Good communication skills among your fellow players are crucial to strengthening your team’s performance. You need to know what to say and how to say it if you want to gain an edge over the other team.

Yes, winning video games is not just about having excellent mechanical skills, it is also about having effective communications within the team. Here are a few pointers:

Cover image source: Overwatch via Facebook.

Don’t Be Afraid to Use Your Mic

In Overwatch, the best way to collaborate with your team is through voice chat. There is no better way to do it. Using your mic is way easier and faster than to type everything you have to say. The more team members enter the voice channel, the more that you are able to coordinate their defense. This is especially important if your team is competing in an eSports tournament.

In a recent blog, eSports betting operator Master Mazuma cites Overwatch as an ideal eSports game because it does not complicate things with multiple modes. Instead, the game only has four core options: Escort, Assault, Hybrid, and Control. Recently, Blizzard announced that they will be launching their own Overwatch League, an ongoing eSports tournament for elite users.

Know What You Should and Should Not Say

When your mic is on, you want to limit what you say to only those that are important for your game. Usually, you want to start talking when your team is deciding where to defend, relaying the location of your enemy, coordinating your ultimates, focusing down on vital targets, changing of hero composition, and relaying which vital enemy ultimates are on cooldown, calling out enemies who are dead, and encouraging fellow teammates who are about to tilt.

It is not just necessary to talk, but it is also very important to be easily understood when we do talk. Now, it might seem too obvious to even note here but when you get to the point where you are in the thick of battle, you might find yourself losing your cool and not being able to clearly express yourself. Remember to always be detailed yet concise with what you say.

You Can Also Use the Comms Wheel

If voice chat is really not your thing, you can use the comms wheel instead to share vital information with your team to help them with their decision making. Although the comms wheel is not as accurate or thorough as voice chat, it does provide players with a way to swiftly and easily ping out a short selection of orders and requests, such as “Acknowledge” to inform your team that you are listening to their exchanges or “Need healing” to let them know that you are in trouble.

Remember to Always Keep Your Cool

The game may be tough, but you should always keep your cool at all times. Even when your team is not performing well, you should never take out your anger or frustration on them. There are times when your game will not be as good as you expected and talking down to your fellow players will not change the situation. Always make it a point to shout positives, not negatives.

Communication is key to great collaboration. Take note of these tips and notice your team’s performance improve.