Whether you’re a rookie or a veteran player, it’s never a bad time to add D.Va to the arsenal of Heroes you know how to play in Overwatch. D.Va is a versatile tank Hero capable of playing aggressive or defensive. She works well in most team compositions and is well worth learning. Here’s how to play her.
Using D.Va’s abilities
D.Va’s abilities are fairly straightforward, but using them properly is often the difference between winning and losing. Let’s review each of them, along with the best ways to use them.
Primary Fire: Fusion Cannons/Light Gun (without mech)
This is D.Va’s main source of damage. She has unlimited ammo while in her mech and can freely dish out damage. Her Fusion Cannons do more damage the more pellets hit enemies, so D.Va needs to be close to her targets to do maximum damage. Without her mech, you should just spam shots towards enemies to try to get your mech back.
Alternate Fire: Defense Matrix
This is D.Va’s bread and butter move. She puts up a shield that absorbs enemy shots and projectiles (it can even absorb certain ultimate abilities). Using Defense Matrix properly requires a lot of game sense. Since it only has a small amount of charge, you need to know what to use it to absorb. Also, remember that Defense Matrix does not absorb all abilities. You will need to learn what to use it for.
You should aim to use it to block key abilities like Reinhardt’s Fire Strike and Moira’s Biotic Orb. Don’t just hold it up and waste its charge to block a Soldier: 76 shooting at you. If you suspect an enemy might have an Ultimate that you can block, like McCree’s Deadeye, you should save some charge to attempt to block it. Learning the best ways to use Defense Matrix will take time and practice, so be patient and learn from your mistakes.
Boosters
D.Va’s Boosters help her get around quickly and synergize with her Ultimate. She can use her Fusion Cannons, her Defense Matrix, and her Micro-Missiles while flying. While her Boosters are active, hitting enemies will also knock them back, so be sure to throw in a melee attack to deal increased damage. Use Boosters to dive low-health or key targets, or use it to peel enemies off of your damage and healer Heroes.
Micro-Missiles
This is D.Va’s easiest move to use. Just use it on cooldown when you can deal damage to opponents. It helps burst down squishier targets. However, keep in mind that the missiles are not hitscan, so you might have to lead your targets.
Self-Destruct/Call Mech
D.Va has two ultimates, one for when she is in her mech and one for when she’s out of it. When she’s in it, she ejects from the mech and it explodes, dealing massive damage to anyone in range and in its line of sight. When she’s out of her mech, she calls down a new one.
Self-Destruct can be used in two ways: to pick up kills or to zone enemies. The best way to use the ultimate is to “throw it” by using D.Va’s boosters and then eject. The mech will continue on its projected course and then explode. Her ultimate combos well with other ultimates that prevent enemies from escaping, like Sombra’s EMP or Reinhardt’s Earthshatter.
Otherwise, just remember that if you “die” as D.Va when you still have your mech, you will just eject from the mech instead of respawning. You will then be able to call the mech again after you charge your ultimate. It’s important to stay safe as “baby D.Va” (D.Va outside of her mech) because she’s squishy and immobile.
That about does it for her abilities. D.Va is pretty simple to learn but difficult to master. Keep on practicing and focus on blocking damage with Defense Matrix.
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