counterpickUltimates and ult charge
How ult charge builds up, what an ultimate costs and what happens when you swap.
Building charge
Damage to players builds charge. Hitting objects such as turrets or teleporters stopped counting in Overwatch 1.
Source: Patch notes 15 Nov 2016Healing builds charge as well. The tank passive, for example, gives 40% less charge to whoever damages or heals a tank.
Source: Patch notes 9 Feb 2026Blizzard turned off charge that fills up by itself over time for co-op modes only.
Source: Patch notes 10 Aug 2023Tacticians can hold up to 25% charge beyond 100% (see subroles).
Source: Patch notes 9 Feb 2026
Using an ultimate
The whole charge is spent the moment you press the key. If an enemy stops the ultimate after that, it is still used up.
Source: Patch notes 10 Oct 2017Blizzard sorts ultimates into three kinds: transformations that power you up while you keep shooting and using abilities; channeled ultimates that block your other abilities and can usually be stopped at any time; and ultimates with a short wind-up that can be cancelled during it.
Source: Patch notes 10 Oct 2017
Changes to all ultimates
| Date | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|
| All ultimate costs +25%. | Patch notes 15 Nov 2016 | |
| Charge is spent at once instead of draining. | Patch notes 10 Oct 2017 | |
| All ultimate costs +12%. | Patch notes 13 Aug 2019 | |
| Charge kept on swap: 30% → 25%. | Patch notes 7 Feb 2023 | |
| Charge kept on swap: 25% → 15%. | Patch notes 5 Dec 2023 | |
| All ultimate costs +10%. | Patch notes 13 Feb 2024 |
Sources
- Patch notes
- Blizzard’s patch notes of the days linked at each statement. 15 Nov 2016 · 10 Oct 2017 · 13 Aug 2019 · 7 Feb 2023 · 10 Aug 2023 · 5 Dec 2023 · 13 Feb 2024 · 9 Feb 2026
- Texts
- Our own words. Every statement links the source it is based on; what no source describes stays open.