Overwatch 2 has many great characters, but one of the most underappreciated ever since the sequel launched has been everyone’s collective ‘bae,’ Mei-Ling Zhou.
Categorized initially as a ‘Defense’ hero, Mei is a solid DPS with versatile abilities to heal herself and break up the enemy team. She’s one of the easier heroes to master, but it is easy to slip up when learning to play Mei.
Here are a few tips when mastering Overwatch 2’s literal ice queen.
1. Learn When to Put Down an Ice Wall
Mei’s Ice Wall has multiple uses, from blocking attacks to obstructing fields of vision. The best time to put up an ice wall is when you want to separate the enemy team. It doesn’t matter if it’s to lessen their ranks or separate the tank from a healer.
Read: How To Play Winston
Despite the usefulness of the Ice Wall, it’s also pretty easy to mess it up. Sometimes a Mei can end up trapping her team with an Ice Wall. And while it can be used to defend against enemy ultimates, it’s also possible that you can block your own team’s ultimate if you didn’t communicate with them beforehand.
2. Snipe with Her Alternate Fire
Overwatch 1 players will remember that Mei could freeze enemies in place with her primary fire. Now the game has settled with increasing the damage while being able to slow down enemies. The secondary fire, though, is mostly intact, and it’s always suggested that players learning how to play Mei practice how to make good use of it.
It’s said that Mei’s alt fire moves faster than Hanzo’s arrows, so they can be effective for sniping against enemies. Note that it does have a ‘casting time’ of 0.4 seconds, so you’ll have to work around that. When you master it, your Mei will be a formidable foe to enemies nearby.
3. You Can Cancel Your Cryo-Freeze
One common mistake that Mei players are said to make is that they always wait for their Cryo-Freeze to complete its entire run before running off. While getting the most healing out of your ability is great, enemies can gang up and predict your next move.
If anything, you can always cancel your Cryo-Freeze mid-cast and scurry off to safety before the enemy team gets you. You’ll probably have a better chance of surviving by getting away from the enemy than facing them head-on by yourself with a larger amount of health.
4. Freeze! Don’t Move!
Though the immediate instinct is to cast Mei’s ultimate the moment they see the enemy team is together; expert players know to cast it when the enemy is too busy to think of a move once the ultimate is triggered.
Read: How To Play Genji
Cast Blizzard when the enemy team is engaged. Then use your primary fire to slow them down and speed up the freezing process. Once they’re all frozen, you can strategically snipe everyone unfortunate enough to get caught in your trap.
You must cast Blizzard in an open space. Even if enemies fall into the affected area, the ultimate doesn’t go through obstacles like walls or bridges.
Conclusion:
While not the most mobile of heroes, Mei’s various abilities make her a good independent hero who could hold her own against a couple of enemies without needing a healer or tank nearby. Experienced players who know how to play Mei know she’s good for distracting and confusing the enemy, and a great Mei is certainly a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.
Play as Mei on Overwatch 2, now available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4|5, and PC.
