Overwatch Sierra: Abilities, Perks, and Playstyle Explained

Overwatch is set to introduce Sierra to its roster of Damage heroes in Season 2. Arriving on April 14, the new hero is a Recon DPS with a robust kit capable of dealing heavy damage and disrupting enemies. Blizzard recently shared Sierra's full ability kit and perks, along with a gameplay video. We've explored them further below.

Sierra’s Abilities in Overwatch

Weapon

• Helix Rifle: Automatic assault weapon. Shoots in a spiral pattern, gaining accuracy with sustained fire. 

Abilities 

• Tracking Shot: Marks an enemy. Helix Rifle shots automatically track marked enemies.
• Anchor Drone: Launch an Anchor Drone. Reactivate to launch towards it.
• Tremor Charge: Throw a charge that creates a shockwave on impact.

Ultimate 

• Trailblazer: Deploy a drone that flies forward and drops explosives.

Passive 

• Recon (Subrole): Damaging enemies below half health reveals them.

Perks

Minor Perks

• Full Flight: Increase Anchor Drone flight and grapple ranges by 25%.
• Tight Grip: Helix Rifle's bullet spread tightens 100% faster and widens 30% slower.

Major Perks

• Medi-Drone: Anchor Drones hold a small health pack that can heal Sierra.
• Locked In: Firing Tracking Shot increases your attack speed by 20% for 2 seconds.

Sierra’s Playstyle in Overwatch

Sierra falls under the Recon subrole of Damage heroes, alongside Sombra, Freja, Pharah, and Echo. As the name implies, these heroes have abilities that allow them to gather information about opponents. However, as a diverse role, the Recon subrole also includes airborne heroes, whose flight enables them to conduct reconnaissance. Sierra fits well into this category, as she can both fly and track enemies.

From the gameplay trailer, we can get a fair idea of how Sierra might be played, though we'll need to wait a few days after her release to understand how she fits into the meta. Her primary fire unleashes a stream of projectiles. Notably, its spread tightens with continuous fire, an accuracy boost that can be further enhanced with one of her perks. Judging from the trailer, Sierra's weapon appears to deal significant damage, but the true highlight of her kit seems to be her abilities and their combos.

Anchor Drone is one of Sierra's most fascinating abilities. While yesterday's animated hero trailer suggested the drone could carry her in the air, it appears to function more as an anchor she can pull herself toward. It looks and feels a lot like Widowmaker's Grappling Hook. Nonetheless, it remains a powerful tool for quick repositioning, escaping unfavorable situations, and even healing (with the help of a perk).

Sierra's Tracking Shot introduces a new mechanic, though it functions similarly to a few abilities we've already seen. Upon marking an enemy, she can fire at them continuously for 4-5 seconds, with every shot seemingly connecting. The firing mechanism works like Soldier: 76's Tactical Visor, while the tracker latches onto enemies similarly to how Mercy's Caduceus Staff attaches to teammates. However, unlike Soldier's ultimate, this ability doesn't switch targets. Furthermore, given that Soldier's ultimate lasts only six seconds and Tracking Shot likely lasts over four seconds, this could be an easy way to deal lethal damage.

Some of Sierra's ability combos also appear deadly. The trailer showcased several instances of the hero using her Anchor Drone to gain elevation, then throwing her Tremor Charge to stun and displace enemies. You could follow up with Tracking Shot to maximize damage during team fights. We also see Sierra combining Tremor Charge to stun multiple opponents before unleashing her ultimate, Trailblazer, which sends her drone flying toward enemies to drop explosives.

Overall, Sierra's maneuverability, sustained damage output, and Recon passive make her a major threat to enemy DPS and Support heroes. Much of her kit also positions her as a strong counter to aerial heroes like Pharah and Echo. In a few days, we should have a clearer picture of how Sierra fits into the meta. But for now, this is what we know.

Stay tuned to Strafe Esports for more updates on the latest season of Overwatch. You can also follow us on our X account for the latest content and coverage.

Featured Image Credit: Blizzard Entertainment

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