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Cassidy
"Someone needs to fill this saddle."

Real Name
Cole Cassidy
Aliases
Jesse McCree[1]
"Cass" (nickname)[2]
Birth
July 31st
Age
39 (Overwatch 2)
37 (Overwatch)
Nationality
USA American
Occupation
Factory worker (formerly)
Farmhand (formerly)
Criminal (formerly)
Overwatch agent
Bounty hunter
Mercenary
Base
Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA (formerly)
Watchpoint: Gibraltar
Affiliation
Various employers, including the Ace Valentine megafarm (formerly)
Deadlock Gang (formerly)
Blackwatch (formerly)
Overwatch
Matthew Mercer [3] (English)

Boris Rehlinger (French)
Torben Liebrecht (German)
Alessandro D'Errico (Italian)
Jūrōta Kosugi (Japanese)
Kwak Yoon-sang (Korean)
Tutehameng (Chinese Mandarin)
Li Jin (Chinese Mandarin; formerly)
Sia Jhih-shih (Taiwanese Mandarin)
Kamil Pruban (Polish)
Guilherme Lopes (Brazilian Portuguese)
Aleksey Miasnikov (Russian)
Gabriel JimƩnez (European Spanish)
David Camarillo (Latin American Spanish)
JosƩ Arenas (Latin American Spanish; formerly)

Cosmetics
Cosmetic page
Quotes
Quotation page
Role
Damage
Health
275
Character Video

Cassidy is a Damage hero in Overwatch. He is one of the 21 heroes included in the game's release on 24 May 2016.

Overview

Armed with his Peacekeeper revolver, Cassidy takes out targets with deadeye precision and dives out of danger with eagle-like speed.

Abilities

Role: Damage
Hero-ability-circle
OffenseIcon
Type
Passive Ability
Damaging an enemy temporarily reduces their healing received.
Duration:
2 seconds

Ability details:
  • Reduces the target's healing received by 20%.
  • Does not stack with itself or the passive from another damage role hero.
  • Stacks multiplicatively with other modifiers that affect healing received.
  • Objects that deal damage, such as turrets, may also apply the effect.
  • Self-damage does not apply the effect.


Peacekeeper
Key mouse 1
Hero-ability-circle
Ability-mccree1
Type
Weapon (Primary Fire)
Effect Type
Hitscan Hitscan
Blocked by barriers.
Ignores barriers.
Blocked by Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Ignores Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Blocked by Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Ignores Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Affected by damage boosts.
Ignores damage boosts.
Affected by Amplification Matrix.
Ignores Amplification Matrix.
Accurate, powerful revolver.
Damage:
70 ā€“ 21
Falloff range:
25 ā€“ 35 meters
Headshot:
āœ“
Rate of fire:
2.02 shots/s
Ammo:
6
Reload time:
1.5 seconds animation
Spread angle:
None
Projectile radius:
0.08 meters
Cassidy fires off a round from his trusty six-shooter.

Ability details:
  • Damage per second: 140 while firing (93.33 overall w/reload)
  • After the shot, the game raises the Cassidy camera (changes the facing angle) by 4 units, after which it starts lowering the character's camera to its previous value. As soon as this happens cassidy can shoot again.

Example Video


Peacekeeper Alt Fire
Key mouse 2
Hero-ability-circle
Ability-mccree1
Type
Weapon (Secondary Fire)
Effect Type
Hitscan Hitscan
Blocked by barriers.
Ignores barriers.
Blocked by Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Ignores Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Blocked by Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Ignores Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Affected by damage boosts.
Ignores damage boosts.
Affected by Amplification Matrix.
Ignores Amplification Matrix.
Wildly fire remaining rounds.
Damage:
50 ā€“ 15
Falloff range:
20 ā€“ 40 meters
Headshot:
āœ•
Rate of fire:
8.93 shots/s
Ammo per shot:
Up to 6
Ammo:
6
Reload time:
1.5 seconds animation
Spread angle:
Constant: 6.50 degrees
Projectile radius:
0.08 meters
Cassidy can fan the Peacekeeperā€™s hammer to swiftly unload the entire cylinder.

Ability details:
  • Peacekeeper's alternate fire is also called "Fan the Hammer."
  • Each shot raises the Cassidy camera (changes the facing angle) by 2.5 units.
  • Firing all 6 bullets takes 0.672 seconds.

Example Video


Combat Roll
LSHIFT
Hero-ability-circle
Ability-mccree2
6 seconds
Type
Ability
Effect Type
Movement Movement
Roll in the direction you're moving to take reduced damage and reload.
Dmg. reduction:
75%
Cast time:
None
Duration:
0.4 seconds
Max. range:
6.22 meters
Move. speed:
15 m/s
Cassidy dives in the direction heā€™s moving, effortlessly reloading his Peacekeeper in the process.

Ability details:
  • Can be used while airborne.
  • Cassidy can roll off ledges.
  • Travels in the direction Cassidy is walking, not the direction he is facing (unless he is not moving).
  • Movement is not blocked by enemy player collision.

Example Video


Magnetic Grenade
E
Hero-ability-circle
Magnetic Grenade
12 seconds
Type
Ability
Effect Type
Arcing projectile Arcing projectile
Area of effect Area of effect
Blocked by barriers.
Ignores barriers.
!
Partially blocked by Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Ignores Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
!
Partially blocked by Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Ignores Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Affected by damage boosts.
Ignores damage boosts.
!
Partially affected by Amplification Matrix.
Ignores Amplification Matrix.
Throw a homing grenade that sticks to enemies, slowing them and preventing them from using movement abilities.
Damage:
10 (stick)
70 - 18 (explosion)
35 - 9 (explosion, self)
Cast time:
0 + 0.4 seconds
Duration:
0.75 seconds (homing limit)
1.5 seconds (max travel time)
1.25 seconds (stick duration)
Area of effect:
1.3 meters (lock-on)
3 meters (explosion)
Move. speed:
-25% slow
Projectile speed:
25 m/s (thrown)
10 m/s (homing)
Projectile radius:
0.15 meters

Ability details:
  • The grenade has a travel time limit which corresponds to ~37.5m distance along the grenade's trajectory.
  • While in air, the grenade locks on to the first hero that enters 1.3 meter radius of the projectile. Once locked on, the grenade will continuously chase them regardless of range or until it reaches its homing or maximum travel time limit.
    • The grenade will follow locked heroes through movement abilities, unless the ability causes the hero to phase out, which disjoint's the grenade.
    • The grenade will explode if fails to reach the hero it was locked on to within the aforementioned time limit.
  • The grenade will stick to enemies and surfaces upon contact. The stuck grenade explodes after 1.25 seconds, dealing damage in an area.
  • The projectile can be destroyed while in air by Ability-dva3 Defense Matrix, Abilities-sigma3 Kinetic Grasp and Ability JavelinSpin Javelin Spin and reflected by Ability-genji2 Deflect, but a stuck grenade and the splash are unaffected.
  • Baptiste-ability4 Amplification Matrix affects all damage dealt, if the projectile passes through it. Splash damage alone going through is not amplified.


Deadeye
Q
Hero-ability-circle
Ability-mccree4
2000 points
Type
Ultimate
Effect Type
Hitscan Hitscan
Blocked by barriers.
Ignores barriers.
Blocked by Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Ignores Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Blocked by Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Ignores Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Affected by damage boosts.
Ignores damage boosts.
Affected by Amplification Matrix.
Ignores Amplification Matrix.
Face off against your enemies. Press Q to lock on, then Q or Key mouse 1 to fire.
Damage:
150/s (first 2 seconds)
300/s (remaining duration)
Rate of fire:
8.93 shots/s
Ammo per shot:
1 per target
Dmg. reduction:
40%
Cast time:
0.7 + 0.3 seconds (when fired)
0.3 + 0.4 seconds (when canceled)
Duration:
7 seconds
Max. range:
200 meters
Move. speed:
-70% penalty
Focus. Mark. Draw. Cassidy takes a few precious moments to aim; when heā€™s ready to fire, he shoots every enemy in his line of sight. The weaker his targets are, the faster heā€™ll line up a killshot.

Ability details:
  • Activating Deadeye instantly replenishes Peacekeeper's ammo.
  • Deadeye can be canceled using Key mouse 2.
  • Deadeye is a channeled ability; getting stunned, knocked down or hacked, immediately ends the ability without firing.
  • If the duration runs out, Deadeye ends without firing.
  • The targeting area of Deadeye is a 105Ā° wide 3D cone. The player's field-of-view (FOV) settings does not affect this area, meaning that Deadeye may be able to target enemies outside of view (especially vertically) or vice versa, depending on the setting.
  • Deadeye can only target heroes, Ability-ashe4 B.O.B. and Baptiste's Baptiste-ability3 Immortality Field.
  • Enemies can be targeted through barriers but the shots will not pierce them.
    • Other objects and players in front of the intended target can also block the shots.
  • The damage relative to the target's health is displayed as a closing red circle. If the accumulated damage is above an enemy's health, a skull will appear.
  • In a normal game (and without modifiers like Mercy's damage amplify), the maximum possible damage per target is 1,800.
  • Despite the visuals in-game, the shots are actually aimed at a hardpoint at the target's chest instead of their head.[4]
  • While unlikely in a normal game scenario, Deadeye can lock on to and shoot at more than 6 targets simultaneously.
    • Ammo remaining in Peacekeeper's cylinder is not relevant as Deadeye will keep firing even if it runs out of ammo.

Co-op details:
  • Initial charge rate increased from 130 to 325 damage per second.
  • Ramped charge rate increased from 260 to 650 damager per second.
  • Has a maximum damage cap of 1560 per target.

Example Video


Hero-specific options

Setting name Options Description
Recoil recovery aim compensation On (default) Stops the recoil's downward pulling return motion if the player applies enough vertical crosshair movement after the shot.
Off Recoil's return motion is unaffected by player input, always pulling the crosshair back downwards the same amount as the recoil raised it.
Hide Deadeye cancel text Off (default) Cancel text UI element is displayed to the left of the crosshair.
On Cancel text UI element is hidden.
Hide Deadeye timer Off (default) Timer UI element is displayed around the crosshair.
On Timer UI element is hidden.

Strategy

Strength

As befits a gunslinger, Cassidy is one of the game's best duelists. He is capable of killing almost anyone he gets up close to with blinding speed his grenade and unloading his Peacekeeper into them. The accurate hitscan nature of his primary weapon also makes him suitable for fighting mobile targets like Genji and Pharah at medium range. Combat Roll not only provides him a quick mobility to escape, but also fully reloads at the same time which is what his playstyle really needs. Deadeye can be used to quick-kill on non-tank heroes within his line of sight or zoning away the opponents due to how the guarantee kill shot.

Weakness

While having a powerful gun, Cassidy's abilities are considered sub-par as a trade-off to his insane damage output. His low mobility means that he has no conventional routes to get up close to his opponents, making it easy to outflank him and kill him before he has a chance to fire back. In close combat, the only way for Cassidy to protect himself is to kill the opponent quickly. Missing the target will likely force him to fight or escape. His low ammunition means that missing one shot poses a far greater loss than those of other heroes. Like other hit scan heroes, Cassidy's damage falls off to 30% at max range, however the Peacekeeper's damage starts falling off earlier than other hit scan heroes, making him a poorer choice for static defense at long range.

Weapons & Abilities

  • Ability-mccree1 Peacekeeper: Cassidy's primary weapon. The primary fire shoots a single, perfectly accurate bullet down the crosshairs. The secondary fire "fans" the Peacekeeper's hammer, causing Cassidy to unload the remaining cartridges in the Peacekeeper's cylinder at blinding speed. The bullets from Cassidy's secondary fire cannot headshot.
    • The deadly accuracy of the primary fire is best used on targets at medium range. It proves particularly useful on agile targets like Tracer who are often difficult to hit with secondary fire.
    • Secondary fire is woefully inaccurate at anything past short range, but will kill anyone with 200 or less hit points in a single volley if all of the bullets hit. Use the secondary fire when close to an opponent to quickly deal massive damage to them before they can respond.
  • Ability-mccree2 Combat Roll: When activated, Cassidy rolls a short distance in the direction he's currently moving, granting him damage reduction. He also fully reloads his Peacekeeper during the roll.
    • While Combat Roll does give Cassidy a small amount of mobility, it's nothing compared to Tracer's Blink. Combat Roll is best used as a quick way for Cassidy to reload his Peacekeeper than anything else. If you're in danger, however, it's best to use Combat Roll to mitigate incoming damage and get to cover instead of saving it for the reload.
  • Magnetic Grenade Magnetic Grenade: A short-ranged projectile that homes into enemies, dealing a respectable amount of burst damage. Its strongest attribute, however, is that upon sticking to a target, it will not only slow them by 30%, but also disables the movement abilities of the target for as long as they remain stuck.
    • Magnetic Grenade makes Cassidy a great duelist at close range, and a quintessential counter to high-mobility characters like Tracer, Sombra, and Doomfist. Its ability to deny them an escape option while leaving them wide open to both Cassidy and his team all but guarantees their death if they recklessly try to challenge him.
  • Ability-mccree4 Deadeye: Cassidy's Ultimate ability. When activated, Cassidy enters a special targeting mode for a short duration, during which movement speed dramatically slows and he cannot use any other abilities. Enemies are gradually highlighted with a red bullseye as long as they are within Cassidy's vision. Cassidy can press the primary fire button at any point during this time to shoot a bullet at all highlighted targets, with the damage increasing the longer they were within Cassidy's vision. This is a channeled ability, and will immediately end if Cassidy is hit by a stun.
    • The outer red circle on each highlighted enemy indicates how much damage Deadeye will do to that specific target, relative to their current HP. When the outer red circle stops shrinking and displays a skull, Deadeye has accumulated enough damage to kill the target.
    • The bullet fired by Deadeye will always fire at highlighted enemies, so long as they were within Cassidy's vision when he pressed the primary fire button.
    • There are some occurrences where Cassidy will activate his Ultimate after skulls appear on highlighted enemies but not kill them. For example, if he is locked on to 4 targets, he shoots and kills the first 3 targets, but in the time he is shooting the 3 targets, target 4 moves to cover, and Cassidy's bullet misses and hits where the target was last in sight. This could also happen if a Mei puts up an ice wall right before getting shot; the ice wall will protect her from Cassidy's bullet, even though she was locked on to at the time of the Ultimate being fired. Additional examples include protection behind a barrier, having bonus health from an ability like Sound Barrier, or being invulnerable.
    • Enemies who were previously targeted but who have left Cassidy's vision will have their bullseye turn grey. It will turn back to red if they return to his line of sight.
    • If significant risks present themselves while using Deadeye, the options to either fire or cancel before the killing shot are always present. Doing so will not kill targets, but can still deal significant damage. Doing so can prove useful when a team fight requires an extra hand to progress successfully.
    • Due to the channeled nature of Deadeye, the primary weaknesses Cassidy faces include Sleep Darts and Chain Hooks. One effective way to maximize Deadeye's potential is to have a Sombra use her EMP beforehand, preventing any barriers, Chain Hooks, Sleep Darts, or other stuns from interrupting Deadeye.
    • It is worth noting Genji's Deflect can send back Cassidy's Deadeye wherever the opposing Genji's cursor is aimed, including Cassidy.

General Strategies

  • Cassidy is a powerful anti-flanker and medium range damage dealer. Though it might be tempting to send him out on his own, he actually works best when staying near his team, as he can quickly kill annoying flankers like Genji and deal significant damage to Tanks like Winston, keeping his own team safe. Cassidy's low mobility makes him vulnerable to being picked off by enemies like Widowmaker if he travels by himself, and most enemies will be able to hear him coming a mile away due to his loud footsteps.
  • Stick to using the Peacekeeper's primary fire at anything other than short range. Aim for headshots if your enemy is moving in a predictable way, as they deal a large amount of damage.
  • It might be a better choice to land a single headshot on a stunned target rather than Fanning the Hammer. Doing so eliminates the need to reload afterwards, potentially proving useful if further engagements immediately present themselves.
  • Use Combat Roll to retreat and return fire rather than rolling forward to fight back. Even if you can fully reload without a reloading animation, you will lose your only method of escape if you encounter an engagement against your favor.
  • Minimize the risk of enemy fire by peeking around corners when no friendly Barrier is available. Doing so can maintain a compromised, yet safer line of sight while mitigating damage from enemies.
  • Try to gain vertical height before using Deadeye, as doing so permits a greater field of vision over targets hiding behind cover. Be aware that Cassidy is extremely easy to kill while using Deadeye, and that enemies like Widowmaker or Soldier: 76 can burst Cassidy down long before he has the chance to confirm his targets.
  • Deadeye can be used in one of two ways: to clear out an area by the very threat of the ability, or as a way of assassinating mobile priority targets. The "standard" combination of Mercy and Pharah flying through the air are especially vulnerable to being killed by Deadeye, as it takes little time for Cassidy to line up a killing shot for both of them.
  • It is worth noting Deadeye is particularly strong when used unpredictably. It would be best to try and flank the enemy team and use it from behind, so as to relay the idea that Cassidy is in front, providing a stark advantage while attempting to eliminate multiple foes quickly. Note that although Reinhardt's Shield can block the Deadeye shots, Deadeye is still capable of dealing tremendous damage to his shield.
  • A notable vantage point when using Deadeye on Dorado is just after the first checkpoint, upon going through the large gate, situated above and to the right, where a small (and very accessible) ledge can be found. The ledge provides a clear view over the long stretch of road ahead of the Payload, making it an excellent spot for Cassidy's Deadeye. This location's notable elevation provides a view of the enemy team otherwise inaccessible from ground level. This ledge also provides access to an area filled with plants, flowers, etc. on the structure to the right, permitting further access to the very small ledge on the building. Be aware that if the enemies find your position, they can easily relocate beneath the ledge to avoid Cassidy's line of sight.
  • Cassidy's Peacekeeper can be treated like Widow's Kiss or Hanzo's Storm Bow. While it is tempting to aim for headshots, aim for bodyshots if headshots prove too difficult. It is better to land several body shots than failing to land a headshot and needlessly risking the outcome of a duel.

Match-Ups and Team Synergy

Tank

Hero Match-Up Team Synergy
Icon-dva
D.Va
D.Va's Boosters can help her quickly close the gap between herself and you, and her Defense Matrix will block your standard fire as well as your grenade. At point blank firing distance, her gunfire will outdamage yours, and she has way greater health than you do. Even if you get her close to losing her Mech, she can simply disengage with her Boosters. Try to make sure you're always with your team, since while you'll lose most one-on-one fights with D.Va, if she barrels into a group of your allies by herself, she'll end up on the receiving end of a severe beating. If you manage to get her out of her Mech, she's easy prey; a grenade combo at close range or a headshot from afar will quickly snuff her out. Don't get too overconfident at a distance, though; if she can peek around cover and land her shots while dodging yours, she can quickly build up her Ultimate and get a new Mech. Defense Matrix can negate Deadeye completely, but its duration is shorter than Deadeye's; you'll need to wait until Defense Matrix is on cooldown, but during that time her allies might rush in to kill you, so be exceptionally careful before using Deadeye around D.Va. (To be added)
Icon-doomfist
Doomfist
Don't let Doomfist sneak up on you with a rocket punch. Fan the hammer will leave him with lower health making him easier to finish off. If you're using Deadeye be wary of him sneaking up on you since you move slower, making you an easy target if he's out of your sights. (To be added)
Icon-Junker Queen
Junker Queen
While Junker Queen has no barriers, this is still a tough fight for Cassidy. Don't let her throw knife on you from behind or up close or she can easily pull you in for a Carnage swing which will cripple your health if you're not being healed. Try to bait knife by peaking a corner or cover. Try not to get up close as her shotgun will kill you with just a few shots or she can melee you to keep her bleed refreshed which in turn keeps healing her. If she does pull you with knife, use Combat Roll to evade or reduce the damage of Carnage or to get away since you can roll during the pull. If she chases you using shout, use Magnetic Grenade to Hinder her speed while you fall back to a health pack or your team. Be careful of Rampage, if this connects even if you roll to reduce damage, this move can easily line you up to be killed as the wound damage alone will heal her significantly and you'll be Anti'd making it hard to counterattack. If you see a Junker Queen casting Rampage, use Magnetic Grenade to Hinder her and negate her Ultimate. Keep your distance and aim for the head so her shotgun is ineffective and aiming with knife is harder. (To be added)
Icon-orisa
Orisa
(To be added) (To be added)
Icon-Ramattra
Ramattra
Void Accelerator has no damage falloff and can damage your far from your effective range. His Void Barrier can also block your attack. At close range, be careful as his Nemesis Form can be a great threat to you. Your Combat Roll won't move your far enough away from him and he moves faster in that state. It takes four Pummel punches to kill you and his Block greatly reduces your damage. Even a fully charged Deadeye can't kill a full health Ramattra who's blocking. He also gains Nemesis Form during Annihilation, so take caution. (To be added)
Icon-reinhardt
Reinhardt
Reinhardt and his Barrier Field both have substantial health to withstand any attacks from you, and at close range Reinhardt's mighty melee swings will make quick work of you. While you might be able to hit Reinhardt with your grenade while his barrier is up by aiming over it, Fan the Hammer will be insufficient to kill him, and will only leave you in a position for him to clobber you to death. Instead, make use of your superior attack range, flanking behind and above Reinhardt's position. While Reinhardt can protect himself and his allies behind his shield from Deadeye, you fire one shot per target; if Reinhardt's shield is at low health and multiple allies are hiding behind him, your first shot may end up shattering the shield and your successive shots may hit their mark. (To be added)
Icon-roadhog
Roadhog
As long as you can keep your distance from Roadhog, he'll serve as good Ultimate fodder; you'll struggle to kill him due to his high health and damage reduction from Take a Breather, but landing continuous damage on him will help you built your Ultimate charge quickly. Should you end up in a close-quarters engagement, things will get more dangerous, as a Chain Hook from him will result in your quick death. Your grenade and Fan the Hammer will rarely be sufficient to kill him, and he can restore his health after the combo with Take a Breather; during that time, try to gain some distance and get behind cover so he can't grab you with his Hook once he's done healing. Make sure Roadhog isn't nearby when you activate Deadeye, as a Hook grab will cancel your Ultimate outright. (To be added)
Icon-sigma
Sigma
Sigma can put up a decent fight with his arsenal. His hyperspheres can deal massive damage if you're not careful. His experimental barrier can block your shots giving him time to fight back. Accretion can stun you momentarily, which can leave you open to attacks. Finally, Kinetic Grasp can negate all of your attacks and leave you with no means to hurt him other than melee attacks. Plus, he gains overhealth form absorbing your attack, especially Deadeye. At that point, you might as well cancel your ultimate. If you have to face Sigma, try baiting out his Kinetic Grasp by shooting once or twice then stopping before shooting once again and the odds of who'll come out on top will be even. Sigma's shield makes it easy to stay behind cover while hitting easy shots. Utilize his rock as opponents who are knocked down can easily be finished by Fan the Hammer or can be stuck with grenade to prevent escape with movement abilities. Do best to save Deadeye for Gravitic Flux since your opponents will be in the air making your Deadeye charge very easily. Even after the slam, you shots will finish them off since they will have taken more damage than Deadeye has charged.
link=http://overwatch.gamepedia
Wrecking Ball
(To be added) (To be added)
Icon-winston
Winston
Winston is able to absorb all 6 shots from Fan the Hammer and survive with ease. Though he too fights at short range, his high health and mobility will let him endure bullets from the Peacekeeper, and his Projected Barrier will stops your allies from helping at a distance. Your role when engaging an enemy Winston is to stay with your group and prevent him from attacking your weaker teammates. While you'll struggle with him at close range in a one-on-one, with your teammates by your side you can make him regret diving into your back line. If Winston is lurking with his team without his barrier up, you can land free shots on his large frame to build up your Ultimate charge or potentially kill him. (To be added)
Icon-zarya
Zarya
Zarya will struggle against you when you fight her at a distance. However, she can gain massive amounts of charge if you times your shots poorly, especially if you hit her with Fan the Hammer while her Barrier is active. Even if her Barrier is on cooldown, she also has enough health to withstand a full Fan the Hammer clip, so only attempt to hit her with it if she comes to you. In general, you should try to keep your distance and fight where you're most comfortable. Watch for Barriers on your enemies when you activate Deadeye; if you shoot an enemy with a Barrier active, you'll end up providing Zarya a massive charge, so if possible try to wait until the Barrier wears off after 2 seconds. (To be added)

Damage

Hero Match-Up Team Synergy
Icon-ashe
Ashe
Ashe is a dangerous match up, the pace of which will be established by the distance between you two when the fight begins. At a distance Ashe will hold a powerful advantage with her longer range and larger ammo capacity. The closer you get to Ashe the greater your chances become, but her Coach Gun will help her keep you out of grenade range or escape to higher ground for the added advantage of leaving you unable to chase her easily. Use cover as best you can you close the gap between you and her or sneak up on her where she'll fall quickly to Fan the Hammer. (To be added)
Icon-bastion
Bastion
You'll win most encounters with Bastion if you catch him in Recon Configuration. While he's in Assault Configuration, though, it's an entirely different story. It will be difficult to shoot his weak spot on his rear unless you sneak up on him. Even then, he'll most likely withstand your attacks, then swivel around and rip through you. Attacking him point blank is a dangerous tactic, as he can quickly gun you down. Should you peek in and out of barriers or cover, though, and he isn't likewise protected, you can land a few safe shots on Bastion and eventually kill him. (To be added)
Icon-echo
Echo
As long as you can consistently hit your shots, you're one of Echo's harshest counters, you can gun her down in seconds with your peacekeeper even while airborne, and while it's highly unlikely you'll ever get to do a fan the hammer combo on her, you should only worry about her focusing beam if you're under half health or her using her ultimate on you, since she can build deadeye way faster than you can. (To be added)
Icon-genji
Genji
While Genji can fight you at both close and long distances, your high damage and accuracy can make short work of him. Although he can potentially Deflect your grenade, this issue can be avoided by simply throwing the grenade at the ground, since the area-of-effect explosion will be enough to stun Genji if he is up close. Deflect is deadly against Deadeye, turning your lethal shots back at you, so take caution when activating it while Genji is around. (To be added)
Icon-hanzo
Hanzo
Hanzo will try to fight you from extreme ranges, where your Peacekeeper will struggle to deal maximum damage. However, your Peacekeeper's shots will usually be more accurate than Hanzo's arrows. Focus on avoiding Hanzo's shots while closing in on him until you're close enough to hit him with a grenade; if he's at a higher elevation or too far away, peek behind corners to land shots on him or simply stick with your team. Sonic Arrow will betray your exact location to Hanzo, so be careful if attempting to peek shots behind corners as he may land a headshot right when you turn the corner. At close range, beware of Hanzo's Storm Arrows, as their burst damage can quickly kill you. (To be added)
Icon-junkrat
Junkrat
Both you and Junkrat are dangerous in close corridors. It's crucial to catch him by surprise, otherwise his explosives will make quick work of you. Even if you kill Junkrat in a close-quarters fight, Total Mayhem's bombs may end up killing you, as you have no means of escaping them other than Combat Roll. Watch your step, as getting caught in a Steel Trap will certainly spell your doom. (To be added)
Icon-Cassidy
Cassidy
A duel at high noon between two Cassidys will be decided by who can aim at the other's head first, should you both be fighting out in the open. In close-range combat, your grenade and Combat Roll will play a large role. Should you both activate Deadeye at the same time, it is a matter of who can pull the trigger first as soon as the skull is visible. (To be added)
Icon-mei
Mei
You and Mei have similar playstyles at both long and close distances. At close range, you both will try to stun the other before landing the finishing blow. In Mei's case, she'll be attempting to slow you. Combat Roll won't move you far enough away to avoid her Endothermic Blaster. Should you fail to kill Mei and she uses Cryo-Freeze, it's better to run than to wait for her to come out; You're easy prey, and should you run you might bait her into leaving Cryo-Freeze early, at which point one or two shots should be able to finish her off. At longer range, both of you have the same damage falloff, but Mei's Icicle is a projectile while your Peacekeeper fires a hitscan bullet, meaning you'll have an easier time landing your shots. Deadeye can be blocked by a well-placed Ice Wall, so take caution around Mei. Should a friendly Mei freeze the enemy team over with Blizzard, any Tanks caught in the Blizzard will lose their ability to deploy their shields, meaning a quick Deadeye can gun everyone down.
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Pharah
Pharah can be shot down mid-air with only 3 shots, but you'll need to be in your effective range, which isn't infinite. A smart Pharah floating in the sky will keep her distance from you and bombard you with rockets from afar, so stay behind cover or barriers while you get close enough to shoot her down. Pharah is an easy mark for Deadeye; try to activate it when she's not focused on you so she can't attack before you can fire. (To be added)
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Reaper
Reaper demands close-range combat, but you're no slouch at close quarters yourself. Should Reaper attempt to harass you at point blank, your grenade/Fan the Hammer will deal substantial damage. His Wraith Form can help him easily avoid your grenade; if he avoids it, try not to use Fan the Hammer so you don't waste your time reloading after shooting at nothing. Should he survive your combo, a few headshots will be enough to put him down before he can kill you. Should you fail to land your shots, though, he'll make quick work of you, so be careful. Reaper is useless against you at longer range, so if you see him roaming about, take the opportunity to gun him down. (To be added)
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Sojourn
Sojourn will be hard to fight at long range, especially as your weapon suffers from falloff damage. Try to catch Sojourn off guard with your grenade and a bodyshot. That should ensure that she gets eliminated or take great damage. A single headshot on her at close quarters will most likely force her to retreat. (To be added)
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Soldier: 76
Soldier: 76 puts up a stronger fight than you at range, but a single headshot from you will put Soldier: 76 at death's door. You have the upper hand in close quarters, but if you fail to kill him, he can Sprint away to disengage while you have few means to chase after him. If your grenade is on cooldown and Soldier: 76 has Biotic Field active, you'll be in for a much tougher fight. At a distance, this fight will be decided on who can land their shots better. (To be added)
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Sombra
One headshot from you will put Sombra at a near-death state; however, she'll rarely let herself be visible out in the open, so you'll need to keep your eyes peeled. You can still handle yourself fairly in a fight should she Hack you, but if you get her close to death you don't have any means to stop her from retreating with Translocator. Being Hacked while you're preparing Deadeye will nullify your Ultimate, so be especially careful about her when using it. (To be added)
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Symmetra
Be careful when turning corners when a Symmetra is around, as while your Peacemaker can take out Sentry Turrets in one shot, your long wait between shots means a group of Sentry Turrets can whittle down your health enough to be quickly finished off by Symmetra or one of her allies. She isn't particularly powerful at close or long distances when she's at low energy; once she's powered up, though, she's a force to be reckoned with. You'll rarely be fighting Symmetra alone, though, as she'll usually have some Sentry Turrets set up around her position to trap you. Feel free to pick off Symmetra at a distance, but you should only advance on her if you're with your team. Photon Barrier can block off Deadeye, so when you activate it try to quickly land your shots before Symmetra can respond with Photon Barrier; if she deploys it before you can do so, cut your losses and try to shoot down any enemies on your side of the barrier. (To be added)
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Torbjƶrn
Torbjƶrn himself is of little threat to you, but when he has Overload active, he'll be tougher for you to kill. Try to surprise him before he can use it; if you can't kill him in time, though, use Combat Roll to gain distance from him until Overload wears off or you've regrouped with your team. You can easily destroy Torbjƶrn's Turret by peeking in and out of cover while firing at it. Your low mobility means it may be easy for Torbjƶrn to catch you in his Molten Core, so be careful. (To be added)
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Tracer
With her constant mobility, Tracer will prove to be a massive pain to kill at a distance. However, a single headshot will put her at 10 health, making her an easy target for your teammates to finish off so long as they're focused on her. Try to stay by your Support or Tank allies, as Tracer will probably try to flank and harass them, and need you to defend them from her. (To be added)
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Widowmaker
Widowmaker easily has you outmatched at a distance due to her superior range and lack of damage falloff. Her Grappling Hook also allows her to stay far out of range of your grenade combo. It will be very difficult to sneak up on Widowmaker and you don't stand a chance at a distance. Only approach her while being protected by friendly barriers, otherwise try to stay behind cover and stick to your team. (To be added)

Support

Hero Match-Up Team Synergy
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Ana
Ana will usually stay out of your range and behind her teammates. An enemy being given a constant healing supply by Ana will be difficult to gun down, even with help from your teammates. However, Ana lacks any kind of mobility, so you should be able to get the drop on her and kill her if you catch her by surprise. If you do catch her out in the open, while she deals decent damage at a distance, your gunshots will far out-damage hers at medium range. Just don't try to snipe her from afar, as your bullets won't reach while hers will. Be extremely careful about being out in the open when activating Deadeye, as Ana's Sleep Dart will instantly cut it off. (To be added)
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Baptiste
Baptiste can prove to be annoying to you. In a one-on-one fight at close quarters, you'll usually come on top. What really proves to be a problem is his Immortality Field. This can protect his teammates from your fan the hammer combo and deadeye. At a distance, he also shouldn't be underestimated, since he can lay out a heavy damage output with his primary fire. His healing output is also pretty high if he knows how to utilize them which can be troublesome for you. (To be added)
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Brigitte
(To be added) (To be added)
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Kiriko
Kiriko will usually be protected behind his teammates. To kill her from afar, you'll need to be extra careful with your shots due to her small hitbox and her Protection Suzu. Be careful as her kunai have no damage falloff and headshots are 3x more powerful. Two kunai to your noggin is enough to finish you off. Also, her Swift Step can help her escape and drop your Magnetic Grenade if it's stuck to her. Protection Suzu can also negate your damage, so try to wait for after she uses it. (To be added)
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LĆŗcio
LĆŗcio will usually be protected behind his teammates or riding over a high wall. To kill him from afar, you'll need to be extra careful with your shots due to his small hitbox and his health regeneration. His Amp It Up on speed boost can help his teammates retreat or advance on your position faster than you can respond. Be careful when you're perched on high ground, as LĆŗcio can disturb you with a knockback from his Soundwave. Try not to use Deadeye right after LĆŗcio uses Sound Barrier, as his teammates will most likely survive your shots. (To be added)
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Mercy
Mercy can often be found in the air floating from teammate to teammate; this makes her an easy target for your Peacemaker. With your mid-to-long range, you can finish off a Mercy out in the open before she can retreat. However, if Mercy is hiding behind her team, don't try to chase after her as her teammates will simply gang up on you and kill you. Instead, have an ally who can flank chase her down, or if your team is nearby, advance in a group. (To be added)
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Moira
Fighting a Moria can be difficult if you have trouble aiming. Her damage orb mixed with Biotic Grasp ult fire will allow her to heal significantly while you take massive damage. Roll will reduce the damage but doesn't stop her softlock aim. Utilize your Magnetic Grenade on an escaping Moria as the Hinder causes her to be unable to phase out. Bait out her phase but throwing a grenade so you can line up easy shots after. If you're able to land headshots, you can easily kill a Moria even if she's damaging you. Avoid chasing her if she's by her team since she can easily recover health and quickly counterattack if Magnetic Grenade is on cooldown. (To be added)
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Zenyatta
Both you and Zenyatta have the potential to deal high damage at a distance. While your shots will be more accurate, Zenyatta's high power and larger ammo magazine will help him gradually kill you if you try to fight out in the open. His Orb of Discord will help him and his team finish you off even quicker. If you must fight Zenyatta at a distance, stay behind cover between shots to avoid his counter-fire. Just remember that his Orb of Discord will notify him of your exact location, meaning it will be easy for him to land an Orb Volley on you and potentially instantly kill you. Should you fail to kill Zenyatta, he can retreat and recover his shields, so unless his teammates are nearby, don't hesitate to chase him down and finish him off. If you catch Zenyatta by surprise at point blank, you can easily kill him before he can retaliate. (To be added)


Story

Icon-cassidy
"Justice ain't gonna dispense itself."

Armed with his Peacekeeper revolver, the outlaw Cole Cassidy doles out justice on his own terms.[5] At times, he has missed his old farm boy life.[6] He enjoys liquor with "bite" to it,[7] along with cookies.[8] He refuses to eat pork.[9]

Cassidy is an ace shot,[9] and is known for staying cool under fire, and his charm, and adaptability.[10] He prefers revolvers to rifles. While the latter may have improved accuracy, he prefers revolvers for their rate of fire, and one's ability to shoot from the hip.[9] He prefers "traditional armaments" rather than more advanced weaponry, though has never used a bow.[11] By his own admission, Cassidy is not a soldier, and has little enthusiasm for traditional military hierarchies/modes of operation.[2]

Cassidy knows how to play poker.[9]

Early Life

ā€œ What about you, Jesse? What's your story?
Not much to tell that you probably haven't heard before. So if you don't mind, I'd rather not tell it. The past is the past, y'know?
ā€ž
~ Frankie and Cassidy (formerly Jesse McCree)

Cassidy grew up on a farm[6] in Texas.[7] He learnt how to shoot from a young age.[9] Sometime in his youth, he hotwired a motorcycle and was arrested for it. He wrote a lengthy piece for submission to the parole board.[2]

At some point, Cassidy started going by the pseudonym of "Jesse McCree," apparently as part of an effort to run from his past.[1]

As a young ruffian,[12] Cassidy spent his time drifting from one job to the next. One of his jobs was at a pork processing plant, where he had an experience that put him off eating pork for life. Eventually, he arrived at Bellerae. He spent two months working on the Ace Valentine megafarm, a job that wasn't the best in the world, but not nearly as bad as some of the others he'd had. He became friends with Julian, who was the one who talked the megafarm's foreman into giving him a job. Julian often saved Cassidy a spot in the chow line, and made sure they didn't get the beds with bedbugs.[9]

The Deadlock Gang

Meeting Ashe

ā€œ Huh...You've got an awful lot of grit for a rich girl.
Excuse me?
A rich girl. Gotta be, with that swanky outfit.
ā€ž
~ Cassidy and Ashe's first meeting

While at the megafarm, Julian bet the other farmhands that Cassidy could shoot a playing card from fifty yards. Julian won the bet, but the farmhands took umbrage at losing, and a fistfight broke out. Cassidy dove into the brawl to protect Julian (getting a bruised eye in the process) before Sheriff Carson arrived, arresting Cassidy, and taking his revolver.

Inside the Bellrae prison, he had a chance encounter with Elizabeth Ashe, who had also been arrested. He told her about what had happened, and his plans to move to the west coast to work in security, but not before getting his hands on a new firearm, given how dangerous it was to travel through the American southwest these days. The two hit it off, before Ashe was released due to her parents.

The following day, Carson released Cassidy from the cell, but refused to return his revolver. Cassidy returned to the megafarm but was fired; despite the circumstances of the earlier brawl, he'd put three farmworkers in the med clinic. Doherty revealed that Julian had been fired as well, pointing out that there was no shortage of workers lining up to take their positions. He was even refused his week's wages. However, Ashe had come to the farm in her family car, and offered him a ride. Cassidy accepted, and discovered that Ashe's home was Lead Rose Manor. Cassidy was taken aback—he'd figured Ashe was rich, but not this rich.

Ashe got down to business, taking Cassidy to a hill by the estate, and giving him an Arbalest revolver. He proved that he could shoot as well as he said against the targets she had set up. Returning to the estate, Ashe revealed her situation—in three months time, she'd turn eighteen, and when that happened, her parents would cut her off completely. She intended to spend those three months performing heists against her parents' company; stealing goods, selling them, and leaving with enough money to go and do whatever she wanted. She wanted Cassidy's help, as she figured he could use the money, and he was a good shot. Cassidy 'negotiated' his cut to 20% (not knowing that Ashe would have accepted 30%) and agreed to join her.[9]

The First Heist

ā€œ You've got a lot to lose, Ashe. More than I've got to gain. You sure you're ready to throw that away?
Jesse McCree, I may not be able to see the future, but I know one thing:Whether I'm headed for heaven or hell, I want it to be on the route that I choose. Not one chosen for me. So, are you with me or not?
ā€ž
~ Cassidy and Ashe prior to their first heist
AsheMcCree-rebels

The criminal duo

The duo's first target was Arbalest Fulfillment Center Beta-3. Due to having access to the schematics, getting into the facility was relatively easy. Cassidy cautioned her against the heist, pointing out that her parents might reconsider disinheritance in a week or so, but Ashe refused. They made it inside the facility and used a cargo elevator to arrive at its lower level. They found multiple black crates, but using a drone (and a tablet she'd stolen from her parents), four crates of Seraphim rifles were obtained. They loaded the crates onto the cargo elevator and returned to the main level. However, a proximity warning was triggered on the way up, as the crates had gone outside their intended storage location. Furthermore, the crates would detonate if the correct code wasn't entered. Cassidy took a pair of rifles and the two climbed up the shaft, with B.O.B. pulling them up from the blast.

They'd been saved from the fire, but not the security drones that were closing in on them. They ran to their truck, with Cassidy driving, and Ashe using the rifle to fire against the drones. The two managed to escape, but at the cost of the truck's destruction, and a long, slow walk across the desert before B.O.B. picked them up.[9]

Cutthroat Trout's

Back at Lead Rose, Cassidy wasn't as eager to get back into the fray as Ashe was—they'd nearly lost their lives, and all they had to show for it was a pair of rifles. Ashe, however, wasn't dissuaded, despite Cassidy's continued unease, and her plans to bring in help—a hacker, and someone good with demolitions. She offered him a chance to quit, to take the rifle, but pointed out that the rifle would only sell enough to cover him for a few months. Ten rifles, however? Power cells? Sniper scopes? If he left now, he'd forsake the chance of getting a bigger score. Cassidy commented that there was more to life than money, but as Ashe pointed out, it was easier to live life with money than without it. Finally, Cassidy relented, and suggested that they track down Julian, since he was familiar with demolitions. He suggested that they could find him at Cutthroat Trout's; a bar out of town that he'd already frequented. Ashe told him to set up a meeting with Julian for tomorrow night, while she continued to work on finding a hacker.

Along with B.O.B., the two arrived at tomorrow sunset, though had to walk a fair distance, since Cassidy wisely suggested that they keep Ashe's family car out of sight. Arriving in the bar, they met with Julian, and were joined by Frankie; the hacker that Ashe had managed to contact. Ashe lay out the basics of her plan, but Cassidy wasn't convinced that Frankie could be trusted, since Frankie was part of the Diamondbacks. Frankie corrected him, saying that she'd worked for the gang, but wasn't a member herself. Frankie, in turn, was skeptical, given Ashe's lack of resources. On that note, Julian headed off, before returning to the table saying that he'd made a bet. Ashe would race Dezba on the Trout's hovercycle racetrack. If she won, they'd get four hovercycles. If they lost, Dezba would get B.O.B.

Ashe was enraged, and Cassidy, while less so, pointed out that it was illegal to wager omnics these days. However, no-one in the Trout cared about the law, and since Julian had already made the wager, if Ashe backed out, Dezba would win B.O.B. by right of forfeit. With no other options, Ashe took part in the race, and won, much to Cassidy's relief.[9]

The Brisco Incident

The group returned to Lead Rose, but operated from an old barn on the estate's grounds. Ashe's next heist was to attack an Arbalest automated transport convoy. Cassidy was uneasy, fearing that she was rushing into things, and hadn't forgotten what had happened last time. Ashe hadn't forgotten either, which was why they were going to prepare for the plan with every hour they had, and do so properly. Which in this case, meant a visit to Fort Starr, to pick up ammo. While there, they had a run-in with the Diamondbacks, who were less than enthused to see Frankie working with another group.

The confrontation ended without incident, but Cassidy could tell that Frankie was shaken. She explained that she hadn't left the gang on good terms. They returned to Lead Rose, and Cassidy noted that Ashe was intent on fixing her hoverbike—the one she'd wrecked on the racing track at Cutthroat Trout's. He told her that it was best to put the bike to burial, but Ashe refused to give up.

The day came when they attacked the convoy. In what would later be reported as the Brisco Incident, the plan was for Frankie to hack the main transport vehicle, at which point Ashe and Cassidy would engage the convoy directly, firing from their hovercycles. They'd board the vehicle and steal its schematic drive. Julian would then use his explosives to cover their retreat. The plan went awry from the start however, as there was more than one main transport vehicle, so it would take longer for Frankie to find which one had the schematic drive they were after. Ashe refused to abort, and she and Cassidy began firing. The heist succeeded.

The group returned to their base of operations, basking in the success of their heist. Cassidy was no exception, commenting that, in light of his take of the profits, it was like "seeing the end of a long, dark tunnel." Julian and Frankie reminisced on their experiences in the Omnic Crisis, but Cassidy remained silent, not wanting to discuss his past. He confided with Ashe that the 'light' at the end of his 'tunnel' was to have a piece of land of his own to work on, much to her amusement at his lack of ambition. When he asked her what she planned to do after her 18th birthday however, Ashe didn't have an answer. The group retired for the evening, Cassidy refusing to play cards with Julian due to his terrible poker face.[9]

Showdown at The Hopper

Over the next two months, Cassidy and the gang pulled off nearly a dozen successful heists against Arbelest and other companies. By this point, Cassidy was insisting that their gang take on an actual name, pitching terms such as "The Vultures," "The Copper Coyotes," and "The Shadow Bats." Ashe refused each of his names, but noted that over the last two months, Cassidy had become more at ease, laughing far more than he used to. Regardless, they set off for a rendezvous with their latest client at The Hopper. Their client, Liu, arrived, but double-crossed the gang, having sold them out to the Diamondbacks.

Marco forced them to lower their masks, in do so establishing that he knew Ashe was the one conducting the heists. He stated that they'd made their last heist, that they'd got too greedy, having come into competition with the Diamondbacks. Julian tried to intervene, but Marco punched him. Cassidy almost dove in, but Ashe held him back. The Diamondbacks sped off.

Cassidy gave Julian some comfort, reassuring them that no, his nose wasn't broken, and that they could patch him up at Lead Rose. Ashe, for her part, refused to be cowed by the Diamondbacks, and told the gang that they could squeeze in a few more jobs, and that it was time for the big score.[9]

The Big Score

ā€œ Is that gold?
In black steel. Didn't want you to forget where you came from, but also that it didn't need to be the only part of you. Maybe you've been as rich as gold, but you're tough as steel, too, Ashe.
ā€ž
~ Cassidy gives Ashe her birthday gift

The gang carried out a heist on an Arbelest train shipment, carrying a weapon known only as "Siren." The train had yet to depart when they infiltrated the train yard. Cassidy found the cargo crate holding the weapon, but Julian triggered a motion sensor, which alerted the yard's security drones to their location. They managed to escape, but upon opening the crate, found only standard-issue rifles.

Ashe's 18th birthday arrived, but was still hung up by her mistake in their former heist. Cassidy consoled her, pointing out that they were loaded with the money they already had. He also gave her a birthday gift—a key chain for her hovercycle. Touched, Ashe commented that it was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for her. That wasn't all though, as the gang headed for Cutthroat Trout's for her birthday party...or not, as they instead headed into the manor, where the patrons of Cutthroat Trout's had come to her instead. Cassidy told her that they believed that they'd broken into the manor to celebrate "Calamity's" birthday, not Elizabeth Ashe's.

Unfortunately, the Diamondbacks weren't fooled, and peeved that Ashe had carried out a heist despite their warning, tried to burn the manor down. At this point, Julian approached Cassidy, revealing that he was in league with the Diamondbacks. He suggested that Cassidy allow himself to be ransomed so that Ashe would pay for his release. In essence, the profits from her heists would go to the Diamondbacks. Cassidy refused, and tried to warn Ashe, but was captured, beaten, and taken to the gang's hideout at Deadlock Gorge.[9]

Showdown at Deadlock Gorge

At the hideout, it was revealed that Julian was in league with the Diamondbacks Ashe and the gang made an attempt to save Cassidy, but their plan failed, as they'd been ratted out by Julian. Frankie, however, was able to get the Diamondbacks to scatter by simulating a police raid. Taking Julian captive, they had him lead them to Cassidy's cell. Cassidy walked out of the cell and gave Julian a broken nose. They began to make their way out, but were attacked by the Diamondbacks, who'd since wised up to Frankie's deception. In the ensuing salvo, Ashe was wounded, and they took cover.

Cassidy suggested shooting their way out, but Ashe refused—they were both injured, and even if they used B.O.B. as a shield, it was too risky. Ashe offered herself up to the Diamondbacks in exchange for letting her friends go, much to Cassidy's protestations. They headed off on Ashe's hovercycle, but she was able to turn the tables, bringing the Diamondbacks to her side. She sent Bez to find them and bring them back.[9]

The Gang

ā€œ Deadlock for life. ā€ž
~ Cassidy
McCreeAshe-teens

Cassidy and Ashe

Ashe took the Diamondbacks' former hideout as her own, and with Cassidy, finally came up with a name for her gang—the Deadlock Rebels. Their heists continued.[9] Over their time in the gang, neither Cassidy nor Ashe dated;[13] possibly part of the reason was that according to Cassidy, Ashe was never his type due to her wealthy background.[6]

Overwatch

ā€œ Right. This is where I picked up the damn ingrate. ā€ž
~ Gabriel Reyes, reflecting on his recruitment of Cassidy
Ana Overwatch photo

Cassidy in an Overwatch group photo shortly after being recruited into Blackwatch.[14]

Cassidy's time in the Deadlock Gang came to an end when he and his associates were busted in an Overwatch sting operation. With his expert marksmanship and resourcefulness, he was visited by Gabriel Reyes, the head of Overwatch's Blackwatch covert ops division. Reyes gave him the choice between rotting in a maximum security lockup or joining Blackwatch. Cassidy chose the latter.[5][15]

When Reyes brought Cassidy in, he was noticed by Ana Amari. She noted at the time that Cassidy had great instincts, talent, and the ability to stay cool under fire. He also had charm, adaptability, and potential. However, she also suspected that Cassidy had felt trapped by the life he'd been living.[10]

ReyesMcCreeMoiraGenji

Cassidy, Reyes, and Genji meet with Moira O'Deorain

Although he was initially cynical, he came to believe that he could make amends for his past sins by righting the injustices of the world. Cassidy appreciated the flexibility afforded to the clandestine Blackwatch, unhindered by bureaucracy and red tape.[5] He was given instruction by Reyes, and was given some pointers in shooting by Ana Amari.[7] He had a mixed relationship with fellow Blackwatch members Genji Shimada and Moira O'Deorain.[16] He thought that the hiring of O'Deorain was a mistake.[7]

At some point, Cassidy met Fareeha Amari. The two became friends.[17]

A lot of Cassidy's missions ended in disaster. At some point, he requested Torbjƶrn Lindholm to create him a robo-horse, but the engineer refused. He took part in an operation in Hanamura, as Overwatch struck against the Shimada clan. Years later, Cassidy regretted his actions there, maintaining that like the Shimada, Overwatch had been criminals.[11]

The Echo Project

ā€œ Everybody's bound to make mistakes. It's how you make your way in the world. ā€ž
~ Cassidy's lesson to Echo

At some point during his time in Overwatch, Cassidy was assigned to the Echo Project in Oslo, in order to help keep it secret.[18][2] Under the orders of Reyes,[19] he was assigned to protect its head researcher, Dr. Mina Liao.[18] Liao was initially wary of him, given his status as a Blackwatch agent. However, Cassidy was willing to keep Liao's research "between us," and also intuitively understood what Liao was trying to achieve with the project.[19] Liao showed Cassidy the robot she was working on prior to assembly, and explained her desire to create something better than the world had ever seen before.[2]

One day, when in the testing area, he saw Echo undergo a field psychology test. During the test, Echo eliminated the wrong target and exhibited external signs of distress. Though he was not meant to interact with her, Cassidy deescalated the situation, saying it was just a mistake and sheā€™d get it right next time. Echoā€™s response was that she was not supposed to make mistakes; he laughed and assured her that everyone made mistakes, but what mattered was how one made their way through the world. Echo thanked him for his reassurance, and the two exchanged jokes, causing Echo to laugh for the first time.[19]Cassidy became friends with both Echo[19] and Liao.[18] However, at some point after the King's Row Uprising,[20] Liao's lab was attacked, and the doctor killed. The project was terminated, and Echo herself put into quarantine.[18]

Retribution

Rome
ā€œ An Overwatch facility was attacked. The team needed to respond. But officially, their hands were tied. Luckily, Blackwatch plays by its own rules. We all knew who was responsible. Rumor had it he'd be well protected. Our mission was to drop in and get him out so he could face the music. At least, that's how it was supposed to go. ā€ž
~ Cole Cassidy
McCreeRetribution3

Cassidy in the Rome facility

Eight years before Winston's recall order, Cassidy was with Reyes and Gerard Lacroix in the Rome Blackwatch facility. Overwatch was being attacked by Talon, but Lacroix had tracked down one of their associates—Antonio Bartalotti, whose compound in Venice was a hotbed of illegal activity. Cassidy was up for a "road trip" to apprehend him, but Lacroix pointed out that Bartalotti was too well connected with the Italian government. Instead, he planned to go after Bartalotti's employees, to bring charges against them, and thus disrupt Bartalotti's cash flows. Thus, Bartalotti would be less able to purchase "friends in high places," and as such, Overwatch could go after him. Satisfied with the plan, Cassidy and Reyes left the building. Seconds later, it was destroyed in an explosion, courtesy of a bomb set by a Talon agent. Cassidy and Reyes rushed in, and were able to save Lacroix, but many other Overwatch members weren't as lucky.

A while later, at Overwatch Headquarters, Reyes asked Cassidy if he was still up for the "road trip" he'd proposed. Cassidy was, but was disheartened to learn that the operation was simply apprehending Bartalotti. Reyes assured Cassidy that the info they got from Bartalotti would allow them to hit Talon harder next time. Thus, they headed for Venice alongside Shimada and O'Deorain.[21]

Rialto
ā€œ This is your fault commander! We had a plan! We could've walked Antonio right out of the city! I didn't sign up for this! ā€ž
~ Cassidy during the shootout
McCreeRetribution2

Cassidy in Rialto

The Blackwatch team arrived in a Venice safehouse and set up surveillance on the manor. They found Talon soldiers patrolling the grounds. When night fell, they infiltrated the manor.[22] They made their way through its interior, killing and/or incapacitating numerous Talon guards. Upon reaching Antonio's office, they found him there, not surprised to see them. Nor was he intimidated, as he pointed out that Overwatch abducting a "respected businessman" would be a public relations nightmare. Furthermore, even if they did take him, his "friends" would have him released within a week. After some thought, Reyes said "you're right" and shot Antonio, the force of the blast sending him through his office window, and triggering an alarm. Cassidy was outraged, pointing out that this wasn't the plan. Reyes casually suggested that they go with "Plan B"—fight their way out, guns blazing. As they exfiltrated the manor, Genji asked about Cassidy's unease, pointing out that they'd killed before. Cassidy pointed out that what had happened was an execution. Genji simply responded "dead is dead." Regardless, the team succeeded in escaping, with all four Blackwatch agents making their way out despite the hordes of Talon soldiers that came their way. However, the incident was reported in the press, and Blackwatch's existence was revealed to the public.

Debriefing

Cassidy watches Reyes get debriefed

Back at HQ, Reyes was debriefed by Jack Morrison, Ana Amari, and a recovered Lacroix. Cassidy watched the interrogation from behind a one-way mirror.[23] After Reyes was debriefed, Morrison asked if Cassidy had anything to add, to which Cassidy asked where Morrison wanted him to start. [22]Cassidy gave his account of events.[24] Much later, Cassidy reflected that while Antonio had got what was coming to him, it still didn't seem right. He also reflected that this was "where it all started to go wrong," as not only had Blackwatch been revealed, but individuals within Talon emerged to fill the void Bartalotti's death had made.[23]

Because of their actions, Cassidy and the others were sidelined.[25]

Uprising

ā€œ Null Sector is holding Mondatta, Mayor Nandah, and a hundred prisoners in the power plant. It's all walled off. You want in, you're going to need to blow open the doors. That's assuming you can get past the air defenses. ā€ž
~ Cassidy gives his sit-rep
McCree-uprising

Cassidy in King's Row

Seven years before Winston's recall order, Blackwatch and its agents were placed under suspension, as the division came under investigation. This same year, the King's Row Uprising occurred. Cassidy was present in London, and while there, he reported to Jack Morrison and Reyes on the developing hostage situation on the ground. He signed out as he came under attack by a Null Sector omnic, but took it out. Officially, no Overwatch agents were allowed in England due to the prime minister's orders. When Morrison accused Reyes of breaching protocol, Reyes suggested that Cassidy was merely there "on vacation."[20]

Reflections

After Ana Amari disappeared while taking part in an operation in Poland, Reyes assigned Cassidy to find her. However, Ana wasn't to be found.[26]

Vigilante

ā€œ All those cold years after Overwatch came apart. Runnin' as a mercenary, dodgin' the law... ā€ž
~ Cassidy's reflections
McCree-BC2018

Cassidy

At some point after the King's Row Uprising, Cassidy had his left arm replaced with a cybernetic graft,[27] though it took a while to get used to. This caused him to reflect on how much more difficult it must have been for Genji.[7]

As Overwatch's influence waned, rogue elements within Blackwatch sought to bring down the organization and turn it to their own ends. Wanting no part of the infighting, Cassidy set off alone and went underground.[5] After the destruction of Overwatch Headquarters, Athena lost all trace of him.[2]

Cassidy resurfaced several years later as a gunslinger for hire. While Cassidy's talents were sought after by parties great and small, he fought only for causes he believed were just.[5] There is evidence that Cassidy operated as a bounty hunter during this period, but when asked on the subject, he responded "my bills were always paid."[11] Most, if not all of his bounties were carried out within the United States.[2]

Train Hopper

ā€œ Ain't the fastest or cheapest way to travel, but that's the appeal. Rich folks like to go where the gettin's expensive. But hey, the food is great. So is the bourbon selection. Not that I'd know. They don't sell folks like me a ticket... ā€ž
~ Cole Cassidy
McCree-crash

Cassidy 'crashes the party'

Cassidy caught a ride on a hypertrain headed for Houston.[28] Caught a ride, as in, sitting on top of the train as it barreled along, for, in his words, "they don't sell folks like me a ticket." Nor did hypertrains make it easy for soldiers to rappel down from helicopters onto, but that's what started happening, as Cassidy observed such an action taking place. He noticed the Talon soldiers were using Blackwatch tactics. Staying out of sight, he could tell that the operatives weren't after him, but he was concerned. First, the operatives (or at least their method of insertion) were operating in a manner similar to Blackwatch. Secondly, if Cassidy's face was spotted, he knew that he'd take the heat for whatever was about to go down. Making a decision, Cassidy vaulted into a train car and quickly dispatched a number of the operatives. He told the stunned passengers to stay in their seats, and that things would be over shortly.

McCree-surrender

Giving the ultimatum

Moving on, Cassidy saved one of the train staff from being executed, as he didn't know a set of codes. Apparently the soldiers were after something at the back of the train, so Cassidy headed that way. He dispatched the enemy soldiers there, but only after hearing one of their number call for backup. Reaching the device at the back, he tossed it off the train, content that the operatives would go after it and leave the train itself alone. His face now out in the open, Cassidy settled down to enjoy the ride, only to learn via a news report that the robbery had indeed been laid on him, and from a steward, learnt that the train would arrive in Houston in three minutes. He asked that the truth of what happened be relayed to the police, and that the arrival time be "fudged," in order to give him time to make his exit.[29]

Noodle Shootout

ā€œ Street still in shambles following noodle joint shootout - who's keeping us safe? ā€ž
~ Joel Morricone
Noodle Shootout

The aftermath of the shootout

Cassidy made an appearance as a vigilante, thwarting a robbery attempt of a ramen shop. The media mainly focused on his "anachronistic fashion sense," though pundit Joel Morricone espoused the belief that Cassidy's vigilantism should be welcomed, given the high crime rate in the area.[30]

Recall

When Winston issued a recall of Overwatch agents, Cassidy was in the eastern United States.[31] He decided to activate Echo in his stead.[32] After the recall, he travelled all over the world.[2]

Reflections

McCreeSombra-reflections

Cassidy's Christmas drink at Calaveras

During Christmas, Cassidy was drinking at the bar of Calaveras in Mexico.[33]

Reunion

ā€œ Jesse McCree. It's been a while. You promised you'd write.
Well Ashe... I've been kind of busy.
ā€ž
~ Ashe and Cassidy (formerly Jesse McCree)

After the recall order initiated by Winston, Cassidy learned that Echo was being transported[34] aboard a military freight train, along with weaponry. He anonymously tipped off the Deadlock Gang that a train full of military ordnance would be crossing Route 66 at 11:55 AM, knowing Ashe wouldn't be able to resist following up on it.[18] Before setting out, he received an anonymous note stating "charmer. Time to talk," followed by coordinates that he identified as Cairo. While the sender was anonymous, Cassidy realized instantly it was Ana Amari, as she was "one of the few people in this world could ever draw a bead on me."[10] Regardless, he headed off to retrieve Echo first.

McCree-reunion

Cassidy emerges to confront Ashe

Cassidy relaxed with a slice of apple pie and a cup of coffee at the nearby Panorama Diner while waiting for the heist to go down. Sure enough, the train was passing by overhead right on time when it was derailed by an explosion, destroying the bridge and sending the train cars crashing down onto the road. Leaving payment for his meal, Cassidy walked out into the cloud of dust to greet Ashe. Their reunion was cordial, if tense. At Ashe's suspicion that his presence was not a coincidence, Cassidy confirmed that he had sent the tip, and all he wanted was the specific crate that had just been loaded onto their hover dolly—in return, the gang was free to help themselves to everything else. Opening the crate and seeing what was inside, however, to Cassidy's disappointment Ashe decided it was very much her business, especially when he refused to tell her what the device was. What followed was a standoff, and come the stroke of noon, a gunfight.

McCreeEcho

A more pleasant reunion

Despite being outnumbered, Cassidy was able to turn the tables on his attackers, incapacitating all of them with a belt of grenades. Having removed what military ordnance had already been loaded on the Deadlocks' hover dolly as Ashe had turned down his offer, he tied the unconscious gang members to it, separated B.O.B.'s head and limbs from his body (making sure to set the omnic's bowler hat back in the right position), and sent it down the highway, telling Ashe to "say high to the gang for me" while ignoring her angry screaming. Turning his attention back to the crate, revealed to be Echo's quarantine container, he reopened it and reactivated her. He told her about the recall order, and that while he'd been the one to receive it, she was the one that Overwatch needed. Asking Echo to pass along his greetings to Winston the two parted ways, as Cassidy drove off on Ashe's hoverbike saying that he had some business to attend to. Further down the road, he drove past the gang, upsetting Ashe once again when she recognized her bike.[27]

New Blood

ā€œ The job's done, but now you're actin' like you got something to think about. Something to go back to. When you could be riding off into that sunset. Got this just before riding out here. "Charmer. Time to talk." And coordinates halfway across the globe. With all that's happening these days in the world...Something's comin'--something big. Are you the kind of man who turns tail when the thunder rolls? No, sir. Maybe I will go back, do what I did before. But I have to settle this score first. World's goin' straight to hell. And now this note. You'll get to that sunset...But not today. ā€ž
~ Cassidy's reflections

Reunion with Ana

ā€œ Thought you were dead and gone. Guess I was wrong.
When did you realize it was me?
Soon as I found it. Ana Amari, one of the few people in this world could ever draw a bead on me.
ā€ž
~ Cassidy and Ana meet in Cairo
McCreeCairo

Cassidy in Cairo

Shortly after reactivating Echo, Cassidy debated whether he should respond to a meeting request from Ana regarding Winston's recall, or simply "ride off into the sunset" now that his job was done. Recognizing that the world was on the brink of some sort of crisis, he ultimately decided that he wasn't the kind of man who ran from trouble, and traveled to Cairo.[10] Somewhere along the way, he abandoned Ashe's bike.[11]

There he reunited with Ana and caught up over drinks. The conversation soon turned to Talon's recent activity hunting former Overwatch agents using the data Reyes stole from Watchpoint Gibraltar. Though Cassidy encouraged her to return and help lead the group, Ana expressed reluctance, wondering if her generation should step aside to avoid repeating past mistakes.

Their conversation was then interrupted by a Talon ambush. The two fought their way through the market and slipped into one of Ana's many secret hideouts. Inside she supplied him with information on several possible new recruits, including D.Va, Zarya, and her daughter Pharah, successfully convincing him that he should bring together a new generation of heroes and help lead the organization.[10]

At, or by this point, Cassidy stopped using the pseudonym Jesse McCree. To make this new Overwatch better, to make things right, he had to be honest with his team and himself. Thus, the cowboy he'd been rode off into the sunset, and Cole Cassidy faced the world at dawn.[1]

Reunion with Pharah

ā€œ Smoke on the horizon. A wing of Helix officers respond like angels in formation, ready for anything. They'll point the way to the first person on the list. Have to say, I was surprised to see Ana included her. Not because she's wrong for it--she couldn't be more right. But there's history. ā€ž
~ Cassidy's reflections on Pharah
CassidyPharah-base

Cassidy and Pharah

Cassidy changed his attire, and a few days later,[10] met with Pharah outside a burning warehouse, where she and her fellow Helix troopers had destroyed a Talon hideout. They headed to Helix's Cairo base, where Cassidy finally asked if Pharah was ready to talk. She explained that Winston's recall order had already been forwarded to her by others, and her answer to Cassidy was the same—her place was here, with Helix. Cassidy told her that he wasn't asking her to abandon her mission of making Egypt safe, but asked if this was where she was most needed. Pharah replied that it was.

Cassidy took Pharah to see Ana. The Amaris had a strained reunion, but it was interrupted by a Talon attack. Pharah took to the skies, while Cassidy and Ana fought their way along the ground. At Ana's suggestion, Pharah led the Talon forces out into the open, where she could take them out all at once. In this, she succeeded, but not without being wounded. Cassidy looked on as Ana treated her daughter's injuries, and the two made amends.

CassidyAna-leaving

Cassidy and Ana part ways

Afterwards, Cassidy made his offer to Pharah again. She remained mum on the subject, telling Cassidy that it wasn't a decision she could make lightly. Cassidy accepted this, and told her that she knew how to reach him. The two shook hands and Pharah flew off into the night sky. Afterwards, he talked with Ana, telling her that given the devastation their battle with Talon had unleashed, her cover had been blown. He asked if she needed help getting settled, but she didn't answer, and Cassidy realized that she didn't need help. The two parted ways, with Cassidy telling her that he had his eye on someone "up north." He headed off, not noticing Baptiste watching him from the shadows.[17]

Meeting Baptiste

ā€œ You know, somebody gave me a chance once. When no one thought there was any good in me. Who am I to say you don't deserve a chance like that, if that's what you want? What do you want, Baptiste?
I just want the chance to set things right. Overwatch did good for the world. If I can tip things in their favor...even a little bit...Then I'll be ready.
ā€ž
~ Cassidy and Baptiste become allies
BaptisteCassidy

Cassidy gets the drop on Baptiste

Cassidy made his way across Europe to reach Russia. At some point, he realized that he was being trailed by someone, who was utilizing Talon tracking tactics. He changed trains three times, made his way into Sofia, and doubled back to a train station in Bucharest. Inside the train station, he made his move, suddenly slipping into the crowd. This caused his stalker to make his move, but Cassidy gained the upper-hand in a maintenance area, drawing his revolver on the man. The man claimed that he didn't want to hurt Cassidy, but he punched him, saying that he recognized Talon's tactics when he saw them.

The two briefly fought, but Cassidy regained the upper-hand. The man introduced himself as Jean-Baptiste Augustin, and claimed that he was a former member of Talon, who'd been hunting him ever since he left the organization. He stated that he'd discovered that Talon had a list of Overwatch agents that they were hunting, and that Cassidy's name was on the list.

BaptisteCassidy2

A hasty alliance is formed

The meeting was interrupted by a Talon strike team who entered the station. Cassidy believed that Baptiste was working with them, and had lead them to him, but Baptiste still insisted that he wasn't a Talon member. That if anything, it was more likely they were hunting him rather than Cassidy. Not sure if he believed him, Cassidy agreed to work with Baptiste. They escaped the tunnel, with Cassidy briefly stunning the Talon troopers with a flash grenade.

Talon agents still lurked inside the station. Cassidy suggested that they catch a train out, but they had to make their way through their enemy. They made a break for it, with Baptiste destroying their security drone. Cassidy climbed on top of the train, while Baptiste held the Talon forces off. One of them got the jump on him, but before he could fire, Cassidy shot the trooper, and then pulled Baptiste atop the train beside him.

BaptisteCassidy3

Cassidy and Baptiste discuss their motivations

The two climbed inside as it departed the station. Taking their seats, Cassidy commented that if Baptiste was smart, he could have set all of this up so he'd end up owing him. Regardless, he told Baptiste that he had business to settle, and in the meantime, to stay out of reach until he contacted him. He'd have someone check if Baptiste was legit. The two shook hands, as Baptiste agreed to Cassidy's terms.

A few hours later, the train reached the Russian border. Cassidy snuck off the train at the station, eluding the RDF inspectors.[35]

Meeting Zarya

ā€œ The world's gone to Hell, Zarya. The RDF won't miss one soldier. But Overwatch could use your strength. Let's join them, and we can figure this all out. The Talon hits, Null Sector activity...and omnium attacks.
Enough talk! I'm in.
ā€ž
~ Zarya accepts Cassidy's offer to join Overwatch
CassidyNovanskoye

Cassidy clears out the omnics

Commandeering a truck, Cassidy drove to the Novanskoye Forward Base, where he met Zarya. The base had been evacuated as RDF forces pulled out, but he drove Zarya to Novanskoye, which was under attack by omnics. She revealed that she knew Cassidy was ex-Overwatch, but insisted that she didn't need his help. She told him to drop her off at the town, then to drive west. He seemingly obliged, but as Zarya was overwhelmed by the omnics, he drove the truck into them, smashing them to pieces. Fighting back to back, they defeated the initial group of omnics. He let Zarya find her family and her fellow villagers, while he cleared the village of the remaining omnics.

In the aftermath, Cassidy requested that Zarya join Overwatch. He pointed out that the RDF wouldn't miss one soldier, but with Overwatch, she could make a difference. Zarya accepted his offer. Afterwards, the pair joined Zarya's family as they watched an Atlas News report on Null Sector's attack on Paris.[36]

Mongolia

ā€œ Where'd you get this ship, anyway?
We appropriated it...from a Talon base in Mongolia. They won't miss it much.
Should have known.
ā€ž
~ Pharah and Cassidy discussing the Orca's retrieval

Sticking with Zarya, the pair were eventually joined by Baptiste. They appropriated an MV-261 Orca from a Talon base in Mongolia. At some point afterwards, Pharah rejoined the group.[37]

Meeting D.Va

ā€œ Well, there is is, Cassidy. There you were, thinking about moseying off into the sunset. And now it looks like you've gone and put together a new crew instead. Got themselves a lot of energy, too. A lot of heart. And man, they are scrappers. Remember when you were like them? Just about ready to take on a whole damn world of trouble if it came knockin'. Things being as they are...it looks like they'll get their chance. ā€ž
~ Cassidy's reflections
CassidyZaryaBusan

Cassidy liaises with Myung

Cassidy and his teammates flew the Orca to Busan, which was under attack by Null Sector. Operating on the ground, Cassidy liaised with Captain Myung and the MEKA Squad. She ordered Overwatch to clear an evacuation route while the MEKA Squad concentrated fire on the command ship. Null Sector was forced to retreat, and Overwatch and the MEKA Squad returned to MEKA Base.

At the base, Cassidy met pilot Hana Song, and revealed that they'd come to Busan to see if MEKA was interested in working with them. Song was given permission by Myung, assigning her to be a liaison. Cassidy gave Myung a data chip containing information on the threats his group had been monitoring. When asked how she could repay him, he told her to "consider it a gift from the old guard to the new." Later, as the Orca was loaded with supplies, he watched with pride over the new team he'd formed.

The following day, the Orca left Busan, headed for Watchpoint: Gibraltar.[37]

As You Are

ā€œ Fareeha, you got this?
Yeah, weā€™re good. You gonna get some rest?
Thought I might give it a shot.
Just keep your door closed. Team might think weā€™re under fire with the way you snore.
ā€ž
~ Pharah and Cassidy

The Orca travelled for hours to Gibraltar, with Cassidy, Pharah, and Baptiste inside the cockpit, with Pharah and Cassidy talking, and Baptiste remaining quiet. After hours of flight time, Cassidy left the Orca's cockpit to get some rest.[38]

Rejoining Overwatch

Resistance

ā€œ If it's a fight they want, I say let's give it to 'em.
I agree. But we need to be smart about this. Null Sector's force is too large to continue to fight head on. We need a more tactical approach.
Tactical, huh? We're gonna pull this off, there's still one more person we need.
ā€ž
~ Cassidy and Winston
CassidyDVaZaryaBaptistePharah

Cassidy and his crew at Watchpoint: Gibraltar

Cassidy and his crew arrived at Watchpoint: Gibraltar while Winston and his reformed Overwatch unit were in (or returning from) Rio de Janeiro. He announced his presence to Winston's group when they returned. The arrival bolstered Overwatch's numbers, as well as its morale, but while Cassidy was ready to take the fight to Null Sector, Winston urged caution, stating that Null Sector's forces were too many to take on directly. Instead, they needed a tactical approach. If that was the case, as Cassidy pointed out, they needed to recruit Vivian Chase.[39]

After the initial meeting, Cassidy reunited with Echo. They reminisced on their time with Dr. Liao, and Echo asked Cassidy if he believed she'd achieved Liao's dream of being "better than anything the world had seen before." Cassidy told Echo that Liao would be proud, but as Echo pointed out, that wasn't a proper answer. He smoothed things over, pointing out that answers weren't always easy to find, and attempted to make a joke, though Echo didn't find it entertaining.[2]

Liberation

ā€œ Been awhile, Vivian.
As if I didn't have enough problems already.
ā€ž
~ Sojourn and Cassidy reunite
Cassidy-awhile

Cassidy greets Sojourn

Overwatch headed to Toronto, which had been under assault by Null Sector for days. The team reunited with Sojourn, who explained that Null Sector was rounding up the city's omnics. Under Sojourn's direction, Overwatch split into three teams to evacuate the city. While Toronto ultimately fell to Null Sector, a number of civilians were able to escape safely. The team's shuttle landed on a barge outside the city, where Cassidy overheard Sojourn and Winston arguing. Sojourn insisted that they needed Morrison rather than her, but Cassidy explained that Morrison was pursuing his own agenda. Sojourn reluctantly agreed to rejoin Overwatch, but pointed out that its predecessor had been shut down for a reason, and that it was time to move on. Cassidy and Winston exchanged an uneasy glance.[40]

Post-mission, Cassidy admitted that he was surprised that the situation in Toronto was even worse than he had expected, considering that he was usually the pessimist around Overwatch, along with his confusion about what Null Sector was hoping to achieve with the use of Subjugators. He also admitted that while he missed Overwatch in the years after it fell, after being back for five minutes he remembered why he left in the first place; because he was never a soldier, and as such never feel like he fit in. Sight his lack of experience with writing post-mission logs as an example of this lack of fitting in with Overwatch. However, he lamented that he'd hang around for now, as he couldn't quite bring himself to turn tail and run given the state that the world was in. He ended the log, requesting Winston to bury him with his Peacekeeper if he didn't live long enough to write his next entry.[2]

Achievements

Name Icon Description Reward
Gotcha
Magnetic Grenade Get 2 killing blows with a single use of Cassidy's Magnetic Grenade in Quick or Competitive Play. Spray Cassidy Pixel
Pixel
It's High Noon
Ability-mccree4 Get 4 killing blows with a single use of Cassidy's Deadeye in Quick or Competitive play. Spray Cassidy Cute
Cute

Trivia

  • A Cassidy Figma statue is available.[41]
  • Cassidy has the most ways to reload his weapon out of all characters.
    • That being his standard reload, Combat Roll, Deadeye, and an emote.
  • His English voice actor, Matthew Mercer, cosplayed as Cassidy in the episode of his DND series: "Critical Role" Halloween episode at the Campaign 2 episode "Dark Bargains". which he also states that it is difficult to sit in his costume.
    • In Season 5 of Overwatch 2, Cassidy has an unlockable line of "How do you want to do this?", referencing a line often used by Matt.

Cultural References

  • Fitting with Cassidy's cowboy motif, activating Deadeye causes a tumbleweed to roll in front of him, a common clichĆ© in western films.
  • The engraving of Cassidy's belt buckle spells "BAMF," which is an acronym of "Bad Ass Mother Fucker."
  • Cassidy has a few possible references to Doc Holiday in the film Tombstone. The most prominent being his voice-line "I'm your Huckleberry.", the others being his Gambler skin and his Gunspinning emote, the former representing Doc Holiday's traits of being a gambler, as well as referencing his appearance, and the latter referencing an action he did in the film.

Misc. Character Info

  • Cassidy has an adversarial relationship with Stone Anthony via events in Tucson; voice lines in Overwatch 2 indicate (but don't confirm) that this was while Cassidy was part of the Deadlock Gang.
  • Cassidy's Peacekeeper revolver was built by a legendary gunsmith and fires custom high-caliber ammunition with technological enhancements, while his flashbangs are custom non-lethal grenades that were once used by Overwatch.[42] In reality, "peacekeeper" is a nickname for the Colt Single Action Army revolver.
  • Cassidy's skin tone varies greatly throughout his many appearances. Some of his darker skin tones made him appear racially ambiguous, causing many fans to speculate that he might be Hispanic, indigenous, or mixed.[43] On the Overwatch 5th Anniversary AMA on Reddit, it was officially confirmed that Cassidy is Caucasian and is just very tan.[44]
  • In Overwatch, in an interaction with Orisa, it is mentioned that there is a $60 million bounty is on Cassidy's head.[7] In Overwatch 2, an interaction with Baptiste confirms that Talon has a bounty on Cassidy's head, and is lower than the one on Ana's. It is not clear if these bounties are one and the same.

Development

Prospector Logann (2013)

Arnold Tsang and Peter Lee's new illustration of Logann, which served as inspiration for Cassidy

Cassidy's design was based on an old StarCraft sketch by Chris Metzen of a character named Prospector Logann. This sketch helped serve as an inspiration for the first game pitch proposed by the Titan team following the cancellation of Project Titan, a science fiction game that would have depicted the StarCraft universe from a new and unique perspective, and a new illustration of Logann was created by Arnold Tsang and Peter Lee for the project, as well as a 3D model. Eventually this design became the basis for Cassidy in Overwatch, with only minor alterations to the design, such as changing his duster into a serape.[45][46]

When naming Cassidy, the developers made lists of first and last names to find the best cowboy name, but none of them felt quite right. Someone suggested the name of one of Blizzard's own developers, Jesse McCree, and it came out on top in the end. The real Jesse McCree had to sign his name away for Team 4 to use it.[47] McCree commented in 2019 that "my parents were big Overwatch fans."[48]

However, in 2021, Jesse McCree was fired due to the California lawsuit against Activision Blizzard involving a culture of sexual harassment in the company. In response to this, it was stated in August that McCree would be renamed to something else in the future. New Blood, originally planned for September, was delayed, and was instead implemented in late 2021. To fill in the gap, a new map was released to the PTR.[49] In October, it was announced that McCree had been renamed to "Cole Cassidy." The name change was made permanent on October 26, 2021.[1]

From an in-universe standpoint, it is not entirely clear when Cassidy changes his name from McCree back to Cassidy, but it can be narrowed down. The Overwatch Twitter page makes it clear that the name change must come at some point after receiving Winston's recall,[1] whereas New Blood avoids naming McCree/Cassidy in its first issue (though uses "Cassidy" in its intro), but uses Cole/Cassidy several times in its second issue. At the very latest, the name change must come between the first and second issues, which fits in with the context of the original tweet, of helping the "new Overwatch," which Ana (re)introduces him to in the first issue.

Removed Abilities

Flashbang
E
Hero-ability-circle
Ability-mccree3
10 seconds
Type
Ability
Effect Type
Arcing projectile Arcing projectile
Blocked by barriers.
Ignores barriers.
Blocked by Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Ignores Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Blocked by Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Ignores Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Affected by damage boosts.
Ignores damage boosts.
Affected by Amplification Matrix.
Ignores Amplification Matrix.
Cassidy heaves a blinding grenade that explodes shortly after it leaves his hand. The blast staggers enemies in a small radius.
Damage:
25
Headshot:
āœ•
Cast time:
0.35 seconds recovery
0.65 seconds before cooldown starts
Duration:
0.8 second stun
Max. range:
7 meters
Area of effect:
3 meters radius
Projectile speed:
30 meters per second

Ability details:

Example Video


Videos

Official

Concept Art

Balance Change Logs

For more information, see Patch Notes.

Overwatch 2 PvP
Patch
Description
General updates

Most damage-dealing projectile sizes have been increased by a new global modifier added to their base size.

  • +0.05 meters for hitscan projectiles with a high rate of fire or spread (e.g., Tracer's Pulse Pistols or Reaper's Hellfire Shotguns).
  • +0.08 meters for hitscan projectiles that are more precise (e.g., Cassidy's Peacekeeper or Soldier:76's Heavy Pulse Rifle).
  • +0.05 meters for travel time projectiles that are shotguns or have a very high rate of fire (e.g., Roadhog's Scrap Gun or Ramattra's Void Accelerator).
  • +0.10 meters for travel time projectile with a speed greater than 50 meters per second (e.g., Zenyatta's Destruction Orb).
  • +0.15 meters for travel time projectile with a speed less than or equal to 50 meters per second (e.g., Pharah's Rocket Launcher).
  • Very large projectiles with a base size greater than 0.5 meters have been excluded from these increases (e.g., Orisa's Energy Javelin or Reinhardt's Fire Strike).

Hero combined HP (base health/armor/shields) increased by 15-25%.

  • 150-175 HP heroes increased by 25 HP.
  • 200-300 HP heroes increased by 50 HP.
  • 300+ HP (Tanks) increased by 75-100 HP.
  • Each hero's precise health increases are listed in their patch notes below.

Ultimate Charge

  • All Ultimate ability costs increased by 10%.

Regenerative Passive for All Heroes

  • All heroes now regenerate 20 health per second after 5 seconds of not taking damage.

Damage Role Passive

  • Reload speed bonus on elimination has been removed.
  • New role passive: Dealing damage reduces enemy healing received by 20% for 2 seconds.

Quick Melee

  • Damage increased from 30 to 40.
Hero updates
  • Health increased from 225 to 275.

Ability-mccree4 Deadeye

  • Initial damage rate increased from 130 to 150.
  • Damage rate increased from 260 to 300.

Magnetic Grenade Magnetic Grenade

  • Cooldown increased from 10 to 12 seconds.

Ability-mccree2 Combat Roll

  • Damage reduction increased from 50% to 75%.
Developer Comments: Even with the powerful and reworked Magnetic Grenade, Cassidy has still been underperforming, so we are reverting his maximum health back up to 225, having his gun damage falloff reach its full reduction sooner, and restricting the maximum range on magnetic grenade to help solidify his position as a close-to-mid range damage dealer.
  • Base health increased from 200 to 225.

Ability-mccree1 Peacekeeper

  • Peacekeeper damage falloff range rescaled from 25-45 meters to 25-35 meters.

Magnetic Grenade Magnetic Grenade

  • Projectile now has a maximum travel time of 1.5 seconds.
  • Slow amount reduced from 30 to 25%.

Magnetic Grenade Magnetic Grenade

We'd like for Magnetic Grenade to require slightly more demanding aim and intention in its use, especially at the longer ranges. The following adjustments will enable more counterplay for some heroes with quick reactions to be able to escape before the grenade sticks to them as well.
  • Seeking radius lowered from 1.5 to 1.3 meters.
  • Homing duration lowered from 1 to 0.75 seconds.
Developer Comment: The overall goals for Magnetic Grenade are to shift its use from purely damage into more of a utility, and change its deployment behavior from a close-range lock-on to more of an aimed projectile that magnetizes if it gets close to an enemy target. The previous "Stuck" banner text alert confused Tracer's Pulse Bomb message, so this mobility-locking status effect is being referred to as "Hindered.ā€

Magnetic Grenade Magnetic Grenade

  • No longer has a maximum projectile travel range of 10 meters.
  • The projectile now magnetizes toward an enemy target from 1.5 meters away and chases them for up to 1 second.
  • Impact damage increased from 0 to 10.
  • Explosion damage reduced from 120 to 70.
  • Stuck targets now have their movement slowed by 30%.
  • Stuck targets are now affected by a "Hindered" status effect, interrupting and preventing movement abilities from being activated.
Developer Comments: Magnetic Grenade only requiring one additional primary fire shot after sticking to a target was too reliable to execute on, even though it only works at close range. We're reducing the total damage on Magnetic Grenade, evenly split between the direct target damage and explosion. The reduced falloff-damage buff his primary fire received recently enables Cassidy to play from safer engagement ranges now, so we're reducing his health back to 200.
  • Base health reduced from 225 to 200

Magnetic Grenade Magnetic Grenade

  • Damage reduced from 131 to 120
Developer Comment: Combat Roll not being blocked by players is mostly a small quality-of-life change to make the ability feel smoother, particularly when rolling in a direction that you're not facing.

Ability-mccree1 Peacekeeper

  • Primary fire falloff range increased from 20 to 25 meters

Ability-mccree2 Combat Roll

  • Movement is no longer blocked by enemy player collision

Ability-mccree2 Combat Roll

  • Now grants 50% damage reduction for its 0.4 second duration

Ability-mccree3 Flashbang

  • Ability removed and replaced by Magnetic Grenade

Ability-mccree1 Peacekeeper

  • Secondary fire ā€œFan the Hammerā€ fire rate increased by around 7.5%

Magnetic Grenade Magnetic Grenade

  • Throws a grenade that can stick to enemies
  • Automatically homes in on an enemy close to the reticle when thrown within 10 meters of the target and can chase up to 13 meters
  • Deals 131 damage split between: 1 impact damage, 65 explosion damage, and an additional 65 damage to the stuck target at the time of detonation

Ability-mccree4 Deadeye

  • Now grants 40% damage reduction while channeling the Ultimate
  • Damage now builds at 130 damage-per-second for the first 2 seconds and then at 260 damage-per-second for the remaining duration
  • Maximum duration increased from 6 to 7 seconds
  • Ultimate cost increased by 10%

Overwatch 2 Co-op
Patch
Description

Ability-mccree4 Deadeye

  • Initial charge rate increased from 130 to 325 damage per second.
  • Ramped charge rate increased from 260 to 650 damager per second.
  • Now has a maximum damage cap of 1560 per target.

Overwatch 1
Patch
Description

Ability-mccree1 Peacekeeper

  • Reload time increased from 1.2 to 1.5 seconds

Ability-mccree2 Combat Roll

  • Distance reduced by 20%

Developer Comment: Much of Cassidy's recent success can be attributed to his increased maximum health and we think that aspect is working well to help solidify a close-to-mid-range role for him. We're reverting the Combat Roll distance and Peacekeeper reload times as they lead to longer distance Flashbang initiations and made the burst damage from 'Fan the Hammer' less of a costly investment.

  • Base health increased from 200 to 225

Ability-mccree1 Peacekeeper

  • Reload time reduced from 1.5 to 1.2 seconds

Ability-mccree2 Combat Roll

  • Distance increased 20%

Ability-mccree3 Flashbang

  • Stun duration increased from 0.7 to 0.8 seconds

Ability-mccree1 Peacekeeper

  • Primary Fire recovery increased from 0.42 to 0.50

Ability-mccree3 Flashbang

  • Stun duration lowered from 0.85 to 0.7 seconds

Ability-mccree4 Deadeye

  • Firing Deadeye no longer locks the playerā€™s aim

Ability-mccree1 Peacekeeper

  • Primary fire recovery reduced from 0.5 seconds to 0.42 seconds.

Ability-mccree1 Fan the Hammer

  • Damage reduced from 55 to 50

Ability-mccree4 Deadeye

  • Damage per second increased from 275 to 550 after locking onto targets for 1.5 seconds

Ability-mccree1 Fan the Hammer

  • Damage increased from 45 to 55

Ability-mccree2 Combat Roll

  • Cooldown reduced from 8 to 6 seconds

Ability-mccree1 Peacekeeper

  • Minimum damage at max range increased from 30% to 50%

Ability-mccree4 Deadeye

  • Range increased from 70 meters to 200 meters

Ability-mccree3 Flashbang

  • Stunned targets are now slowed heavily, meaning they're less likely to escape while stunned (especially while in the air)

Ability-mccree4 Deadeye

  • Targets now begin locking on after 0.2 seconds, instead of 0.8 seconds
  • Damage accumulated over the first 1.0 seconds increased from 20 to 80 (damage per second after the first 1.0 seconds is unchanged)

Ability-mccree4 Deadeye

  • Now drains over a .25-second period (instead of displaying a 50% reduction on the ultimate meter when activated and 0% when confirmed)

Ability-mccree1 Peacekeeper

  • Damage falloff range decreased by 10 meters
    • Damage falloff amount is unchanged

Ability-mccree1 Fan the Hammer

  • Rate of fire increased by 15%

Ability-mccree3 Flashbang

  • Recovery time (i.e. the amount of time before Cassidy can fire again) decreased from 0.5 seconds to 0.35 seconds

Ability-mccree1 Peacekeeper

  • Now maintains full damage at longer distances, but will deal less damage at extreme ranges

Ability-mccree1 Fan the Hammer

  • Recovery time (i.e. the amount of time before Cassidy starts reloading) decreased from 0.75 seconds to 0.3 seconds
  • Bullet damage decreased from 70 to 45

References

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  31. ā†‘ Recall
  32. ā†‘ 2019-11-07, BlizzCon 2019 Overwatch 2 Panel Transcript. Blizzplanet, accessed on 2020-04-10
  33. ā†‘ Tracer: Reflections
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  35. ā†‘ New Blood Issue 3
  36. ā†‘ New Blood Issue 4
  37. ā†‘ 37.0 37.1 New Blood Issue 5
  38. ā†‘ As You Are
  39. ā†‘ Overwatch 2, Resistance
  40. ā†‘ Overwatch 2, Liberation
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External links

Heroes in Overwatch 2
 
Icon-cassidy
Cassidy
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