It might not be your fault you keep missing Hanzo shots in Overwatch 2

Anyone who’s played Hanzo in Overwatch 2 enough knows how frustrating it can be when the arrow-sniping hero’s shot looks like it hits but doesn’t register. The frustrating phenomenon, known as a “no reg,” is the bane of any sniper’s existence.

Today, one Overwatch player created a video that showcases exactly how “no reg” shots occur and how they can seemingly hit an enemy in the head without actually giving you credit. In a post to Reddit on Nov. 29, the player shared slow-motion footage of a Hanzo shooting at a Tracer in the game’s training room.

Angling the camera perfectly, the OW2 player proved exactly how the animation of Hanzo’s arrow plays out as it travels through an enemy Tracer’s head. In the first shot, you can clearly see the tip of the arrow goes completely through the Tracer’s head and is on the opposite side of the Tracer before the elimination is confirmed. It’s not until the tail end of the arrow has hit Tracer in the forehead that the hit registers.

In a second shot, the player shows a Tracer waiting for the tip of the arrow that is moving in slow motion to move through her head before stepping out of the way. By doing so, the Tracer is not damaged at all, despite having the animation of an arrow literally travel through her skull.

The clarity of this explanation for “no reg” Hanzo shots was made possible by the slowing down of the arrow to let players truly see exactly when the damage from an arrow is considered a “hit.” As the poster points out, Hanzo’s arrows “don’t have a cylindrical hitbox the entire length of the arrow.” Issues with Hanzo arrows not registering have been well-documented in Overwatch 2, but this video may best depict exactly why it happens.