Ultimate tracking is a skill that requires a large amount of game sense to be able to use accurately. Traditionally, players in the main support role (Lucio, Brigitte, Mercy, Baptiste) would take on this responsibility due to the lower mechanical skill requirements of those heroes. They would be able to focus more on the situations occurring around them and less on their aim. However, ultimate tracking is not limited to the main support in any capacity. Players of every role can benefit greatly from investing time into developing their ultimate tracking skills.

Why Is It Important?

If you’re a veteran Overwatch player, you probably know that in this game, knowledge is power. Knowing when the enemy team has their ultimates available can mean the difference between winning and losing a fight. Having this knowledge can lead you to outplay your opponents with superior positioning, cooldown usage, and play-making ability. For example, if you were tracking enemy ultimates and know that their Zarya has her Graviton Surge, you could make the call to spread. If your team follows this call, then the Zarya would either:

a) Hold on to her ultimate, delaying the use of one of the most powerful ultimate abilities

b) Be forced to use it on only one target, which would significantly lower the value she gets out of it

The plays that can be made off the back of ultimate tracking may seem insignificant compared to clutch Sleep Darts or Immortality Fields. But, in order to climb the ladder, it is necessary to at least learn the basics of ultimate tracking.

How Ultimate Charge Works

There are two methods in which characters gain ultimate charge: passive and manually. Passive ultimate charge is constantly accrued in the background without the player having to do anything. The rate at which ultimates charge passively is different for every character. Tracer is one of the quickest passively charged ultimates in the game, clocking in at 4 minutes and 12 seconds. On the other side of the spectrum, Lucio has the longest passive charge time, sitting at 9 minutes and 48 seconds.

Manual ultimate charge is gained whenever the player deals damage or healing. Just like passive ultimate charge, the rates at which ultimates are gained varies from character to character. The mechanics behind manual ultimate charge are too complex for this article, but it basically boils down to a points system where you are trying to reach an abstract number.

Tracking Enemy Ultimates

Now that you know the mechanics behind ultimate charge, you can start trying it out in your games. If you’re new to this concept, the best way to start out is to track the ultimate of your counterpart on the enemy team. If you’re playing main tank, pay close attention to the main tank on the other team. Try to observe how much damage and/or healing they are outputting. Even if you’re not in the fight, you can be watching the kill feed. Start guessing when they have it and when they will use it.

Generally speaking, if you have your ultimate, your counterpart will too. But, if you see that your counterpart is getting more opportunities to hit multi-target Fire Strikes or large Biotic Grenades, it is safe to assume they are outpacing you. This concept also works the other way around. If your counterpart is whiffing all their shots or high-impact abilities, you can assume that you lead ultimate charge by a comfortable margin.

Once you get comfortable with tracking the ultimate of your counterpart, you can slowly start to track more enemy characters. Ease into this process, as it can be quite overwhelming trying to track 6 ultimates and play the game at the same time. Use the tip I mentioned earlier. If both teams are playing mirror comps, then the enemies ultimate charge is probably somewhere near your teammate’s ultimate charge. Hit tab often and take note of how fast characters charge their ultimates.

An in-game mechanic that so many players fail to properly utilize is the kill cam. It shows you the enemy’s ultimate charge (unless you’re playing in a tournament or scrims) and their perspective on the fight. The information it provides is worth its weight in gold. Use it to your advantage.

Reading Enemy Behavior

The behavior of enemies can tell you quite a bit about their ultimate status. If you watch enemies closely throughout a game, you will notice moments of odd behavior before they use their ultimate. What these odd moments are can vary from character to character, but it is generally characterized by either unmatched aggression or extreme patience.

For example, Zarya would be on the unmatched aggressive side of the spectrum. Most Zarya players are terrible at hiding that they have their ultimate available because they push extremely hard looking for an opportunity. On the other side of the spectrum, we have a character like Genji. Most Genji players will play extremely safe when they have their ultimate available, waiting for the perfect opportunity.

Another common behavior that is useful to recognize is the panic ultimate. As I’m sure we have all seen in our ranked games, there are times when people use their ultimate right before they die. If you’re playing as a character that can absorb or reflect an enemy Graviton Surge, you need to recognize that panic ultimates are all too common. Keep a keen eye out for strange, panicked behavior that an enemy might exhibit before their death.

Communicating Information

Once you have knowledge of what enemy ultimates are currently available, it is crucial to communicate this information to your team. There is a simple yet effective three-step template you can follow to communicate with your teammates. Immediately after a team fight, call what ultimates the enemies used. Next, state what ultimates the enemies have (this is where your ultimate tracking skill comes into play). Finally, state what ultimates the enemy team is most likely to use for the next team fight. For that last step, try to use some deductive reasoning as to what the enemy team will do. For example, if the enemy team invested Graviton Surge in the previous fight, and have both Genji and Ana ultimates available, you can certainly expect a Nano-Blade.

Closing Notes

While it is not as flashy as other parts of Overwatch, tracking ultimates is an extremely important skill at any rank. It is also extremely difficult to master, requiring lots of critical thinking and game sense to pull off. Don’t be afraid to guess wrong and learn from your mistakes. Start slow and build a steady foundation by focusing on only one enemy at a time. As you get comfortable with it, incorporate more enemies into the mix. You’ll be tracking ultimates in no time!