How to shotcall one target

A target call is one player telling the team which enemy to kill, and where they are. That’s it. It sounds too simple to matter, but it fixes one of the most common reasons fights are lost: five players doing damage to four different enemies, none of whom die.

When damage is split, enemy supports can heal everyone a little and keep them all alive. When it is focused, one enemy goes down fast, and your team is now fighting with one more player than they are. A single kill early in a fight is often the whole fight.

A tank is often the one making the call. The longer write-up is the Overwatch Zarya guide. It works hand in hand with the cooldown cycle: the best target is often the one who just spent the ability that would have saved them.

Why one target

Overwatch heroes have a lot of healing and protection between them. A single player taking damage from one source can usually be kept alive. The same player taking damage from three sources at once usually cannot.

That is why split damage feels useless. Everyone is shooting, the damage numbers look fine, and nobody dies. One clear call turns the same damage into a kill. Boise State’s esports coach Nick “Shifty” Travis calls split damage the number one reason many teams feel their damage heroes are not doing anything.

Agree who calls

Two people calling two targets is as bad as nobody calling. Before the match, or at least before the first fight, agree who will call targets.

Often it is the tank. The tank is at the front, sees the enemy first, and is usually the one deciding when the team goes in. But any player who talks clearly and watches the whole fight can do it.

Everyone else still talks. They just give facts instead of targets. “Tracer is low.” “Ana used sleep.” “Reaper behind us.” The caller uses that information to decide. The team stays on one plan.

Pick the quickest valuable kill

The best target is the one your team can kill fastest that also matters. You are not looking for the most annoying enemy. You are looking for the one who will drop first if everyone shoots them.

Things that make a target quicker:

• They are low on health.
• They are away from their team, so their supports cannot reach them.
• Their escape is already used.
• Most of your team can see and reach them right now.

Things that make a target matter more:

• They have an ultimate that would hurt your team.
• They are a support, whose death cuts the enemy’s healing.
• They are the enemy who keeps winning the fight for their team.

If you are unsure, call the closest one your team can reach. Coach Travis makes the same point: any single target is better than no target at all.

Compare two targets

Most calls come down to choosing between two enemies who both look tempting. Tick what is true for each:

Two enemies, one call. Tick what is true for each, and see which one to name.

Target A

Low on health Away from their team Escape already used Most of my team can reach them Has an ultimate that would hurt us

Target B

Low on health Away from their team Escape already used Most of my team can reach them Has an ultimate that would hurt us

Tick something for either target

With nothing to go on, call the one closest to your team. Any single target beats split damage.

The tool weighs reach first, because a target most of your team cannot get to is not a real call, however tempting it looks.

Say who and where

A call needs two parts: who and where. The hero name alone often is not enough. Your teammates might not see that hero, or there might be two places they could be.

Keep it short. The hero name and a place on the map, in a few words. “Ana, high ground left.” “Mercy, behind their tank.” Say it clearly once. If nobody reacts, say it again. Repeating the name three times fast can help in a loud fight, but too much noise makes it harder for anyone to hear the next call.

Use the place names your team knows. If you are not sure what a spot is called, describe it plainly. “On the balcony above the door” is better than a name nobody recognises.

Stick with it

Once you call a target, stay on it unless something important changes. Changing your call because a different enemy took a bit of damage spreads your team’s damage again, which is the problem you were trying to fix.

Good reasons to switch:

• The target died. Call the next one straight away.
• The target got away, and nobody can reach them now.
• A much bigger threat appeared, such as an enemy about to use an ultimate in your backline.

Call the next one

The first kill is not the end of the job. As soon as the target drops, call the next one. A team that gets a kill and then stops talking often lets the fight turn into five separate duels again.

Keep calling until the fight is won, or until the enemies left are too far away to chase. Then call the reset, so your team regroups instead of chasing into the enemy spawn.

When the team does not follow

Not every call works. Some players are not in voice. Some are low on health and need to back off. Some are in the wrong spot and cannot reach your target in time. Some heroes are better at reaching certain targets than others: a diver can jump onto high ground, while a slow tank cannot.

That is fine. Do not go in alone because the call was right. A correct call with no team behind it is just a lone fight. Wait until enough of your team is ready to follow, then go.

And keep it calm. A short, steady call works better than an angry one. Even two players on the same target is a real gain over none.

Practice it

Calling targets is a habit. To build it:

• For one game, call a target at the start of every fight, even if you are not sure.
• Say the name and the place every time. Never just the name.
• After the game, watch one fight you lost. Ask whether your team’s damage was on one enemy or spread across several.

After a few games, it stops feeling like extra work and starts feeling like part of the fight.

Related: PvP, What crosshair placement is, How to hold an angle, Overwatch guides, aim tools.

Common questions

What does shotcalling a target mean?

Telling your team which single enemy to focus, and where they are, so everyone's damage lands on the same player instead of being split across several.

Who should call targets in Overwatch?

One player, agreed on before the fight. Often it is the tank, who sees the front of the fight first, but any player who talks clearly and watches the whole fight can do it. Everyone else gives short facts instead of their own targets.

Which target should I call?

The one your team can kill fastest that also matters. Low health, away from their team, escape already used, and reachable by most of your team all make a target quicker. An enemy with a dangerous ultimate is often worth it too.

What should a target call sound like?

The hero name and where they are, in as few words as possible. For example, the name followed by high ground left. Say it once clearly, and repeat it only if the team did not react.

When should I switch targets?

The moment the first target dies, or when a much bigger threat appears, such as an enemy about to use an ultimate in your backline. Do not switch just because a different enemy took damage.

What if my team does not follow my call?

Some players are not in voice, are low on health, or are too far away. Keep calling, keep it short, and do not go in alone. Even two players on the same target is better than none.