Overwatch 2 ping system: How it works

Being able to ping locations on maps has become a staple feature in modern first-person shooters, as it allows players to quickly communicate important information without having to use their microphone. More and more games have begun to add pinging systems in recent years, and with the introduction of the Overwatch 2 beta, Blizzard has brought the feature to its popular hero shooter Overwatch. But what exactly does Overwatch 2's ping system allow you to do, and how do you use it?

In this guide, we'll go over everything you need to know about the ping system in Overwatch 2, including how to use the system as well as all of the different ways that you can utilize it to communicate different types of information to your teammates.

How to ping in Overwatch 2

The ping system in Overwatch 2 is very simple to use, though there are several different ways you can use it that the game doesn't tell you about unless you dig into the Settings menu. To ping something, you'll need to use the dedicated ping button on your mouse, keyboard, or controller (these can be customized in Settings):

• On a mouse, you ping by pressing down on the middle mouse button (MMB).
• On a keyboard, you ping by pressing the G key.
• On a controller, you ping by pressing the left button on the D-pad.

There are three ways you can ping: pinging a position, objective, or enemy location, alerting your teammates to a position you believe enemies will move to soon, and using an advanced radial menu to communicate specific information. Pinging map positions, objectives, or enemy locations simply requires you to look at them and press the ping button. Once you do this, your team will be able to see where you pinged and how far away the location is from their own position. Additionally, your allies will also be able to see the hero you pinged if you pinged an enemy player.

If you'd like to alert your teammates to a location you believe enemies will be at soon, quickly press the ping button twice while aiming at the position in question. This will create a red marker with a large exclamation point on their HUD, and your chosen character will say an "Incoming!" voice line.

The final way that you can ping is to use a radial menu to communicate specific callouts or information about a location. This can be done by holding down the ping button and then selecting one of the eight available options with your mouse or right thumbstick. Note that each of these pings will be accompanied by a voice line from your character as well as a message in your team's text chat. These options include:

• Enemy: Alert your teammates to where enemies are.
• Going In: Tell your teammates you're going in at a specific spot.
• Attacking: Tell your teammates you're attacking a position.
• Defending: Tell your teammates you're defending a position.
• Watching Here: Alert your teammates to a position you're watching.
• Fall Back: Ask your teammates to fall back to a position.
• Need Help: Tell your teammates you need help at a location.
• Countdown: Begin a 3-2-1 countdown for timing ability combos at a specific location.

Something to keep in mind is that regardless of which type of ping an ally uses, you can acknowledge it by looking at their ping and responding with a ping of your own. Your character will then say an "Understood" voice line and an "Understood" message will appear in your team's text chat. Doing this often is recommended, as it lets your teammates know that you saw and understood their communication.

The Overwatch 2 beta represents the Overwatch community's first taste of Overwatch 2, a massive (and free) overhaul to the original Overwatch that will rework many of the game's characters and shift the PvP to a 5v5 format by removing a tank from each team. If you'd like to try out the Overwatch 2 beta, you'll need to own a copy of the original game and then sign up for it. Overwatch is one of the best PC games available, so you should definitely pick it up if you don't have it already.