An Overwatch streamer showcased an incredible Widowmaker bug during a scrim that allows the hero to jump without the Grapple cooldown being activated.
Streamer Syrneh was playing on Hanamura and proceeded to head towards a special spot on Point C where snipers normally perform jump shots with the Grapple.
However, by using a bug to their advantage, the streamer was able to keep jumping as if they used the Grapple ability, allowing them to leap, scope and fire shots at will.
As you can see in the clip, the Widowmaker is able to jump and shoot over and over again, applying pressure on the enemy team without peaking. This can be extremely difficult to deal with, especially because the cooldown isn’t ever being applied.
Basically, by grappling onto a wall or flat surface, your cooldown gets refunded and stays at zero.
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Interestingly, this bug has existed for some time and Blizzard has yet to patch it out. In a Reddit post from January of 2019, user MacSiderman explained how it works.
“So a while back they updated the Grapple so if you hook a wall or flat surface your [cooldown] is refunded, but momentum stays the same,” they wrote.
“So in some scenarios, you can actually jump above head height and climb objects, but keep Grapple hook.”
Being able to keep the ability off cooldown is a huge factor as it’s Widowmaker’s only real form of advanced movement. It’s not just used for easy access to the high ground, but it also serves as her retreat tool in the event she is dove by enemies such as D.Va or Winston.
It’s certainly something you should be aware of in your games as enemy Widowmakers may abuse this bug to gain an advantage. Of course, you could always utilize it as well, especially in sniper duels where any edge can be the difference-maker.