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Wrecking Ball is an offensive tank hero who is often dubbed insufferable by opposing teams. He has 500 health and multiple mobile abilities that make it easy for him to dive across enemy lines and displace his opponents with a swing of a claw. He is a tank but lacks shield barriers for anyone but himself, so solo tanking a Wrecking Ball is not ideal.
When used correctly and effectively, this hamster in a rolling ball can morph into the ultimate bully, making your opponents want to ALT F4.
Lore
Who Is Wrecking Ball?
Hammond, AKA Wrecking Ball, is a 14-year-old hamster that is ultimately a result of scientific advances in the world of Overwatch.
Lucheng Interstellar and Horizon Lunar Colony
As the world experienced more and more crises resulting from Omnics, there was ample opportunity for private companies to try to “step in”.
The creation of Lucheng Interstellar was to make advancements in the world’s exploration of space; this involved tests and experiments being done on animals to evaluate how they would evolve and react to living on the moon for extended periods of time. Since these experiments were being conducted on the moon, the scientists were not “checked up on” as much, resulting in sometimes inhumane experiments.
One hero we know and love from Overwatch was an initial result of these experiences, Winston. He was followed shortly by Hammond, AKA Wrecking Ball. Hammond possessed a very high level of intelligence and an innate desire for escapism.
This resulted in him always exploring different areas of the moon base daily. He began to hone in on his engineering and mechanical skills. However, some animals, a part of the space base, were not as understanding. There was eventually an uprising of the gorillas, think Planet of the Apes style, and they ended up killing all of the scientists that had been doing experiments on them and took over the space station as their own.
However, Winston did not favor this rebellion and used his knowledge and intelligence to create a rocket and used it to escape to Earth amidst the attack.
Winston was not aware that he had an onlooker in Hammond. Hammond also used the unrest of the rebellion to seize the moment and created his capsule that he sneakily attached to Winston’s rocket via a grappling hook and made his way to Earth.
Winston ended up landing near Watchpoint Gibraltar, but Hammond’s hook could not stay attached as they entered the Earth’s atmosphere, so he ended up in wastelands in the surrounding areas of Australia. In his search for humanity, he came up to Junkertown.
Junkertown
Junkertown consisted of “Junkers” that would beef up their machines to hold fights against one another. The winner would receive acclaim and a reward. Hammond saw this as a prime opportunity and joined in these battles using his technological skill to enhance his mech and quickly moved through the ranks.
Here in Junkertown, he was given the name Wrecking Ball, as he kept his real name and identity a secret to the point where no one even knew he was a hamster. He eventually went on to become the champion. He used his winnings to enhance his mech once again and venture out of the outback and ultimately out of Junkertown.
Where Is He Now?
He is now using his time to venture around the world. His old pal Winston is still unaware that he hitched a ride to Earth via his grappling claw, so as far as anyone who once knew Hammond thinks, is that he has been missing for 7-8 years.
These questions still stand: Will he reach out to Winston about his whereabouts? Will people find out about him and try to recruit him for the next war as a second Omnicrisis is headed their way? Will he choose a side to join humanity or the Talons?
Wrecking Ball’s Skills
Weapon
Quad Cannon: This is Wrecking Ball’s only weapon, an automatic assault weapon. It is a hit scan weapon with the most impact on enemies at medium range. The damage it puts out ranges from 1.5-5 per shot and goes at a rate of fire of 25 shots per second.
This quad cannon holds an ammo round of 80 bullets with a 2.1-second reload time. It should be pointed out that the first two shots that are fired always have perfect accuracy, but after that, the spread of the bullets increases as long as you are continuously shootings. So, use those first few shots with that in mind!
Abilities
Grappling Claw: Wrecking Ball’s melee weapon is a claw/hook that he can use to swing around any area that fits in its radius rapidly. It can damage enemies up to 50 HP when up to high speed. This increases his overall rate of speed by 100% while swinging and 18 m/s while rolling.
The maximum range the claw can reach is 23 meters, and the max grappling time is 6 seconds. This ability has a 5-second cooldown. It is mainly used to knock back or damage enemies and to move at a rapid rate.
Roll: Wrecking Ball will transform into a ball and increase his overall speed by 10 meters per second, and again have the ability to damage or “knock” opponents into any direction. Since he is rolling, he cannot get hit with headshots as his head is not exposed.
This ability can be cast while he is in midair and increases speed regardless of which direction you are trying to go. Something cool to note is that Wrecking Ball will automatically reload his quad canons in “roll mode.”
Piledriver: Once Wrecking Ball gains enough speed or height, he can slam into the ground and both launch enemies into the air to displace them and put out 20-100 damage. His movement speed is 7.07 meters per second while charging and 98 meters per second while diving downwards.
This ability has an 8-meter radius of enemies he can affect and a 10-second cooldown. When he slams down, and enemies are airborne, they lose total control for half a second, making them easy targets.
Adaptive Shield: Wrecking Ball’s shield is temporary and only affects him personally. His shield absorbs damage and increases in defense as more enemies surround him. It goes up to 100 in temporary protection with a boost of 75 for each enemy within an 8-meter radius.
This shield lasts 9 seconds and has a 15-second cooldown. Another tip is that Ashe’s annoying ULT B.O.B. counts as an enemy in this situation. So, if you were to be around him, his presence would also increase overall shield capability.
Minefield: Wrecking Ball’s ULT deploys 15 mines around him that explode as soon as an enemy makes contact with one. Each mine can do up to 130 damage, with a projectile speed of 12 meters per second and a radius of 1.5 meters. Some tips to note are that activating this ULT while in the air increases the overall spread of the mines.
How To Play As A Good Wrecking Ball
Know Your Role
In short – Be annoying! With a character possessing the abilities of Wrecking Ball, this should be an easy task. Playing as Wrecking Ball is all about disrupting your opponents; use your mobile abilities to knock your enemies into the worst possible situations.
Wrecking Ball is an offensive tank character, so be sure to use his attacking skills to the best of your abaility. He is a utility hero, so being able to take inventory of the situation you and your team is in is vital. If you see an opportunity to rush the point, do it!
Use the Grappling Claw ability or Roll your way in with speed to create opportunities for your other teammates. Since having 500 health and being a tank, you can afford to attempt those “big plays,” If you catch yourself in a sticky situation, use your Grappling Claw to swing right out.
Wrecking Ball can also be used as a distraction for the opposing team. If you recognize your team is in a bind or an endless cycle of being mowed down as soon as they turn the corner or enter a choke point, take note of that. In those moments, use your Grappling Claw to swing yourself behind the opposing team and deal out as much damage as possible.
This will cause the other team to alternate points of attack between you and your team, leaving them disorganized. But, once your health starts to decrease rapidly, be sure you have a planned escape plan!
Positioning
Gaining the high ground is also pertinent while playing as Wrecking Ball. Starting at an elevated area allows you to use your Grappling Claw and Piledriver, resulting in the best possible outcome.
With my experience playing as Wrecking Ball and countless streams I have seen, a great strategy is to swing yourself behind enemy lines and use your claw or rolling abilities to “knock” or “boop” enemies towards your teammates, off the map, into the worst possible areas, etc.
Wrecking Ball’s abilities are not common amongst other heroes, so using them as much as possible is key. If you need some inspiration to get you in the zone of swinging across the map, I suggest listening to “Wrecking Ball” by Miley Cyrus.
Knowing When To Use Minefield
Minefield is a different type of ULT from other heroes’ because it requires them to walk directly into the mines to experience any damage. So, knowing exactly when to use it as Wrecking Ball is crucial. Minefield is best used when trying to secure any point or area on the map, either an objective, a payload, or even a choke point.
When your team is on the defense, the best time to ULT would be to slow down the other team’s attack or give your team a chance to recover if other tanks or key damage heroes have been lost.
While on the attack using Minefield to displace any enemies or ultimately secure a chokepoint or objective is the way to go. Also, while on the offensive, using Minefield to simply stall the other team to delay time is also a viable option.
Being airborne and deploying Minefield allows for a greater radius of mines, so use the Grappling Claw to get some air and lay out a large area of mines to give your team the best advantage.
One way to get a guaranteed kill on an opponent is to target low mobility characters and place the Minefield directly on them. For example, if Bastion is posted up in one corner of the map, you can swing or roll yourself right behind him and place your ULT so that it detonates on him on impact.
It is also important to note that enemies gain charge to their abilities or ULTs when they damage your mines. So keep in mind exactly where you are releasing your Minefield to not aid in any opponent’s easy charge.
Targets, Counters, And Best Team Comps As Wrecking Ball
Heroes To Target With Wrecking Ball
Reinhardt is not an easy hero to take out by any means, but one that Wrecking Ball should be targeting. Reinhardt’s Barrier Field is a crucial component for any team and has the ability to act as a defense for multiple characters.
So, as Wrecking Ball, you should be using your Grappling Claw or Roll to go right through Reinhardt’s shield and disrupt any defensive opportunities for your enemies. Very few heroes can go head to head with Reinhardt in close quarters.
Heroes That Counter Wrecking Ball
Reaper is essentially a designated Wrecking Ball counter. He is frequently referred to as a “tank shredder,” and Wrecking Ball is no exception. The Minefield ULT is typically a full-proof way to take out multiple enemies, but Reaper can omit any chance of damage by going into Wraith Form.
Reaper can play much riskier than any of his damage hero counterparts and get up close and personal with Wrecking Ball. His own ULT Death Blossom will quickly take down any tank, Wrecking Ball included.
Sombra is another character with the ability to counter Wrecking Ball seemingly with ease. Since she is a high-mobility character, she can out maneuver him better than any other hero. Using her Stealth and Translocator skills, she can put out high amounts of damage to him and then quickly flee the scene.
She is also able to use her Hacking abilities to stop Wrecking Ball from diving in to make any game-changing plays and has proved to be absolutely devastating for his gameplay. He is more vulnerable to an attack when his killer abilities are hacked and unavailable.
Pharah is the hero we all love to hate but love on our team. If your team is constantly dying at the hands of Wrecking Ball, having someone switch heroes to Pharah is necessary. She can stay flying safely above the mayhem of Wrecking Ball and put our consistent damage with her rockets.
Since playing Wrecking Ball is all about momentum, Pharah can quickly halt any type of momentum he builds up with her rockets or Concussive Blast ability.
Heroes To Team Up With As Wrecking Ball
Mercy would be the best option as a healer for your team comp as Wrecking Ball. As we have established, Wrecking Ball is a hero that dives in pretty consistently, and Mercy can use her Guardian Angel ability to fly towards him and boost either his health or damage.
Winston is a very similar hero to Wrecking Ball due to their coinciding lores, so it makes sense that these two tanks work well with one another.
They can both dive in, but Winston can help out Wrecking Ball by providing his Barrier Projector. These two timing Winton’s Barrier Projector and Wrecking Ball’s Adaptive Shield to deploy simultaneously is extra effective and a sure-fire way to keep both of them alive while diving into enemy territory.
Orisa is another tank hero that teams up well with Wrecking Ball. She is similar to Reinhardt and Winston because she has a shield barrier ability, which can be used to protect Wrecking Ball from enemies. But, her Gravitron Ability is the most helpful.
If used strategically, Orisa can use this ability to pull enemies to one localized area, and as Wrecking Ball, you can crash directly into them, dealing a lot of damage. Or you can use Minefield, then have Orisa Gravitron them all to that area and detonate the mines on one another.
Skins
- Classic (Default)
- Chloride (Rare)
- Lithium (Rare)
- Potassium (Rare)
- Smoke (Rare)
- Biohazard (Epic)
- Wooden Ball (Epic)
- Horizon (Legendary)
- Lunar (Legendary)
- Junker (Legendary)
- Mayham (Legendary)
- Jack-O-Lantern (Legendary: Halloween Terror)
FAQs
Question: When Was Wrecking Ball Added To Overwatch?
Answer: Wrecking Ball was fully added to all game servers of Overwatch on July 24th, 2018, making him the 28th playable hero on the long list of now 32 heroes. There are now a total of nine tank heroes in the game, but Wrecking Ball stands out as one of the more unique selections.
His first introduction to Overwatch came in May of 2018 when evident changes were made to the Horizon Lunar Colony Map, eventually leading to his official character announcement. His existence and entrance had been teased and hinted at multiple times throughout the year, so the hype for another tank within the game was high.
Question: What Changes Did Wrecking Ball Undergo With Overwatch 2?
Answer: The most significant change seen in Wrecking Ball within the Overwatch 2 Patch Notes is that his ability to “knock back” enemies while in his Roll ability increased by 36%. They seem to want to emphasize his propensity to be a dive tank.
However, the Beta had temporarily disabled Wrecking Ball as a character due to bugs. The bugs included his powers being “too strong,” the selection of him as a hero, and his usage of specific abilities mid-game play caused other players’ games to crash.
That bug was limited only to Wrecking Ball, so removing him from the Beta fixed all bug issues on that front. It will be interesting to see how they troubleshoot this issue as the release date for the official Overwatch 2 game is next year.
Question: How Do You Get Better As Wrecking Ball?
Answer: Wrecking Ball is all about being an expert on movement by knowing how to use his Grappling Claw and Roll abilities to your best advantage, as well as giving your team the upper hand. Going to the Training Facility within the game is the best and more effective way you will be able to practice these skills. Practice rolling around to gain speed, and play with the radius of the Grappling Claw.
Also, continually playing as him in matches will build up your overall skill. Every map within Overwatch is different, so knowing how to use the specific maps and locations to your advantage is another way to unleash Wrecking Ball’s full capability.
Wrecking Ball Overwatch Conclusion:
Wrecking Ball’s mobility and ability to dive on enemy territory and displace opponents makes him a menace on any team comp. But, by being able to use him to all of his advantages, he has the potential to be a play-maker with so many possibilities for game-changing moments.
If Wrecking Ball’s abilities are too much for you, and you are worried about your friends bullying you for playing such an annoying tank, you can always switch to DVA like the rest of us to ensure an easy POTG.