a rate that renders your Tesla Cannon's damage null. Even if the tide turns in your favor, Soldier: 76's Sprint can give him the means to escape. With an accurate Jump Pack, jump, you can catch up and finish him off if he's weak enough. However, unless he's near death, you should instead use Jump Jack to escape and regroup with your teammates who will have a better time handling him. Barrier Projector can effectively protect you and your teammates from Soldier: 76's shots and his Tactical Visor, but be mindful of the barrier's low health and short duration.
Should Sombra land a Hack on you from far enough away that your Tesla Cannon can't hit her, you'll be stuck with no mobility, no protection, and a weak close range weapon. That being said, the wide arc of your Tesla Cannon is often capable of disrupting Sombra's Hack before it can finish. A quick deployment of Barrier Projector can also cut her hack off, as Sombra is incapable of hacking enemies through Barriers. Hacked or not, in a 1 on 1 close range fight, your auto-aiming Tesla Cannon and your larger health should be sufficient to handle Sombra. Should she keep a good distance on you while you are Hacked, though, she might be able to gun you down due to your lack of attack range; in this scenario, it's best to try to hide behind cover, and if she chases you, you can ambush her at your preferred range. If you know where a Sombra is, you can use Jump Pack to ambush her and kill her, or in the very least force her to retreat with Translocator. Unfortunately Tesla Cannon won't home in on her while she is utilizing her Thermoptic Camo, meaning unless you hit her with a lucky punch (or if she attempts to activate it at point blank range, which will cause your Tesla Cannon to disrupt its activation), she can use it to escape. If you are Hacked during Primal Rage, your Ultimate won't be cancelled, but you will lose your Jump Pack, rendering you a far less mobile threat and making you easy pickings for the enemy team. In a nutshell, you will win most fights against Sombra so long as you don't allow her to ambush you.
Your auto-tracking Tesla Cannon can prove to be a nightmare for Symmetra and her Sentry Turrets. That being said, it's wise not to underestimate her; Symmetra's Photon Projector can quickly demolish your Barrier Projector, and doing so will help her achieve higher energy levels that she can then use to rip you apart. When fighting Symmetra, it's best to either kill her quickly or keep your distance and be ready to flee with Jump Pack; if you prolong a fight with her and let her power up, you won't be able to kill her before she kills you. Instead of hunting down Symmetra, consider jumping to areas where you know she has Sentry Turrets set up, destroying them with your Tesla Cannon, and escaping before she or her teammates can avenge them.
Torbjörn's Turret can't do much to break through your Barrier Projector. If you use Jump Pack to land near a Turret and deploy a barrier to protect yourself, you should have little difficulty taking down the Turret before Torbjörn can retaliate. If the Torbjörn decides to sit by his Turret and repair it, you may end up taking more time do destroy the Turret, but you gain the benefit of being able to attack both the Turret and Torbjörn at the same time with your Tesla Cannon. Be careful if you don't have Barrier Projectile available; Torbjörn's alt-fire, especially when enhanced by Overload, can pack a mean punch, and you have large hitboxes that will a good number of bullets. If Torbjörn activates Molten Core near you, don't hesitate to use Jump Pack to get out of the general vicinity to avoid stepping in magma.
Winston excels in fighting against mobile heroes due to the nature of his auto-targeting Tesla Cannon. Tracer is highly mobile but requires proximity to deal maximum damage; as your Tesla has low range but can track mobile enemies, this makes you a good counter to fend Tracer off. If Tracer is attempting to heckle you from a distance, Barrier Projector will protect you and your team, forcing her to either get closer into your ideal range or retreat. Jump Pack can help you chase down a Tracer attempting to flee while Recall is on cooldown. Don't get too cocky, though, as Tracer's firepower is still significant enough to kill you if she's brave enough to fight you at close range and mobile enough to stay out of your Tesla Cannon's range of fire. If you must, don't be afraid to use Jump Pack to jump to higher elevation where Tracer can't chase you.
With your ability to leap into the enemy lines and your barrier, you serve an an excellent counter to Widowmaker, who can't hold herself as well in a close-range fight as you can. When you use Jump Pack to approach a Widowmaker on high ground, she will often fall to the ground expecting you to chase her, then use Grappling Hook to regain the high ground. Don't bother chasing her until Jump Pack is ready again; if she tries to be smart, you'll be able to just jump up in her face and heckle her again. At a distance, you have a clear disadvantage with your huge hitbox and low weapon range. Never peek around corners if a Widowmaker is nearby; instead, coordinate with your team so they know it's safe to push onto an objective when you dive in to heckle the enemy team's Widowmaker.
Once your friendly Widowmaker activates Infra-Sight, you'll have a good idea of where all of your opponents are. This can make it easy for you to dive on lone Support heroes or snipers, and can also help you watch for enemy flankers such as Genji that you can easily fend away from your team.
Some of your best match-ups are against snipers, and Ana is no exception. While she'll prefer to hide in the back line, you can constantly jump to her position with Jump Pack and deploy a Barrier Projector to protect yourself while firing safely inside it. Ana lacks any mobility options to escape you, but a quick Sleep Dart could incapacitate you long enough for her teammates to surround and kill you; it's best to prematurely activate Barrier Projector to avoid this situation. Be especially wary of Sleep Dart when you activate Primal Range, as you'll be a big easy target to be put to sleep. Her Biotic Rile can deal decent damage to you at close and distant proximity, but your high health should be able to withstand most of her attacks With Sleep Dart, when hit, completely stops his rage in both normal and Primal Rage (As long as her teammates don't wake him up). If you're expecting to be healed by your allies in a group fight, Ana's Biotic Grenade could ruin your plans; if hit by it, don't feel ashamed to use Jump Pack to flee if you're near death's door. Primal Rage's self-heal effect will also be disrupted by Biotic Grenade's effect, instead only giving you 500 extra health, so try not to trigger it during that time if possible.
Even with your constant mobility and auto-tracking Tesla Cannon, Lúcio can be one of the harder Support heroes to take down. Lúcio can negate some of Tesla Cannon's damage from his automatic healing, or he can use his Speed Boost to escape out of your attack range. He can also use Soundwave to push you out of your effective range, leaving Jump Pack as your only means of pursuing him. This will be ineffective while you're in your Barrier Projector, though, so you can activate it near him to continue your attack without getting knocked back. Lúcio's wall riding won't protect him much from your Tesla Cannon; if you can catch him in a corridor where you're forced into close quarters, you'll have the advantage. Sound Barrier's massive health boost will render your Tesla Cannon's damage completely ineffectual; however, as his team will need to gather up when Lúcio activates Sound Barrier, this can be an ideal situation to activate Primal Rage and smack all of your enemies away, splitting them apart and making them easy targets.
An enemy Mercy should be one of your top priorities. She doesn't have a good escape mechanic outside of Guardian Angel to flee to her teammate (even it is just a friendly corpse). She can't protect herself if you ambush her, and even if her teammates attempt to body-block you, your Tesla Cannon can attack past them to continue whittling her health down. In a group fight, try your best to focus on Mercy rather than the enemy she's healing, as you'll never be able to outdamage the healing Mercy is distributing with her Caduceus Staff. Don't expect a knockback from Jump Pack or Primal Rage to be a confirmed kill, as her Guardian Angel ability can help her return to safety if she has a nearby ally.
Zenyatta is one of the best tank killers in the game, which can make a fight with him difficult. His Orb of Discord will help him and his teammates tear through your high health, especially if he manages to land headshots. Orb of Harmony will negate half of your Tesla Cannon's damage to whoever it is applied to. You can use Jump Pack to reach Zenyatta's position and activate a Barrier Projector to fight Zenyatta on your terms. Without any escape abilities, so long as you can successfully keep yourself safe within your barrier, you should have no difficulty killing Zenyatta. The enemy Zenyatta will most likely be aware of this, and will try to be near enemies who can come to his aid and fend you off, so be cautious when jumping in to attack him. Transcendence will render your Tesla Cannon's low damage moot; however, Primal Rage can not only knock Zenyatta's teammates around, but also Zenyatta himself, which can help disrupt an enemy push during Transcendence.
When diving enemies, try to stay in the line of sight of a friendly Zenyatta; not only will this ensure that you are receiving his healing to keep yourself safe from counter-attacks, but an Orb of Discord on your target will make your job much easier.
Story
"Imagination Is The Essence Of Discovery."
A super-intelligent, genetically engineered gorilla, Winston is a brilliant scientist and a champion for humanity's potential.[2] Since a young age, he has shown limitless curiosity for the world around him, but also has a fondness for stories, especially those passed down from generation to generation.[3] By his own admission, he tends to overthink things, is a perfectionist, and tends to ramble.[4] As an ape among humans, he gets regular remarks on this subject, including references to old video games.[5]
When Winston loses his temper, Winston becomes a raging ape. In his off-time, he enjoys peanut butter and bananas.[6] He has stated/joked that his love of the former is due to his genetic therapy.[5] Due to the amount of time he spent on the moon, he has to take supplements to keep his bones in good condition.[7]
Pre-Overwatch
“
Ah. The Moon. I grew up there, looking down at the Earth, dreaming about what life would be like. But I loved my time there. The scientists were my family. I learned so much from them. I had so many great memories. We were working together to build humanity's future amongst the stars. And of course, Doctor Winston. He was like a father to me. It was home. But it wasn't to be. Not everyone liked life on the moon. Of the tests, and the rules. The others hatched a plan. No more injections. No more experiments! Then the doctors, my friends... they were all gone. There was nothing left for me. I couldn't stay, and they didn't want me anyways. So I escaped to Earth, my new home. But they're still up there, and someday, we'll have to go back.
„
~ Winston, reflecting on his life on Horizon
Winston as an infant
The Horizon Lunar Colony was established as a first step for humanity's renewed exploration of space. Among its residents was a group of genetically enhanced gorillas that were intended to test the effects of prolonged habitation in space.[2]
One gorilla, designated Specimen 28,[8] displayed such rapid brain development from the gene therapy that he was taken under the wing of Dr. Harold Winston, who taught him science and inspired him with tales of human ingenuity.[2] One day, after the young ape had stolen Harold's glasses, Harold showed the ape Earth just as they were over Africa, as it appeared from the moon[9] (prior to this, the ape had only seen the barren moonscape).[10] Harold told him to not see the world how it was, but how it could be.[9]
The young gorilla passed his days assisting with the scientists' experiments, watching the distant blue world outside his habitat window, dreaming of the endless possibilities that awaited him there.[2] He enjoyed life at Horizon, and regarded the human scientists as his family, and Dr. Winston his father.[11] In time, he also became good friends with the hamster subject designated Specimen 8, or "Hammond".[12] Lexigrams were used as part of his education process,[13] and one day on Lunar New Year, Winston challenged the young ape to read Journey to the West. The gorilla's imagination was captured by the heroic monk Tang Sanzang and his ragtag group of disciples' quest for redemption. As a result, the ape was reminded of his younger days every Lunar New Year; Dr Winston telling him the story remained one of his most treasured memories.[3]
Winston becomes a member of Overwatch
But his life was thrown into chaos when the other gorillas led an uprising, killed the mission scientists, and claimed the colony for their own.[2] With nothing left, and unwanted by his fellow gorillas,[11] the ape took on the name of his beloved human caretaker. So named "Winston," the ape built a makeshift rocket using Emergency Pod G-42 and and escaped from Launch Bay 14 to Earth, landing at Watchpoint: Gibraltar.[12] There he found a new home with Overwatch, an organization that represented everything he had come to admire about humanity. Winston was finally able to live up to the heroic ideal that had been instilled in him.[2] However, he knew that one day, he would have to return to his former home.[11]
Overwatch
While in Overwatch, Winston looked up to Ana Amari. Gabriel Reyes appears to have detested his presence within the organization.[5][9]Hollywood once asked him to feature in a movie.[5] While a member, he paid his taxes to the Swiss government.[7]
Tracer
Winston designs the chronal accelerator
Winston was responsible for designing the chronal accelerator, providing a solution to Tracer's chronal disassociation.[14] Winston would watch over Tracer's training at the Overwatch Headquarters, with the help of Dr. Ziegler, and believed that if she showed no signs of trouble, she would be ready for active duty.[15]
Storm Rising
“
Remember, we need Maximilien alive. He's our only good lead on Talon. I'm not the one you should worry about.
Under the command of Captain Sojourn six years before the present day,[16] Winston took part in an operation in Havana alongside Mercy, Tracer, and Genji. Their objective was to apprehend Maximilien, who was travelling through the city in an armored convoy. The Overwatch team engaged, with Winston destroying a number of Talon vehicles. This included Maximilien's limo, but when Winston got to the wreck, he found that the omnic had fled. Tracer reassured him that he wouldn't get far on foot, but Sojourn warned them against overconfidence.
The team tracked Maximilien down. In exchange for leniency, he agreed to arrange a "meeting" with Doomfist,[7] informing them that Talon's leader would be in Singapore in three weeks.[17]
Doomfist
“
Primal punch! Gorilla from the moon saves the day!
„
~ A newspaper headline on Winston's defeat of Doomfist
Winston, just prior to charging Doomfist
Overwatch acted on Maximilien's intel. Alongside Genji and Tracer, Winston fought Doomfist in Singapore. Winston initially tried to defeat Doomfist using his tesla cannon, but was ineffective, and he was sent hurtling. He eventually came to his feet, but not before Tracer and Genji had been incapacitated. Unleashing his primal rage, Winston charged Doomfist directly, and engaged him in close quarters.[18] Winston defeated Doomfist,[19] who was imprisoned. A newspaper article of the time coined the phrase "primal punch" (even though Winston didn't appear to have actually said that) when reporting on the event.[18] Years after the event, this catchphrase remained associated with Winston's actions.[19]
Post-Overwatch
“
Winston saw that the problems in the world were growing, and he saw Overwatch as the solution for everything. I don’t think Winston ever questioned why things had fallen apart. He loved it and needed it too much to see how it had damaged and changed us all.
After the fall of Overwatch, Winston again went into seclusion, once again cut off from the world he believed in, but longing for the days of heroism to return.[2] In the years that followed, he saw that the world's problems were growing, and saw Overwatch (or rather, its return) as the solution to all of them.[20]
Recall
“
Winston? Is that you, love? Oh, it's been too long! Yes. Yes it has.
„
~ Tracer and Winston after the latter sends out the recall order
Winston after sending out the recall
While taking a break in his lab at Watchpoint: Gibraltar during the development of the barrier projector, Winston was pondering once again whether he should give Overwatch agents a recall order when the base came under attack by Talon operatives led by Reaper. With Winston distracted by Talon, Reaper infected Athena with a virus and attempted to download the Overwatch agent database, which would give the current location of any agent. Winston managed to best the operatives and Reaper, stop the download and quarantine the virus at the last moment. After the close call and restoring the system, he made his decision and initiated the recall. When Tracer received the signal she immediately called Winston, delighted to hear from him.[9]
Are You With Us?
“
The people decided they were better off without us. They even called us criminals. They tore our family apart. But look around. Someone has to do something. We have to do something. We can make a difference again. The world needs us now more than ever. Are you with me?
„
~ Winston in his transmission
"Are you with me?"
With the intent of reforming Overwatch, Winston prepared a speech to try and get its former agents to come back to the organization. After spending most of his day trying and failing to deliver it, Winston delivered the frank truth that while the world had turned against them, the state of the world showed the need for Overwatch to return.[4] Set to repeat on the Overwatch emergency frequency, the signal reached the damaged satellite dish at Ecopoint: Antarctica, and automatically brought Mei out of cryostasis.[21]
Sometime later, Winston got back in action when Reaper and Widowmaker attempted to retrieve Doomfist's gauntlet. Teaming up with Tracer however, he was able to stop the heist, and engaged in pursuit of the villains.[19]
Return to Gibraltar
Winston watches the satellite launch
As part of his intent to reform Overwatch, Winston returned to Watchpoint: Gibraltar, an old Overwatch outpost that had once stood guard over the Mediterranean. He intended to launch a satellite drone in an effort to restore Overwatch's communications network.[22]
The drone was successfully launched, and he looked on with pride.[23]
Reflections
“
Holidays are supposed to be a time for friends and family. But I'm short on both now. Still... I can't help but wonder how everyones's doing...
„
~ Winston
Winston with Tracer and Emily
During the holiday season after Overwatch's recall, Winston invited Tracer to dinner with him in Gibraltar. Believing that Tracer had missed their gathering, Winston told Athena that they were likely alone again for Christmas. Athena sarcastically began "party mode," causing Winston to chuckle. He then reminisced over a photo of a young him and Dr. Harold Winston, and wondered how everyone else was spending the holidays. Before Winston began eating, Tracer arrived with her girlfriend Emily. Tracer endearingly apologized to Winston, calling him "big guy," before the three of them embraced in a hug. The three then began celebrating the holidays over a special meal.[24]
Monsieur? Does this mean Overwatch is back? Yes. Yes we are.
„
~ A police officer and Winston after Null Sector's defeat
Winston faces down Null Sector
When Null Sector attacked Paris, Winston, Mei, and Tracer headed to the city in the Orca. Mei asked if the three of them were enough for the mission. Winston assured her that if they stuck together, things would be fine, but looking at a picture of the original Overwatch group, commented that if they were going to show up, now would be a good time. Arriving over the city, Tracer told Winston to clear a spot for them to land, and that they'd be right behind him. He jumped out of the Orca, destroying multiple Nullifiers and allowing the craft to land. The trio made headway initially, but had to deal with the arrival of a Titan. Winston and Mei were both injured by its chest laser, and Tracer said that they couldn't stay here. Outnumbered and outgunned by the advancing omnics, Winston told Tracer to get Mei and the civilians to safety while he held off Null Sector. Mei weakly pointed out that he'd said that they'd stick together, but Winston stated that he'd be right behind them.
Winston, leading the new Overwatch group
Winston faced down the omnics alone, but was saved at the last minute by Genji Shimada. The ninja was just the beginning of Overwatch members arriving to join the fight, including Reinhardt Wilhelm (accompanied by Brigitte Lindholm), Echo, and Angela Ziegler. The new arrivals were able to clear out the Nullifiers, but that still left the matter of the Titan. Winston had the idea of combining Mei's backpack (the power source of her blaster) with Tracer's pulse bomb. The plan worked, as Tracer was able to plant the modified explosive inside the Titan, freezing it, before the behemoth shattered. The day won, a police officer asked if Overwatch had returned. Taking his place as the group's de facto leader, Winston proudly declared that Overwatch had indeed returned.[26]
A New War
“
Trouble is cropping up all over the world. It's not just Null Sector. A lot of lives are riding on what we'll do next. We'll have to fight. One city at a time.
„
~ Winston and Ziegler discussing the course of action
Charting the course of action
After Paris, Winston and the others traveled to Watchpoint: Gibraltar, which they used as their base of operations.[27] As it turned out, Null Sector's attack on Paris was simply the prelude to a global invasion. Winston pointed out that Null Sector wasn't the only threat Overwatch had to deal with. He declared that they'd had to fight their way through one city at a time. Winston personally took to the field at Route 66, supported by Ziegler.[28]
Achievements
Name
Icon
Description
Reward
Mine Sweeper
Destroy 10 turrets or traps using Winston's Tesla Cannon without dying in Quick or Competitive play.
Pixel
Anger Management
Damage 6 enemies during a single use of Winston's Primal Rage in Quick or Competitive play.
Cute
Trivia
The Winston statue
Winston Specimen 28 skin concept art
Winston Specimen 28 weapon concept art
His screen name in Overwatch's computer system is WNSTN.[9]
Winston was one of the hardest characters to animate due to the numerous armor pieces he wears. His rage mode also presented problems due to the changes in movement animation.[29] His design was "top-down" (where developers start with story/art/flavor elements and develop abilities around those ideas afterwards).[30]
During development he was equipped with a flak shotgun.[31]
A statue of Winston was present at GamesCom 2015.[32]
A Funko Pop Winston figurine was released in June, 2016.[35]
A statue of a baby Winston holding the hand of Chris Metzen was presented to the latter as a gift to commemorate his retirement from Blizzard.[36]
Primal Rage's name is maybe a reference of the 1994 game of the same name, which features two ape-like characters and one of them are named as Blizzard.[37]
Winston's Tesla Cannon gets its name from the Tesla Coil, an electrical resonant transformer circuit designed by inventor Nikola Tesla in 1891.
Winston is most likely modeled after a silverback Mountain Gorilla.
Developer Comment: Winston’s barrier often feels unreliable as a protection tool since it can be destroyed so quickly. Raising the health and duration should allow for him to apply pressure and protect his team more consistently.
Beam (multi-target)
Area of effect (landing)
Melee
Jump Pack ability more frequently. While raging, Winston can only make melee and Jump Pack attacks. 
Barrier Projector cannot be used.
Barrier Projector
Primal Rage
