Why do GM tracers jump?

I’m looking at improving my tracer gameplay.

Through my research, I have found the following reasons.

#1. Tracer jumps slightly higher than other heros and can benefit with increased headshot potential.
#2. After crouching to drag the cursor of headshot heavy hitscan heroes down, that jumping then creates chaotic movement patterns for the enemy.

But looking at the owl tracers and asking some of them personally. The answer is - you simply should not.

I’ve seen all sorts of reasons why you shouldn’t jump, but apparently it’s just a human universal: when playing games with a “Spacebar to Jump” mechanic, everyone spams jump.

My best guess is that it’s nervous energy - the spacebar is a large, easy, satisfying button to press, with an interesting effect that has “no” downsides. So tapping the spacebar repeatedly is a way to release some pent-up energy, the gamer equivalent of tapping your finger on the desk.

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why wouldn’t you? makes you unpredictable.

I believe the commonly accepted opinion is that jumping makes you predictable?

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It’s what casuals use instead of spray paint

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Not thinking of Tracer here

It’s actually easier to flick head shot someone jumping than crouch spamming.

In Overwatch, you move in predictable arcs while jumping/falling. It’s a much easier shot than someone who ASDW spams and throws a crouch every here and there.

Do you think it’s an ADD/ADHA response?

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No chance man, its just a habit created out of the need for massively high APM.

a couple of habits I’ve spotted, some good some bad:

  • movement matching (strafe match + jump at same time, rarer to see)
  • as a mix-up (like you said, it can create chaotic mouse movements when you a/d crouch then throw an occasional jump in)
  • headshots
  • because people like the animation
  • people jump when they’re trying to move fast, even though it doesn’t do anything
  • people jump for joy after they get kills, I’m not joking, almost everybody does this once you start paying attention
  • might jump around corners to not be at head level if someone planted their crosshair
  • a unintentional reflex habit, they jump when they start shooting (this is real common in mid/low ranks)
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You dont jump, it makes your track arc super obvious.

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it depends on its intent, if its spam its predicable, if it’s random its fine when paired with blinks to reduce predictability, but not always, lol.

Tracer can blink mid jump to allow her to jank her head around to negate a lot of the arc and add a layer of BS.

Just like Genji, just don’t do it constantly.

You get told not to jump at all because a lot of people can’t incorporate it properly so its more beneficial to not at all.

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Jump spamming is way more predictable than left right spamming.

When you say jank her head around, do you mean something beyond the movement you’d get with blink? With genji he does a flip so his headbox would move pretty significantly.

Just that Tracers hitbox pivots all crazy like, so moving yourself even crazier can be good sometimes.

Next time you play against a Tracer, look at how much her hitbox moves from a simple change in strafe direction.

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Yeah i’ve seen that, i wouldnt mind looking for one of those mirror workshop codes so that I can look at my own movement. I try to emulate what i see on streams but im never sure that im moving around as much as they are. I think i understand what you mean though, cheers.

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Problem with jumping due to predictable arc is two-fold: anyone standing at-range has an easier shot for your head and Ana’s sleep dart seems to register on any part of the movement arc (might be a latency thing). Advantage? In close-range, 1v1 scenarios, it’s quite a bit harder to track the hitbox - especially the head.

So, I can understand jumping in a close-quarters scenario but jumping when there’s a ranged hero out there is basically suicide anywhere diamond+

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Not at all just a nervous energy.
if you have grown up with games like quake 1 up to RtCW:ET (return to castle wolfenstein: Enemy Territory), then you are used to “Strafe Jump” wherever you can. Thats what I do. its so deep connected in my brain that I tend to keep jumping in every game thats played in 1st person. I usually jump through the whole map for example in Warhammer Vermintide

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My cass/ashe/widow is carried by people who jump

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Exactly….

I for one appreciate their willingness to boost my stats

It does if you over use it. A random jump they were not expecting can make you less predictable

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I believe you, but I picked up the habit in relative isolation playing solo Battlefront 2 with no influence from “gamer friends” or online play. So I’m inclined to believe it comes from somewhere deeper than “the strats”.

Unless of course we all picked it up from the Super Mario games? I long-jumped EVERYWHERE in Super Mario 64! xD