If you don’t know who Junker Queen is, you aren’t updated enough about Overwatch 2 which is just around the corner. As the game transitions into a 5v5 format, the sole Tank role is more pivotal than ever and this is exactly why Blizzard is treating us to this awesome Australian tank hero.
Before diving into the details, let’s have a quick overview. Junker Queen is destined to become a fast favorite hero in no-time thanks to her kit and design. Constructed to engage in close combat with her foes, her abilities excel in applying wounds that cause enemies to slowly lose health overtime. This acts as a life-steal passive as well, giving her more survivability and sustenance. At her core she is a brawler, a “berserker tank” who relishes in the wounds she inflicts.
What’s her Story?
The upcoming hero Junker Queen is also known as the “the Queen of Junkertown” or “the Queen”. Her real name is Odessa “Dez” Stone, who acts as the spontaneous leader of the Junkers. She is fierce, resourceful, knows how to survive and loves to rush head-first into battle. Armed with a magnetic gauntlet, an ax and a blade, she can recall her weaponry as she wishes to dish out her brutal attacks. Based in Junkertown, she has her ways with the electric guitar and maintains an iron rule over her subordinates. In her eyes, any city can be her battlefield, any seat her throne and everyone her subjects.
This lady is so badass that even the Junkers are careful not to get on bad side. She keeps her enforcers ready, whom she employs to “greet” people who don’t pay their taxes and other tasks. She has a strong dislike for Omnics though, going as far as to ban them from Junkertown.
Powers and Abilities
- Adrenaline Rush
JQ’s passive ability lays the foundation for her entire kit. By inflicting wounds on her foes, she can regenerate HP from the damage done over time. Similar to a bleed effect, enemies take continuous damage while JQ thrives.
- Scattergun
JQ’s primary weapon, which is a Pump action shotgun. It deals 80-85 Damage per shot, has 6 Ammo shells and a 1.5 second Reload time. Headshots allow you to take down most foes with ease.
- Jagged Blade
The secondary weapon, which passively works as a quick Melee that wounds enemies, which deals over-time damage and can be actively thrown and recalled. It does 80 damage on impact and 15 damage on wounds, heals 15 in total, has a CD of 6 seconds and isn’t affected by Headshots.
- Commanding Shout
The Left Shift ability that possesses an AOE effect. When cast, this skill increases JQ’s health by 200 and that of nearby allies by 100. Additionally, it increases movement speed by 30%. The maximum range is 15-20 meters, lasts 4-5 seconds and has a 11 second CD. Speed buffs are a rare treat in OW, especially on a Tank, making this a superb and sustainable ability to rush at enemies.
- Carnage
The E skill, which is a Melee attack utilizing JQ’s ax to wound all foes in front of her and deal the deadly damage over time. It does 90 damage upon impact, 40-55 damage upon wounding and heals 40 in total. In short, the more enemies who try to fight her face-to-face, the better! The range is 5 meters and has a 8 second CD.
- Rampage
Junker Queen’s Ultimate (Q) ability is a AOE Melee attack which has the potential to throw the whole enemy team into disarray. The berserker hero charges forward while wounding enemies, dealing damage over time and blocking their healing for a given duration. It does 100 total damage, 100 total heal, affects up to 5 meters around her, dashes 25 meters forward and comes at the cost of 2520 points.
Her magnetic gauntlet is what makes Rampage possible in the first place. By activating it, she forms a magnetic field around her while swirling her knife and shotgun in front of her. Be careful though, because this dash cannot be steered after activation. As such, be very mindful of the topography and enemy positioning when casting. Even so, this High risk-High Reward style ultimate suits the Queen so well that we simply cannot complain!
This wraps up this short-and-sweet overview of Junker Queen Story and Abilities. Because OW2 is still in Beta, these are all subject to change. On the other hand, JQ was tailor made for this highly anticipated Sequel, so there probably won’t be any drastic changes to her. Now that the Tank’s role in the game is twice as important, this hero would be a real game changer overall. Expect to see the Queen a lot in Overwatch 2 boosting, because she is an extremely potent Tank who can really carry you up the ranks. So count the days until the Release and prepare to go on a real Rampage!