Introduction

Welcome to the final part of my Genji guide covering a variety of flank routes spanning the Assault, Escort and Hybrid maps. This guide serves to showcase some helpful Genji flank routes and explain their viability in the context of a competitive match or ranked game with this guide focusing on the Hybrid game mode. The first section of the guide covering the Assault Maps can be found here and the second section featuring the Escort Maps here. Much like the previous section, anyone familiar with the previous guide can continue, but to any new readers here's a quick disclaimer.

While Genji is considered a flanker, he cannot solo a whole team on his own. The best piece of advice any Genji player should consider is communication with their teammates. A Genji must communicate with his team that he is flanking with the goal in mind of getting a pick or "peeling", pulling the defender(s) away from the main objective, because when a Genji flanks his team essentially must fight a 5v6 until the Genji makes a play. By getting a pick or peeling defenders away, Genji disorganizes a team's defenses as well as giving his team a man advantage in a push to almost guarantee the objective.

The Hybrid Maps

Numbani

The first map we will discuss is the Omnic-Friendly city of Numbani. This map is interesting because the flank routes have layers. There's a main flank route leading into smaller flank routes that Genji can utilize. The first point is pretty straightforward. The two platforms overlooking the point that I've highlighted are essential to taking the point. If you can get a firm hold and force the defenders off the high ground, you'll have an easier time taking the point. I would recommend not taking the room leading to the point under the platform known as the "underpass", it's cramped and easy to be spammed out by opposing Meis and Junkrats. As Genji, there's a quite simple flank you can take that opens into a plethora of options.

High Ground is key

<video style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" controls="controls" width="600" height="300"> </video>Stay as tight to the side as possible to maximize concealment

Located on the far left of the first point, this simple flank can be taken by every character but Genji abuses this flank thanks to his Wall Climb and Double Jump. By sticking close to the wall you conceal yourself from defenders and thanks to your handy Wall Climb, Genji can quickly get on the ledge and displace the defenders off. This makes it easier for the rest of your team to push in and establish control of the high ground. Once you have control of the high ground you have two more choices in terms of flanking, you can make your way to the other ledge by using the side room shown below.

<video style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" controls="controls" width="600" height="300"> </video>I used Swift Strike twice for the sake of time, obviously you won't actually be able to do this in a real match

The idea here is by repositioning yourself to take control of the other ledge, the defenders now have to account for Genji on one side and the rest of your team on the other side which creates favorable matchups for you as the enemy team can't commit all of its resources to you. The next flank route allows you to completely end up BEHIND the first point, a common recurring theme in Hybrid maps.

<video style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" controls="controls" width="600" height="300"> </video>You used to be able to do this by "triple jumping" but now you have to burn Swift Strike

This is a pretty crazy and advantageous flank as it's hard for the defending team to notice Genji taking this route if they already lost the high ground. One fair warning is you cannot take this route both ways (I tried and died multiple times). Once you make the jump, there's a large health pack for some sustain and a new set of flanks that a Genji can decide to take.

Numbani, the choose your adventure book of Overwatch Maps

First let's discuss the building flank,

Not shown in the video, but there's another small health pack in that room for some additional sustain if you need to disengage. This flank puts you right behind the enemy team and catches them with their pants down as it's not expected for a flanker to be in that room. This is also a common location for Symmetra teleporters so be aware if you hear the familiar sound the teleporter makes.

Now the other flank,

Again, you have even more choices on what to do with this flank. The area I initially shuriken is actually the defender's spawn for the first point! If your team has already made some picks you can camp the spawn and further stagger and delay the rest of the defending team from getting to the point, allowing your team to clean up the rest of the enemy team. On the other hand, you can also quickly position yourself on the nearby ledge putting you where the last flank did.

Once you captured the point and on to moving the payload, the game gets a lot simpler. Win the chokepoints and control the high ground makes the city stretch of the second point quite arbitrary. Here's a quick QOL (quality of life) flank route that extends from the last flank that can help you surprise the opposing team to clinch the payload.

<video style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" controls="controls" width="600" height="300"> </video>So easy it's stupid

It's quick, easy and downright dirty. Only Genji can quickly and quietly use this flank without giving away his position like Pharah or Reaper would. This flank is great for a surprise Dragonblade into the enemy's backline. You can even choose to jump on to the nearby ledge (that'll be important later) and rain shurikens on the opposing team who will then have no idea how you managed to get back there. Now on to the final point!

The Final Point

This final stretch is where a lot of attacking teams struggle and often get held on the choke or the curve leading to the final point. Fortunately, Genji can help his team by positioning himself in advantageous positions. More specifically, the three positions I've highlighted in the picture above. The interesting thing is the videos I'm about to show you don't actually involve these three areas that much. In fact, I believe the multiple ways you can take to get to these three spots are more important than the spots themselves. First, let's start with the ledge outside the point I highlighted earlier.

<video style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" controls="controls" width="600" height="300"> </video>Nifty, isn't it? Only Genji could get on that balcony that quickly and quietly. Once in the room even more options open up!

A new choice appears!

First let's discuss the right flank,

This flank route again divides into two mini routes. The first puts you on a balcony overlooking the point. You can drop down on the defending team with a Dragonblade to help your team get past the choke if you find the payload stuck there for some time. Or you can do what is shown in the second half of the video, take the stairs and head to the room on the right. This is better when the payload is pushed deep into the enemy spawn and you need to reposition yourself somewhere with better vision and more sightlines to aim shurikens down or dive their backline. Another benefit of going this way is a little nifty spot I just want to highlight, a personal pocket strat of mine.

<video style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" controls="controls" width="600" height="300"> </video>Makes you feel like a real ninja!

There have been multiple games, competitive and quickplay, where I hide in the vegetation feeding information to my team or waiting for the perfect moment to dive with a Dragonblade and wipe the team. It may sound silly, but you blend in surprisingly well as Genji with the vegetation, trees and bushes which also block enemy sightlines. On defense, I've also managed to control this area as Genji, McCree and even Bastion (if you're into that kind of thing) because the enemy team just can't figure out where they're getting shot from. *DISCLAIMER* I have heard that users that play with low settings don't see some shrubs and bushes on certain maps, so if you get instantly blown up hiding there it's because the opposing McCree just saw a Genji randomly crouching in the middle of a teamfight.

Now on to the left flank,

I see very few players let alone Genjis that take this route, instead opting to the take the previous path on the right. I don't really see why because it leads to a room with a large health pack, a room that I see even more players neglect even exist. In addition to that, the corresponding flank route after you leave the health pack room keeps you completely concealed from the enemy team, while the other flank route exposes you because you have to cross mid to actually do anything. Unless the enemy support or backliner calls you out to their team (something that varies from pub to pub), you can very easily stroll into the backline and get some picks. This flank route should be used more not just by Genjis, but by the player base in general.

Hollywood

The second map we will discuss is Hollywood. The first point is very simple as the only high ground are the two houses overlooking the limo. Players can either go through the choke and brute force the first point from the front or go around the back of the house to end up behind the point. On the other hand, Genji can quickly position himself on top of the houses to give his team the edge.

First Point

First Path

On the attacking side, players find themselves having to navigate through a chokepoint to get to the first point. Besides the obvious "running blindly into the point" suicide strat, there are three flank routes Genji can take highlighted by three arrows. The first arrow on the very far left is a staircase leading up to the house that can easily be taken without much resistance as most defenders won't be pushed up that far. The very far right arrow involves burning Swift Strike to quickly get on top of the house. This should be used when there's a higher sense of urgency and you quickly need to get on top of the house.

<video style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" controls="controls" width="600" height="300"> </video>Example 1

The very middle arrow is actually two separate routes. The obvious route is just to keep going and you'll end up in the back behind the first point. You can also use this route to fake out the enemy team. If they see you, they'll assume you're going behind them when in reality you can use it as an alternative route to get onto the house.

<video style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" controls="controls" width="600" height="300"> </video>Example 2 (I choose to burn Deflect but most of the time you don't have too unless you're under heavy fire)

Before we move on to the second objective there is a quick QOL (quality of life) flank route that Genji can take on defense to quickly get back to the first point after respawning. It involves the giant gate separating the defender spawn and the first point.

This nifty little trick not only helps you get back to the fight quicker, it puts you on the high ground and can't be counterplayed. Typically, if the attacking team has control of the first point and are capping, they will have a couple players watching the hallways so defenders can't contest. There is no way for the attackers to stop Genji from contesting with this flank route unless they are pushed in extremely deep but at the point the objective is usually a lost cause.

Second Point

Besides the Castles of Eichenwalde, Hollywood's second point is one of the most high ground centric of all the Overwatch maps. Fighting on the street level is often suicide and extremely unpredictable. Both sides often have players on the two opposing buildings linked by the skybridge, fighting over control of both areas creating an additional lane of conflict as both sides play around the payload. This is important because the side controlling the high ground has a huge advantage in this section of the map.

Second Path

There are two main routes Genji can take. The left arrow is to get to the attacking side building, a simple and common flank route that most Genjis will take on Hollywood. The right arrow is a long winding path that ends up positioning Genji behind the enemy team and on the opposing defending building. I classify the buildings as "attacking" and "defending" based on their relative locations to the corresponding team's spawn.

<video style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" controls="controls" width="600" height="300"> </video>Left Flank

<video controls="controls" width="600" height="300"> </video> Right Flank (The gif cuts out prematurely, but basically it ends with me on top of the defending building)

Let's talk a little bit more about the right flank. The hallway that I take is an underused route that I rarely see players take and I think it's a great route after the initial capture of the first objective when defenders are still respawning. It offers multiple choices of engagement. You can choose to take a fight outside the saloon or wait and go all the way back and climb the jailhouse to harass the enemy or even get on the defending team's building to displace defenders and help your team.

Final Point

Finally, the last point of Hollywood is the most difficult section of the map in my opinion. The first push is often the most advantageous for the attacking team and depending on how deep they get the payload, any subsequent pushes are often more difficult as the distance from the payload to spawn favors the defenders more and more. Teams will often get staggered and get held either right on top of the final point (the "VIP" square) or the curve leading to the point which acts as a choke. Fortunately, as seen in the picture, the point has a lot of hallways and paths that players can use to make capturing the objective easier. One of the flanks can be taken right outside the point!

This utilizes Genji's Wall Climb to get into the CCTV room. From this room, Genji can choose to use the balcony overlooking the final point or take the stairs down behind the defending team. Most of the defenders will come out from the defending spawn opposite from the stairs, so Genji will often be able to sneak behind completely undetected (the RV truck also serves to shield Genji's presence).

Another area people often forget is this side room leading up to the final point. Most players are so focused on the payload that they completely miss this room and the large health pack next to it. Once inside, there are two routes Genji can take. To the left there are stairs that lead to the walkway under the choke and the area the first flank I highlighted earlier. The other flank is a straightforward route that leads to a small health pack and leads to the lower opening of the final point. Honestly, the stairs are usually a better option as the other flank is subpar at best and leaves you exposed but I'll still leave an example incase players want to use it.

King's Row

The narrow and enclosed first point of King's Row plays more like a Payload Map than a Hybrid Map. It's certainly a very interesting map as players fights in the alleys and streets of the British city. Like many other maps, King's Row first point consists of a chokepoint that teams have to funnel through in order to capture the point. The first point of King's Row is unique in that instead of multiple flank routes, it really has one large overextending flank route that Genji can take. Let's begin!

First Point

Many players will recognize this room as the side room before the chokepoint leading into a hotel room. On the right side of the room there's an opening that players can use to get around the chokepoint. Genji can choose to drop down and walk towards the staircase like I did or use Swift Strike to quickly get to the stairs if the area is heavily defended. Genji can then make his way to the small health pack and onto the platform overlooking the point. He can choose to drop down and head into lower level or jump onto the next platform facing him.

Once on the platform, Genji can choose from multiple openings that he can peek in and out of overlooking the first point. This is great for distracting the defending team and keeping them on their toes as they don't really know where you're going to appear. Overall, Genji's job on the first point is to use the long winding hallways to single out a defender and get a pick so his team can push the chokepoint and clean up the rest of the defending team.

Second Point

The nooks and crannies of King's Row alleyways offer Genji a unique advantage as he can climb and hop around the Payload portion of the map with relative ease and abuse his mobility. Branching off from the last flank route, the long hallway Genji uses to get behind the first point extends into the Payload section.

This route gives you options based on how far the payload has been pushed. The platforms overlooking the bar help Genji harass the defenders when the Payload is just starting to be pushed while the far back opening leads Genji towards the end of the second objective and offers a good way for a surprise Dragonblade. Speaking of surprises, another flank route exists on the left side (right side for attackers) of the map in the form of the platform next to the bar most players know of.

Yes, this is a common flank route available to almost all the characters but I bet you haven't seen what is shown at the end of the gif. There are a lot of things you can't Swift Strike over in Overwatch but sometimes you find a diamond in the rough. By climbing and Swift Striking over the house you can sometimes completely surprise the enemy by flying right over their heads and I even use Dragonblade here to show you just how far you can go with the Swift Strike reset.

Variation of the same flank route where I only burn Swift Strike so I can just slide down into that hallway. Useful for when the Payload is just winding around the curve as the enemy will clump in that area I'm facing once I fall.

Final Point

The last portion of King's Row is usually the most challenging part for players as like all other final points, it's very easy to get staggered and held by the defending team if the initial push fails. To alleviate this, King's Row offers the most (in my opinion) open space of all the Hybrid Maps' final points. There are many openings and little airways that Genji can abuse for a positional advantage. Let's start with the most basic.

This is the one everyone and their mother knows about and uses. Genji can climb up here, Reaper can teleport up here and Pharah can fly up here. It leads into a little room that overlooks the final point and can be used to sneak into the backline and inflict major damage on an unaware team. It's a little predictable since it's a common flank route so you'll often get sniffed out by the defending team unless you're lucky. The next flank route is a little more skill intensive as you'll have to use Genji's mobility to get under the map.

<video style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" controls="controls" width="600" height="300"> </video>Attacker's Side Variation

<video controls="controls" width="600" height="300"> </video> Defender Side Variation

This riskier flank route takes you under the map and into the enemy's backline. The attacking variation is often more useful as on defense you tend to not have a clear idea where all six of the attacking team is and by burning Swift Strike you put yourself in a dangerous position. I only recommend this flank route when you have Dragonblade because Swift Strike resets (as if you got a kill) when you use your ultimate and you can abuse this second Swift Strike to wreak havoc on the enemy backline that were unaware you were even there.

This last clip is another QOL flank route that is very easy to miss, but super useful at putting Genji in an advantageous position in an unexpected location. Starting on the left side of the final point, there is actually a little opening between the end of the hallway and the building it's connected to. You can climb this and get a perfect view of the entire defending spawn to spam shurikens at. I discovered this while writing this article and was astonished because I've never seen a single character let alone Genji on top of this building besides a Widowmaker that most likely just grapple hooked from spawn.

Eichenwalde

First Point

The final map of this guide is also the newest map added to Overwatch. Many players actually dread this map due to the fact the first point consists of a bridge that many uncoordinated teams struggle to get through because of its relative size and the lack of any "clear" flank routes, forcing teams to all push through a cramped entrance (to put this into perspective, the entrance of the first point of Eichenwalde is about a Reinhardt shield in size). Eichenwalde is actually one of my favorite maps due to the castle on the Payload portion of the map and the emphasis on high ground. Eichenwalde is one of the most vertical maps in Overwatch and it's nice to see Blizzard experiment with different map types. Before we continue, I'd like to add that there will be no flank routes for the final portion of this map as there's no real distinct flanks that Genji can abuse that other heroes wouldn't be able to. Also, a common complaint among players and even pros is that the final point is nearly impossible to finish unless you get it on the first push. This can be attributed to the fact that there's only one real way to get to the objective with the flank routes being very lackluster, thus forcing the attacking team to snowball to have a shot at finishing the map. But this is the topic of an entirely different article, let's get started with the flank routes of the first point!

This is the most well-known Genji flank route on Eichenwalde that most players will use to try and cap the first point. Using Wall Climb, Genji scales the ruins of the house and Swift Strikes over the house onto the front of the point. This is a very dangerous flank as it often puts you right next to the enemy team with Swift Strike on cooldown. If even one person spots you and calls you out, you will most likely be dead. Most games I find myself using a more advanced flank route that completely circumvents the first point.

<video style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" controls="controls" width="600" height="300"> </video>Climb the wall on the far right of the bridge and then Swift Strike towards the house to end up completely behind the first point

This is one of my all-time favorite flank routes to use in Overwatch. It perfectly displays why Genji's kit is the ultimate in mobility. By using Wall Climb and Swift Strike, Genji can completely sneak into the first point and force a cap without anyone even realizing how he got back there. This forces to defenders to peel back to deal with the Genji, giving your team the man advantage at the chokepoint, turning the tables in your favor.

Yet again we have another QOL flank route on the first point of a Hybrid Map. This little broken wall connects the first and second objectives and can be taken both ways on Attack or Defense. It can prove useful to quickly get back to the fight on Defense as well as disengaging on Attack when defenders peel back to try and stop you from capping the point. Jumping back and forth over this wall is key to distracting the enemy long enough for your team to capitalize.

The best part of the map

Whether on Defense or Attack, control of the castle walls is essential to winning the Payload portion of the map. The team that maintains control of this area has full 360° view of the map as well as hitbox manipulation. How this works is that the castle walls will reduce the visible models of the players on the castle to people below, only revealing their heads and upper torso while the players on the ground will be fully exposed with even larger head hitboxes as headshots are easier when you're looking down on someone since you see more of their head. As Genji it's often your job to take control of the castle being the most nimble and fastest character in terms of vertical mobility.

Instead of having a hundred clip of Genji scaling every inch of the castle wall I'll just show this clip. This little wall separating the beginning of the castle and the final gate leading to the final point can easily be scaled by Genji. You can then choose to continue on the low ground and towards the bridge to gank those on ground zero or go left into the high ground and force any defenders (usually a McCree) off the high ground. Even though I only show one clip, the entirety of the castle walls shown in the picture can be climbed by Genji so feel free to get creative based on how your game is going. The next thing I want to discuss are the paths UNDER the map.

Two possible entrances (far left) and room they both lead to (right)

When I said Eichenwalde was the most vertical map in Overwatch, don't think I only meant the high ground. The underground portions of the map are a very valuable yet underused portion of the map. Genji more than anyone else can utilize the underground to get behind the enemy team. Pay attention to the room that both the paths lead on the right of the diagram. To the left there's a little ledge that takes you under the bridge near the end of the second objective. Using this platform, you can quietly position yourself behind the enemy team without giving away your position.

<video style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" controls="controls" width="600" height="300"> </video>Variation #1

<video controls="controls" width="600" height="300"> </video> Variation #2

A lot of defenders expect Genji to scale the walls and Swift Strike through the skies, but I've never seen one utilize the underground to gank the backline. This portion of the map could prove more valuable as time passes and people continue to learn the maps more and more as the meta develops. It will be interesting to see what creative flank routes will be shared as time progresses. Well that wraps up my Genji Flank Routes Guide on the Hybrid Maps and the final part of my three-part guide spanning all the maps. I hope this will prove useful in your future Overwatch games. Enjoy the Freelo!

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