First and foremost: Practice with new characters before jumping into a real fight.
Most people think they're too cool to use the tutorial section at the beginning of a game. Don't be one of those people.
In "Overwatch," the reality is that once you get into a match against other players, things move so quickly that it can be hard to understand how a new character works without getting totally slaughtered in the process.
Luckily, the "Tutorials" section in the game's main menu has a mode that lets you toy around with any character so you can get a feel for their abilities before you jump into a real match.
Use this feature liberally.
Pay attention to the makeup of your team and choose a character accordingly.
Every character in "Overwatch" belongs to one of four categories that determines the role they play on the battlefield: Offense, Defense, Tank, and Support. These roles sound just like they are; offensive players tend to have low- to mid-range health, move quickly, and have offensive weapons, while tank players can absorb huge amounts of damage (and can often dole out quite a bit as well).
On the character select screen, you're able to see what characters everyone else on your team is picking. Along the right side of the screen, "Overwatch" automatically tells you if your team is unbalanced in any way.
For example, if your team doesn't have any Support characters, maybe you'll want to pick someone like Zenyatta or Mercy instead of an offensive character like Tracer.
Having a team that's too heavily weighted in any one direction will leave everyone on your team vulnerable, so pay attention to your team's balance and choose your character wisely. (But don't worry too much — you can swap your character mid-game if you're killed.)
Get comfortable with at least one character from every category.
Along the same lines of the previous tip, it's crucial that every player understands how to play at least one character from each of the four major categories.
That way, if you notice your team is missing a Tank, you won't hesitate to pick a big beefcake like Winston.
Otherwise, you might be the third or fourth Support character on your team, and that's no use to anyone.
Change your character in the middle of a game.
Let's say you decide to ignore the tip about trying out new characters in the Tutorial mode, and select Junkrat without ever having played him before.
Well, now you've died three times because you have no idea what's going on.
No sweat!
Whenever you die and respawn, you can swap characters as long as you remain in that initial safe zone on your team's side of the map.
Play to each character's strengths.
One of the greatest achievements of "Overwatch" is that each character is wholly distinct, with totally unique sets of abilities.
Therefore, if you decide to switch from Soldier: 76 to D.Va, you're going to have to drastically change how you play.
Solder: 76 is good at dealing damage, but he tends to strike from afar. By contrast, D.Va can use her mech suit's boosters to cruise around a stage quickly and get up in the face of her enemies using her mid-range pistols.
Don't be afraid to experiment with different tactics if you're playing as someone new, and definitely don't play any two characters the exact same way.
Make mission objectives your priority.
When a match starts, it can be tempting to get in a shooting match with your foes and lose sight of the game's actual objectives.
Make sure you are always paying attention to the match mode you're in and never forget that those objectives at the top of your screen are your primary goals.
After all, it doesn't matter how many kills you get in a match if you fail to protect a waypoint.
Take out the other team's Support characters.
It can be tempting to go after the biggest targets on the battlefield, like Roadhog or Zarya, but often, the most dangerous characters are the ones that aren't attacking at all.
Instead, go after the Support characters like Lúcio or Zenyatta who prop up the rest of the team with their healing abilities.
Think of it like cutting out the enemy's shield: Without that Support, the rest of the team will be much more vulnerable.
Don't be afraid to run away.
In a big chaotic battle, it can be tempting to just continuously unload your weapon, hoping that your enemy drops dead before you do.
Although dying in "Overwatch" is far from permanent, you're often much better off running away from a battle you can't win and returning a moment or so later for a second try. Otherwise, you'll have to wait several seconds before you returning to battle, and even longer before you can navigate back to the action.
Running away is not only helpful to your own performance as an individual player, but staying alive longer also means you'll be more valuable to your team.
So, embrace the fear and run away.
Never stop moving.
One of the biggest mistakes new players make in multiplayer shooters is standing still during a fight. Attacking and moving simultaneously is challenging, but standing still is a death sentence.
Moving targets are harder to hit, so stay mobile.
Don't wait too long to use your "Ultimate."
Throughout a fight, you'll notice a circular meter in the center-bottom of your screen filling over time.
This is your "Ultimate" meter — when it fills up, you can use a super-powerful ability.
Since this power is only available a few times per fight, it can be tempting to wait until just the right moment to use it, but don't wait too long.
Speaking from experience, your Ultimate will recharge faster than you think, and being too conservative with deploying your strongest power might mean that you never end up using it at all.
Use your ears!
If you're using all of your senses, you should never get yourself into a situation where you unexpectedly stumble into a group of enemies.
If you listen carefully, you'll be able to hear enemy footsteps long before you actually see them.
Additionally, you'll occasionally hear a character exclaim a catchphrase — McCree says, "It's high noon," for example. When you hear one of these catchphrases, your ears should immediately perk up, because this means that character is about to use their "Ultimate" ability, which can drastically alter the tide of battle.
Some, like Hanzo's, are offensive — he shoots an arrow surrounded by two giant swirling dragons. Others, like Zenyatta's, are defensive — he becomes invulnerable and heals his allies.
Listening for these cues will give you a heads-up on what's about to happen, so you can react and prepare accordingly.
Be a team player.
Never forget that, in "Overwatch," you're just one part of a six-person team.
Whether that means waiting for the rest of your squad for some additional protection in a big battle, or lending a helping hand to someone else in need, working as a cohesive unit is crucial to your success.