Overwatch: How to Counter Doomfist and Which Heroes to Use

Overwatch Doomfist

Doomfist is the newest addition to Overwatch’s roster, so naturally players are going to see a lot of this melee focused hero in the coming months. What sets Doomfist apart is his insane mobility and damage potential that allows him to one shot heroes like Reaper. This makes him a tricky foe to deal with, especially for those who typically rely on less mobile characters in competitive mode.

While we have already detailed how to play Doomfist, this will focus on the best characters to counter a skilled Doomfist player. Given he will certainly see a lot of competitive play, it will be important for players to know who to swap to when this hero is on the battlefield.

Here’s who counters Doomfist:


Pharah

Overwatch Pharah

Probably one of the most obvious counters, Doomfists lack of any ranged moves allows Pharah players to eliminate him easily. While it is possible for Doomfist to land a Rocket Punch while you’re in the air, this is a bit inconsistent. Since this hero has a rather large hitbox it’s less punishing if you miss a rocket or two when tracking Doomfist. Make sure to keep in the air at all times when fighting Doomfist, because if you hit the ground it’s very likely he will instantly kill you. Also, your Concussive Blast has a high chance of not working since Doomfist has high recovery via his abilities.


Sombra

Sombra overwatch

Sombra is the hardest counter to Doomfist as her hack ability absolutely shuts this character down. Given Doomfist is so reliant on his skills, completely removing them makes him an easy target for any player. It also helps that his hitbox is large, ensuring that Sombra’s Machine Pistol won’t miss too much. Always go for Doomfist if you are playing Sombra as she can render him borderline useless in a team fight. Plus, her Translocator is great for escaping if Doomfist manages to knock you into the air.


Mei

Overwatch Mei

It should come as no surprise that the ice queen herself is fully capable of countering Doomfist. Her ability to freeze foes at close ranges makes her ideal for removing Doomfist’s mobility advantage. While it’s possible for the Doomfist user to escape, Mei’s walls and self-heal gives her strong sustainability against him in a 1 on 1. Being able to zone Doomfist in a battle will be key, especially since he is so reliant on displacing foes during a team fight. Make sure to save those ice walls for when he attempts to Rocket Punch as it will set him up for an easy freeze and kill.


Reaper

Reaper Overwatch

While Doomfist is a strong close range fighter, Reaper is still an exceptionally powerful character thanks to his Hellfire Shotguns. Given Doomfist has a large hitbox, this makes it easy for a Reaper player to shread through his health before he can even charge up his Rocket Punch.  Remember to try and bait out his Rising Uppercut as that’s the one ability that can easily lose the fight for you. However, since Reaper’s shotguns are better than Doomfists, he is a great choice if you need a point blank fighter to shut him down. Reaper can also heal himself while damaging Doomfist, which allows him to keep pace with this new character’s shield generating passive.


Torbjorn

Overwatch Torbjorn

Surprisingly, Torbjorn is a pretty obnoxious foe to fight for a Doomfist player, especially if he hangs close to his turret during a fight. Not only can his turret track Doomfist, regardless of which mobility skill he uses, but it can chip away at his health before he closes the gap. Torbjorn can also use his alternate fire to rip through Doomfist at close range, all while providing armor that prevents a Doomfist player from instantly killing a number of heroes.


Orisa

Orisa, Overwatch, PC, Blizzard

Perhaps the best tank choice to counter Doomfist, Orisa’s abilities are great for nullifying the effects of Doomfist’s skills. Fortify makes her immune to being knocked around, while her Halt! can throw off Doomfist’s trajectory. Her Fusion Driver can tear through Doomfist since he’s a pretty big target, which allows you to easily charge your ultimate bar up. Make sure to time your Fortify correctly otherwise Doomfist will just dance around you until it lowers.


Widowmaker/Hanzo

Overwatch Anniversary

Both of the snipers are moderately good choices if you are against a Doomfist player since their lack of damage fall off makes him an easy target to drop from a distance. It also helps that his large body is easy to hit and less punishable if a Windowmaker whiffs a round. Try to keep as much distance as possible between you and Doomfist, but remember his mobility allows him to usually reach your sniper’s perch.