Heroes of the Storm news » Genji Enters the Nexus!

"Ryūjin no ken wo kurae!”

- Genji, Cybernetic Ninja

Throughout the ages, ninja clans have secretly employed sabotage, espionage, and assassination on behalf of those with the means and courage to enlist their services. In the notorious Shimada Clan, none were more capable of carrying out these tasks than the brothers Hanzo and Genji Shimada. Despite their familial bond, an altercation between the Shimada brothers left young Genji near death, after which he was rescued by an unlikely ally who sought his assistance. Reconstructed and rehabilitated by Overwatch, Genji temporarily joined their forces to help dismantle his family’s criminal empire. As a cyborg, Genji’s mastery of the martial arts was enhanced far beyond the range of human capability. Part man, part machine, he had become a fully-realized living weapon. Soon after his mission for Overwatch had been completed, however, Genji abandoned the global security force in search of greater meaning in life. Under the tutelage of his mentor Zenyatta, Genji began to understand that although his body was halved, his spirit remained whole. No longer at odds with himself, Genji now stands ready to strike at his foes in the Nexus; and bring honor to the battlefield.

An extremely mobile ranged assassin, Genji is ideal at positioning himself in battle and can instantly bear down on his enemies with deadly effect.

Talent Highlights:

Strike at the Heart – Increases the damage that Genji inflicts at the end of his Swift Strike, offering him greater flexibility in determining which of his targets to close in on.

Augmented Guard - A defensive extension to Genji’s Deflect ability, the talent is ideal for when Genji requires more survivability and time to set up for better positioning.

Double Jump – Genji’s significant mobility is further enhanced, allowing him to dance around the battlefield, as well as more capably escape danger and spring upon his opponents.

Friends and Foes:

Works well with:

	Uther’s ability to bestow allies with Armor can ensure that Genji survives longer than he otherwise would when he dives the enemy backline. Divine Shield is also a potent ability that can enable Genji to deal significant damage to the enemy with little recourse. Paired with Genji’s Dragonblade Heroic Ability, this duo can quickly wipe out an entire enemy team that is caught off guard.
	Genji often must patiently bide his time, waiting to prey on low health heroes that can be taken down to reset his Swift Strike ability. Heroes like Lunara who do significant AoE damage are excellent for lowering the Health pools of the enemy team, setting Genji up to engage and finish them off.
	Zarya’s shields are great for allowing Genji to get into the enemy team’s backline and trade effectively. When Genji engages a squishy assassin, enemy teams may overreact while trying to quickly eliminate him; in turn, a well-timed shield from Zarya can be the difference between the quick death of Genji, or that of the enemy team.

Struggles Against:

	Heroes that can lock Genji down after he dives the enemy team’s backline can be a challenge for the cybernetic ninja. ETC’s Powerslide and Face Melt combo can lock Genji down long enough to allow for nearby allies to secure a quick kill.
	Valeera is a terrifying hero for Genji to contend with. Both her silence and stun make it extremely risky for Genji to dive into the enemy backline with his Swift Strike ability. Additionally, her cloak will make it difficult for Genji to properly evaluate the best time to engage.
	Malfurion supports his allies in many ways that are detrimental to Genji’s options. His Regrowth ability makes it hard for Genji to trade favorably on his kill targets, Entangling Roots is an excellent follow-up CC to other stuns or roots, and Twilight Dream is an effective answer to controlling the assassin’s ability to utilize important defensive cooldowns at critical moments.

Let the dragon consume you! We hope you’ve enjoyed this detailed look at the cybernetic ninja, Genji. He stands ready to challenge all who would bring disharmony to the Nexus! ​