It’s not every day Overwatch 2 gets a new hero who truly redefines how you navigate the battlefield — enter Venture, the game’s first nonbinary hero and one of the most unique Damage picks the roster has ever seen. With their subterranean tunneling, burst close-range potential, and disruptive playstyle, Venture adds a bold new layer to Overwatch 2’s evolving meta.
Whether you’re a ranked grinder aiming to climb or just someone looking to shake up your Quick Play experience, mastering Venture takes some finesse. This guide dives deep into how they work, who they counter, what comps they thrive in, and how to make your mark as this drill-wielding disruptor.
Who is Venture?
Venture is a Damage hero introduced in Overwatch 2, known for their hugely mobile gameplay and ability to initiate flanks from completely unexpected angles. What sets them apart? Their ability to tunnel underground, bypassing terrain and damage, resurfacing with explosive force. Their aesthetic, lore, and mechanics makes them an instant favorite for players who love mobility, brawly duels, and unpredictable aggression.
But don’t mistake Venture for your typical flanker like Tracer or Genji. Their toolkit favors storming the front or middle lines with a mix of disruption and surprise, and they thrive when you’re just a bit unpredictable.
Venture’s Abilities Explained (and How to Use Them)
Let’s break down each part of Venture’s kit and how to squeeze value out of it:
1. Smart Excavator (Primary Fire)
Venture fires explosive blasts from their arm-mounted drill. It deals 40-75 damage per shot, functioning like a slow projectile shotgun with a quick burst at short range. Notably, each projectile explodes slightly, enabling Venture to punish tight groups or shield-huggers.
Pro Tip: You’ll want to get in close. Think Reaper’s damage falloff, but with ranged poke potential. Confirm kills with two clean body shots or one well-placed headshot into a squishy.
2. Drill Dash (Shift)
This move lets Venture dash forward, dealing up to 60 damage and pushing enemies back. It’s a fantastic engage or disengage tool on a short cooldown.
Pro Tip: Combo this with Burrow (their E ability) for a hit-and-run play. Dash in, burst combo, then tunnel out through a pocket in the terrain. It’s the Overwatch equivalent of a hitman slipping down a trapdoor.
3. Burrow (E)
Here’s the showstopper: Venture digs underground, becoming untargetable and invulnerable for up to 3 seconds. Upon resurfacing, they deal 75 damage in an AoE. This can cross terrain and is essential for initiating and escaping.
Pro Tip: It works like Wrecking Ball’s slams mixed with a Sombra escape. Use it to enter backlines undetected, or avoid key abilities like Orisa’s spear, Cassidy’s grenade, or ultimates altogether. The burst on exit also lets you pressure grouped-up supports hard.
4. Tectonic Shock (Ultimate)
Venture slams their drill into the ground, unleashing a series of seismic shockwaves. Enemies caught in the rift are stunned briefly and take significant damage. It’s excellent for zoning objectives and punishing grouped foes around choke points.
Pro Tip: Time this after a support utility is burned (like Suzu or Fox Step) so you get full stun value. Pair it with Sombra EMP, Zarya Grav, or Sigma Flux for devastating combos.
How To Play Venture: Playstyle Tips & Map Awareness
Alright, let’s talk flow. Venture shines when you disrupt, relocate, then strike again. They’re not a dedicated duelist like Sojourn or Widow, but their in-and-out flanking and AoE burst lets you destabilize a defense comp like no other.
- Mid-fight flanks: Don’t always open with Burrow. Let the fight start, then tunnel into their backline distraction-style, blast a support, and escape.
- Mobility mastery: Learn every flank tunnel path. Eichenwalde third point? Burrow into that upper junkroom. Numbani defense? Drill dash vertical onto top bus window.
- Aggro bait: Burrow baits out CC and cooldowns. Use it to waste enemy resources, then re-engage while they’re on cooldown timers.
Best Team Comps With Venture
While Venture can slot into most comps, they excel in dive and disrupt lineups that emphasize chaos and tempo. Here are some great team synergies:
- Tank Pairing: Winston, Wrecking Ball, or D.Va. These tanks follow Venture into backlines or create dive pressure that opens flank paths.
- Support Synergy: Kiriko’s teleport and Suzu keep Venture sustained during risky plays. Mercy can pocket dive bursts if you’re playing them more aggressively.
- DPS Partners: Sombra for EMP combos, Tracer for dual flanks, or Echo for aerial pressure while you burst below.
Avoid bunker comps or slow Orisa-led teams. Venture struggles to get value against heavy peel and turret zones unless you catch someone preoccupied.
Heroes That Counter Venture
Venture’s counters are specific but painful — anything that denies their burst combo or tracks fast targets shuts them down quick:
- Mei: Freeze stops Burrow in its tracks, and she thrives at close ranges where you want to be.
- Torbjörn: That annoying turret spots you post-Burrow and shreds your health before you finish executing.
- Brigitte: Her passive healing and close-range control make 1v1’ing her a nightmare.
- Pharah / Echo: Aerial heroes often don’t care about your dig-in burst combo, and you can’t really reach them easily.
So if you see bunker, shields, or high vertical comps — consider swapping or radically changing your flank angles.
Pro Tips: Advanced Venture Tactics
Once you’ve mastered the basics of burrowing in and out, try these high-level plays:
- “Fake out” Burrows: Dig underground in a visible line, then cancel early and reposition — it makes enemies waste ultimates or cooldowns thinking you’re attacking elsewhere.
- Combo Chaining: Burrow behind support, immediately Drill Dash to displace them into enemy fire, follow with primary burst. That combo can burst 200HP targets before they react.
- Payload Control: You can stall overtime invisibly by Burrowing underground at the point — exploited well, it forces the enemy to AOE spam the cart to even find you.
Venture Skins, Lore & Personality
Venture’s debut also adds to Overwatch’s ever-growing lore. As a Canadian nonbinary archaeologist, their lore dives into work with the Horizon Lunar Colony and digging up secrets from the Omnic Crisis. It’s refreshing to see thoughtful representation that also shapes gameplay — their excavator aesthetic directly feeds into how they fight. Bonus: expect great skins incoming for vents, drills, and tech themes.
Should You Play Venture?
If you like adapting moment-to-moment, punishing supports, and high-octane flanking — Venture’s your hero. They’ll probably take time to master (because the skill floor is low but skill ceiling is sky-high). But once you get comfortable reading enemy movement and timing Burrows right, the kills will pour in.
They’re not meta-defining yet, but don’t be surprised if pro players whip out Venture next tournament season.
Venture Guide FAQ
- What role is Venture in Overwatch 2?
Venture is a Damage hero, focused on mobility and disruption at close range. - Does Burrow make Venture invincible?
Yes, while burrowed, they are untargetable and immune to damage. - What’s Venture’s strongest counter?
Mei or Brigitte, depending on team comp.