Reaper Overwatch 2 – since its initial story, it has the mystique of a mercenary with shotguns, a fighter of the “Damage” category. The character was added to the game in the fall of 2015.
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The Story of the Reaper in Overwatch 2
Gabriel Reyes began his career in the provinces under the hot sun of Los Angeles. By 2024, the legendary Overwatch agent is 58 years old in his account. He served in the army and participated in a classified government “Soldier Improvement Program” — side by side with Jack Morrison, the one who later became Soldier 76.
The world was enveloped in the loud noise of the war with the omnics, and at the initiative of the United Nations, the international organization Overwatch was formed — defenders of humanity and a symbol of hope. Reyes was appointed the leader of the strike force. His team included the cult heroes Soldier 76, Thorbjorn, Ana, Reinhardt and others. Thanks to their efforts, humanity defeated intelligent machines, and Reyes himself was officially confirmed as the head of Overwatch.
Gabriel Reyes and the Birth of the Reaper
But beneath the surface of the ideal, the shadow was boiling. Reyes was secretly, in hiding from everyone, the creator of the Blackwatch unit within the organization, a squad that was assigned dirty and dangerous missions. He accepted former criminals, experimental scientists, and those who were willing to cross the line for the sake of results.
Among the experiments conducted by Reyes, there were also genetic ones — so risky that strange processes began in his body: cells decomposed and regenerated at the same time. Blackwatch remained a secret for a long time, but when the truth came out, society was outraged. A conflict broke out between Overwatch and Blackwatch, which ended in disaster — in a fight between Reyes and Morrison, a powerful explosion occurred, destroying the base and seemingly killing both leaders.
However, Reyes survived. Changed by experiments, he turned into a creature balancing between life and death. Wearing a mask, he took on a new name — the Reaper. It has the property of being disembodied and absorbing the vital energy of its enemies. Since then, Gabriel Reyes has become a member of the board of the Talon organization and has become infamous for a series of high-profile crimes, including against former Overwatch allies.
Reaper’s Abilities and Weapons in Overwatch 2
The Reaper’s main weapon is “Hell’s Shotguns”. Strong barrels fire 20 bullets per shot, dealing 2-7 points of damage depending on the distance. The clip holds 8 charges, and it takes only 1.5 seconds to recharge. The rate of fire is about two rounds per second.
“Disembodied” will allow the Reaper to turn into a shadow for three seconds. In the process, he is strong and moves twice as fast, freely passes through enemies and resets all negative effects. But it is impossible to attack or use other abilities in this state. The player can complete the effect ahead of time in order to re-engage in battle.
“Step through the shadow” — teleport to a distance of up to 35 meters within line of sight. The movement animation takes about 2 seconds, and it takes 10 seconds to recharge. In this case, enemies may try to interrupt the process or inflict damage at the moment of teleportation.
The Flower of Death is the Reaper’s calling card. The hero fires a barrage of shots from both shotguns, hitting all opponents within a radius of eight meters and dealing up to 510 damage in three seconds. After completing the ability, the weapon automatically reloads. The effect can be interrupted by stunning or putting to sleep. If Baptiste’s “Reinforcing Matrix” is active nearby, the Reaper’s damage is doubled.
Finally, “Harvest” is his passive ability. Each time Reyes hits an enemy, he restores health equal to 30% of the damage done. Makes you stronger in close combat.
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How to Unlock the Reaper in Overwatch 2
To unlock the Reaper in Overwatch 2, you first need to download, install, and complete initial training. The final stage and Hero are the first things on the collectible list of characters.
How to Play as a Reaper in Overwatch 2
The Reaper is a deadly melee fighter who can literally disappear into the shadows. The power is revealed in the aggressive style of the game: he hunts singles and quickly deals with opponents who are too close.
The Reaper’s main weapon is two massive shotguns, effective at minimal range. With the help of teleportation and form, the hero can suddenly appear behind the backs of enemies, evade pursuit, or quickly change his position. Reaper control is the choice for beginners, and the passive ability to restore health when dealing damage significantly increases its survivability.
The Reaper is the epitome of melee combat. Fast, ruthless and relentless.
Strengths and weaknesses
The main disadvantage of the hero is limited mobility. Abilities have the parameters of short-term acceleration, and when using “Step through the shadow”, the character freezes for a moment, which makes him vulnerable to a counterattack.
At medium and long range, the Reaper loses effectiveness: the spread of shotguns is large, and damage decreases quickly. Therefore, experienced players are advised to act from ambush or in close cooperation with the team, so as not to get caught in the crossfire.
Who is strong against
There are heroes who absolutely should not approach the Reaper:
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Reinhardt is bulky and predictable, easy prey at close range.;
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Winston — does not have time to use mobility against the Reaper’s teleportation;
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Ash — loses a duel with a surprise attack;
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Symmetra is vulnerable when her turrets are destroyed.;
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Moira — In close combat, the Reaper takes the initiative.
Tactics and tips
The Reaper is not a hero of frontal assaults. Element — flanking attacks and ambushes. He bypasses opponents from the side, suddenly appears behind them and eliminates several targets with a single jerk.
Before starting a battle, it is important to know the map: to understand where to hide, teleport and safely activate the “Disembodied”. This ability not only saves lives, but also reloads weapons, allowing you to quickly return to battle.
Do not stray far from your allies: if the ambush maneuver fails, they will help cover the withdrawal and gain time to restore skills.
Tip: when planning to use the ultimate ability, choose an elevation and attack from above — the surprise effect will increase the chances of a massive defeat of enemies. The main thing is to make sure that the hero has enough health to survive the retaliatory strike.
How to defeat the Reaper
There are characters to fully confront the Reaper from a distance.:
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Fatal Widow — changes positions and hits the target with accurate shots from a safe distance;
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Ana — not only heals allies, but is also able to neutralize the Reaper with a soporific dart.;
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Echo — avoids close combat by flying and inflicts huge damage with a directional beam.;
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Farrah — attacks from above and knocks the hero out of position with explosions;
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The ratcatcher is chaotic, but it is able to blow up everything around, blocking approaches.
The Fateful Widow remains the most dangerous opponent — her accuracy and mobility make the Reaper’s hunt almost impossible.
Overwatch Stadium: The Best Reaper Builds — Live Guide from Arena Fans
In Overwatch Stadium, the best Reaper builds are selected for the four pillars of his power.: maximum damage, vampirism, enhanced “Flower of Death” and increased survival. The formation of objects has different styles of play, but there are still two builds — for those who want to fully master the hero.
The first one turns the Reaper into a real machine of destruction on the back line — a tenacious killer with the advantage of the longest and methodically erases enemies from the map.
The second build focuses on the “Flower of Death” and the charging of the ultimate — it allows you to arrange spectacular coups in battle, when one competent approach can take down half the enemy’s team and win a mini-round.
Overwatch Stadium: Build Backline Damage Reaper
Backline Damage Reaper Build for backline leaders with mobility.
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Round 1: “Ghost Upgrade”. While in ghost form, the Reaper regains 10% health every second (twice as much if HP is below 50%).
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Round 3: “Inspired by Murder”. Each kill instantly resets cooldowns, ideal for protracted battles.
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Round 5: “Spinning Ruins”. Close range hits from Hellfire increase attack speed by 5% per second. The effect can be accumulated up to 8 times.
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Round 7: “Suffocating Step”. After the Shadow Step, vampirism doubles for 3 seconds.
The build does not so much enhance the overall damage, as it focuses on self-support and mobility. Healing during the “Ghost” works in conjunction with items that give you the ability to fly — you glide over the battlefield, avoid damage and restore health right in battle.
Kills, dropping abilities, and trnas transform the entire battle into a cascade of damage and healing —step into the shadow, shoot, kill, reload, and fight again.
Early Subjects (Round 1-2)
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(WPN) Gun Oil — +5% attack speed.
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(WPN) Compensator — +5% of weapon power.
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(SURV) Heart Rate sensor — +5% movement speed, sees enemies with HP below 30%.
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(WPN) Rage Booster — after killing +10% to attack and movement speed for 3 seconds.
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(SURV) Wretched Wings — +25 HP, the ability to fly in ghost form and +20% speed. (You can postpone the purchase until the middle of the game if the situation requires other items.)
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(WPN) Reserve — +5% to attack speed, +25% to ammo.
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(WPN) Ice Cooler — +10% of weapon power, -5% of reload time.
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(WPN) Secondary Market Striker — +10% to attack, +5% to movement speed.
Mid-game Items (Round 3-5)
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(SURV) Wretched Wings — required if not previously purchased.
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(SURV) Dauntless Draught — +50 HP, +15% to speed during Ghost, +33% to its duration.
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(WPN) Stock, Ice Cooler, Aftermarket Striker — enhance basic attack and mobility.
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(WPN) Harlight Accelerator — +10% weapon power and -10% reload. When using abilities, the weapon’s power increases by another 5% (up to 3 times).
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(WPN) The Closer — +20% to weapon power, +10% to critical damage, reveals the target after crit.
Late Game Items (Round 6-7)
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(WPN) Harlight Accelerator is a key element of damage.
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(WPN) The Closer — to enhance the crits.
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(SURV) Pocket Mist — +25 HP, +20% speed boost when HP is below 50%.
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(WPN) Saved Slugs — +10% attack speed, +30% barrier damage, and a chance to return 1 round when hit.
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(WPN) Spider’s Eye — +25% weapon power, +10% damage to enemies with HP below 30%.
Overwatch Stadium: Assembling the Flower of Death Reaper
The Reaper assembly is sharpened by its destructive properties. Strengthening his deadly “Flower of Death”, turning every battle into a dance of darkness and steel. By combining skills correctly, you can stay out of the lead on the battlefield and disappear into the shadows, rising again with each shotgun blast.
Rounds of strength
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Round 1: The Death Step. After applying the Shadow Step, activate the Flower of Death — it lasts 1.5 seconds, but the damage is temporarily reduced by 50%. This is the perfect moment to suddenly enter a crowd of opponents.
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Round 3: Ghost Upgrade. While you are in ghost form, restore 10% of your health every second. If your HP drops below 50%, the healing rate doubles, as if the Reaper is laughing at death.
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Round 5: Camouflaged shrapnel. Using the Anger Form increases the number of pellets in the next store by 25% and the spread by 50%. Your shots become a storm of steel.
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Round 5: Rotating Ruins. Hellfire shotgun hits from a distance of up to 7 meters increase attack speed by 5% for 1 second. The effect can be accumulated up to 8 times, and then the pace of the battle will become frenzied.
The essence of the assembly
The power of the Flower of Death will be increased. After the Shadow Step, you quickly activate the ultimate, and then increase the rate of fire and skill power so that even mini—blasters deal impressive damage and charge ulta faster.
By adding survival items such as life—stealing effects and accelerated recovery, the Reaper becomes almost indestructible. Use Shadow Step or a mini “Blossom” to attack in melee, then retreat in Wraith form, restoring health.
It’s better not to mess with the Wraith Fly item: they flew, hit, healed, returned — and repeated. Death is dancing in a circle.
Early game (rounds 1-2)
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(WPN) Weapon Lubricant — +5% to Attack Speed
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(ABL) Power Playbook — +10 to Ability Power
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(WPN) Compensator — +5% to Weapon Power
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(SURV) Heart Rate sensor — +5% movement speed, see enemies with HP below 30%
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(SURV) Wretched Wings — +25 HP, ability to fly in ghost form and +20% movement speed
Tip: you can postpone the purchase until the middle of the game if you want to collect rarer items earlier.
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(ABL) Nano Cola – +20% to Ability Power
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(ABL) Energy Bracers — +10% to Skill power and +10% to Skill Vampirism
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(ABL) Wrist Bandages — +5% to Skill power, +10% to attack speed
Average game (rounds 3-5)
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(SURV) Wretched Wings — +25 HP, flight, and +20% speed in Ghost Form
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(ABL) Nano Cola — +20% Ability Power
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(ABL) Energy Bracers — +10% Skill Power, +10% Skill Vampirism
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(SURV) Phantasmic Flux — +10% Ability Power weapon power, +15% to vampirism of weapons and abilities; heals up to 100 units at full HP
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(ABL) Wrist Bandages — +5% skill power, +10% attack speed
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(ABL) Crown of Destruction — +20% ability power, +25% Flower of Death radius, +20% movement speed during ulta
Late game (rounds 6-7)
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(ABL) Wrist Bandages — +5% Skill Power, +10% Attack Speed
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(ABL) Crown of Destruction — +20% skill power, +25% Flower of Death radius, +20% movement speed
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(SURV) Desolation — +15% vampirism abilities; each kill with the Flower of Death gives +25 HP (up to +100 HP per round)
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(ABL) Champion’s Set — +40% Ability power
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(ABL) Rainbow Iris — +20% ability power, +10% cooldown reduction, +100 super health for 3 seconds after ults
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(ABL) Nightcreeper — +10% movement speed, +30% Shadow Step application speed; using a Ghost reduces its cooldown by 2 seconds
Conclusion
The Reaper in Overwatch 2 is a strong Damage hero, especially dangerous in close combat. Its potential is revealed in the hands of players who are able to use the map, surprise and competent positioning.
Snipers and ranged fighters are not pleasant, playing in corridors and narrow spaces, the Reaper turns into a real demon of the arena.
To unlock a character, it’s enough to complete training and you can go hunting.
