How can I get better at dps?

General Discussion
1

So, the only dps that I can play “good” is Genji (and a bit of Tracer). Other than that, I suck at playing dps. How can I get better?

2

I’ve been practicing with Hanzo via custom games, headshots only, against Ana AI.

3

Work on your aiming using tutorials on youtube. Using Ana bots for example with headshots only.

Aim is the most important part

4

Ah okay, do you think ffa is a good for practicing too?

5

I use a pretty fun custom game, look you need to go on King’s row, skirmish mode, and 6 reapers on the enemy team, now you need to kill 100 but when you die It resets to 0. You need aim, awareness and cd managment.

6

Practice in FFA DM.

20 something something

7

The best way is obliviously just playing the hero in comp, you’ll drop a little bit for sure and might even be reported a few times, but it’s much better to practice against players who (atleast sometimes) try to win and take the games siriusly. + you always learn more by playing against real players.

Bonus tip. If you have a friend who is a dps main, go to a custom game and 1v1, helps a lot.

1 Like
8

Don’t play Sombra and switch maybe if you play Widowmaker and being countered.

9

Surprisingly enough, playing while getting hard countered, can make you improve extremely fast. Do i recommend it, No, but there is a reason so many onetricks climb the ladder.

10

Try playing with similar skill sets. Good at aiming with genji and predicting? Then go for heroes with good predictive aiming like hanzo , phara or maybe even mei a little. Or your good at getting in close and running away go for more heroes like doomfist reaper (again mei she covers both). You practise one of the heroes in comp you can slightly improve on the other indirectly.

11

The thing is, I am forced to main support since people instalock dps, so when I do play dps, they blame me for my teams faults. :confused:

12

The sad truth about everything in life is, that you need to be selfish sometimes to get what you want.

13

Then go for someone like ana. Her primary and sleep dart demands accurate shots if you can get it right your still improving your predictive shots. Or fill as zen and keep aiming you will find it weird how good your dps aim will get. I had better time when I picked mcree with the least hours on him as I used to play zen a lot.

14

But then if I don’t heal enough, the dps and tanks will flame me. “Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.”

15

Many people may not like this answer but its the best one I got.

Firstly, play tanks and supports for a little knowledge. This is so you can grasp and understand the several types of playstyles for supporting these roles as a DPS player. Know how they will position and get an idea for each kit so that you yourself can utilize what they have to offer. This is more for gamesense and knowing where backup will be when you need it.

Secondly, once thats said and done you need to work on your own control/aim. Some dps focus more on cooldown management or aiming. Such as widow and Mccree for aiming and others such as Pharah and Genji for more controls over their movement and versatile abilities.

Third, understand the basics of your kits, you shouldn’t stick to one hero ever (theres a hero for every situation but one hero is never perfect for every situation). Undrrstand how the abilities flow to and fro and get a feel for how often you can use them. The time to kill here is just miniscule so any hesitation can mean you getting shut down. Which means less time playing the game.

Fourth, understanding your role as a dps. Many seem to believe dps is simply just shooting at targets and watching them die. When in reality true dps teammates know how to position themselves to lay down cover fire. They cover angles from different routes to deter flankers and possible ambushes. They are the ones who take out key priority tagets so that the rest of the team can suceed. They are the ones who cam peel enemies from an objective. Just keep in kind this game isn’t a deathmatch unless you qued for FFA so never ever go bloodthirsty in the game. The kills are not the goal. The objective is. That is the only way to win. Also do not let gold medals go to your head. You may be doing well in the match but if your team isn’t sporting golds along with you you will see a swift loss in no time so be sure to always be supportive of your teammates. It takes 6 stars to win a match after all. Not one single lone wolf.

Lastly as my fifth tip, practice never ends. This goes without saying that as a player playing whatever role you may choose want to do or need, practice never really ends. Accepting just a certain level of improvement can really deter any actual improvement at all. Thetes no need to be over confident about your skills. Be humble and remember that you will never be Defran. You always have something to improve on and that should be a focus for you. To continue improving and perfecting your hero skills and that of a teammate. Display good habits and get rid of bad ones. Realize that theres a lesson in every loss and mistake. Know that whatever you do is detrement to gaining that skill.

1 Like
16

Might I add one more tip?

If you are having issues with a certain hero you’ve chosen, then maybe its not the hero for you. Play what feels right and is effective for you. Not what looks right. Thats is the easiest way to grow bored of the game and realize you spent too much time on a hero that just doesn’t suit you and your playstyle.

Know yourself know what works for you and you will go further than you’re expected.

17

I dont recommend that. Bots behave and move different than actual players do. Just play FFA.

18

The current meta right now is also really bad if you are just starting to learn offense heroes.

Right now it’s pretty much support + tank + “defense” snipers dominating the game.

Not that you still can’t play and succeed with someone like Tracer, but you’d have had a much easier time of it just a patch ago.

Hanzo buff, Tracer ultimate nerf, and the introduction of Brigette adding armor everywhere makes it a tough time right now.

19

Play FFA

It forces you to improve upon aiming, securing kills, managing abilities in combat, surviving duels, and learning how and when to retreat.