If you’ve ever screamed in frustration when a teammate got Play of the Game for a lucky 2k while you shut down a full enemy team wipe to win the round, you know how confusing the highlight system can feel. If you’re wondering how do you get play of the game in overwatch, you’re not alone – Blizzard has never fully released the rules for the algorithm that picks PotG, so most players spend years guessing what moves actually count. I’ve played Overwatch on and off since its original launch, climbed to top 500 in three separate roles, and tested every possible strategy to earn consistent highlights, so I’ve broken down exactly what works and what doesn’t in this guide.
How Do You Get Play of the Game in Overwatch? First, Understand How the Algorithm Works
The first mistake most players make is assuming PotG is just awarded to whoever got the most kills that round. That’s almost never the case, and I’ve seen support players with zero kills get PotG for game-saving plays that kept their team in the match. The system tracks 10-second windows of play throughout the match, and ranks each window based on overall team impact, not just individual stats.
Every action you take in the game is assigned a hidden point value, and the algorithm adds up points for each player’s 10-second windows to pick the highest-scoring one for PotG. The highest weight goes to plays that turn a losing team fight into a winning one, not just random kills you get while the rest of your team is already steamrolling the enemy. For example, a 3k you get while contesting the final point of a push when your team is 10 seconds away from losing will count for far more than a 4k you get farming enemies as they spawn back in after you’ve already won the round.
It also prioritizes plays that align with the objective of the game mode you’re playing. If you’re on Escort, plays that move the payload forward count for more than kills you get far away from the payload. If you’re on Control, kills you get while capturing the point are weighted higher than kills you get chasing enemies back to their spawn.
Prioritize High-Impact Ult Uses Over Raw Kill Counts
Another common myth is that you need to get a 4k with a DPS ultimate to get PotG. I’ve gotten PotG for using Kiriko’s Suzu to save four teammates from a combined Graviton Surge and Dragonblade, even though I only got one kill that entire fight. Countering enemy ults is almost always weighted higher than getting kills with your own ult, especially if that counter stops the enemy from winning the round entirely.
If you want to rack up consistent PotGs, stop saving your ultimate just to get kills, and look for opportunities to use it to turn around bad fights. The algorithm specifically looks for these game-changing moments, and they almost always beat out high-kill ult uses that don’t have a big impact on the round’s outcome. Some of the highest-scoring plays you can make include:
- Shutting down a game-winning enemy ultimate (e.g. using Sound Barrier to block a D.Va bomb on the objective, or using Sleep Dart to stop a Cassidy Deadeye mid-cast)
- Securing 3+ kills in under 10 seconds while contesting or capturing the objective, especially if your team was losing the fight before those kills
- Saving 2+ teammates from certain death with support abilities like Suzu, Resurrect, or Repair Pack right before a team fight breaks out
- Capturing a point or pushing the payload 10+ meters while all 5 enemies are alive and contesting, effectively winning the round on your own
That doesn’t mean high-kill ults never get PotG, of course. If you pop Genji’s Dragonblade and get four kills to win a team fight on the final point, you’ll almost certainly get the highlight. But if you’re tired of losing PotG to less skilled plays, shifting your focus to countering enemy ults is one of the fastest ways to see more of your name on the highlight screen.
Play Heroes That Align With Your Strengths (And The Algorithm’s Preferences)
It’s no secret that some heroes get PotG more often than others. Heroes with big, flashy AoE abilities that can get multiple kills in a short window, like Junkrat, Reaper, and Genji, have naturally higher PotG rates because their play style aligns perfectly with the 10-second window the algorithm tracks. But that doesn’t mean you have to switch to DPS to get PotG, no matter what your DPS teammates might tell you.
You don’t have to play DPS to earn consistent PotG – support and tank players often get overlooked for high-impact plays that the algorithm notices. Reinhardt players get PotG all the time for well-timed Shatters that get four kills and win a team fight. Lucio players get PotG for Sound Barriers that stop full team wipes. Even Mercy players can get PotG for a well-timed Resurrect that brings back three teammates to win a round, no kills required.
The key is to pick a hero that lets you make those high-impact plays consistently, based on your personal play style. If you’re a support main who loves being in the middle of team fights, Kiriko or Lucio will give you far more PotG opportunities than Mercy, who spends most of her time healing from the backline. If you’re a tank main who likes to make aggressive plays, Reinhardt or Junker Queen will give you more highlight chances than Sigma, who plays more passively from a distance.
Avoid Common Mistakes That Cost You PotG Even When You Play Well
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten a 3k to win a team fight, only to lose PotG to a teammate who got a lucky Junkrat Tire kill 10 seconds later. There are a handful of small mistakes that can cost you the highlight even when you make the most impactful play of the round, and avoiding them will drastically increase your PotG rate.
First, don’t die right after you make a big play. If you get a 3k to turn around a team fight, but then die immediately and your team still loses the fight, your play will count for far less than it would if you survived and your team won the fight. Your play has to lead to a positive outcome for your team to be considered for PotG. Even if you get four kills, if your team still loses the round because you died and couldn’t help cap the point, that play won’t score nearly as high.
Second, don’t chase kills away from the objective. A 4k you get on the enemy backline 50 meters away from the point when your team is trying to capture won’t count as much as a 2k you get on the point that lets your team finish capping. Always stay close to the objective when you’re making big plays, because the algorithm weights objective-related actions far higher than actions that happen off-objective.
Third, don’t get discouraged if you lose PotG to a more visually flashy play. The algorithm doesn’t just rank plays by impact – it also ranks them by how entertaining they are to watch. A Junkrat Tire that gets three kills will almost always beat a support player saving three teammates with Suzu, just because the Tire is more visually exciting. That’s not a reflection of your skill, it’s just how the system is built to create more engaging highlights for all players.
At the end of the day, if you’re still wondering how do you get play of the game in overwatch, the best tip I can give you is to stop chasing PotG entirely. I used to force bad ultimate uses and chase kills away from the objective just trying to get a highlight, and I ended up throwing more team fights than I won. Once I shifted my focus to making plays that helped my team win rounds, I started getting 2-3 PotGs a session without even trying. Keep these tips in mind next time you load into a match, and you’ll be seeing your name on that highlight screen before you know it.