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Zero Company overwatch explained

Overwatch sets a directional cone that fires when an enemy moves or acts inside it. Spending more Action Points can increase the number of reaction shots. Using Overwatch ends that Operator's turn, so it is a trade: you give up acting now in exchange for acting on the enemy's turn.

Confirmed
Confidence
Confirmed
Verified
4 August 2026
Version
pre-release (no retail build)

It is a cone, not a circle

Overwatch is directional. You choose where it points, which means it can be aimed at a chokepoint, a doorway, or the ground an enemy has to cross — and it can be aimed wrong.

This is what separates Overwatch here from a generic reaction shot: placement is a real decision, and a planner should treat 'has Overwatch' and 'has Overwatch pointed somewhere useful' as different things.

More AP, more shots

Investing more AP can increase the number of reaction shots the cone produces. Using Overwatch ends the Operator's turn regardless, so the question is not whether to spend the AP but how much of a turn the reaction is worth.

An Operator that moves and then goes on Overwatch has fewer points left to invest, which is the tension between repositioning and holding.

Displacement is what makes it reliable

The strongest confirmed use of Overwatch is combining it with displacement. Tel-Rea Vokoss' Force Push and Kabb Uppercut's Uppercut both move enemies, and an enemy pushed into a prepared cone triggers the reaction on your terms rather than waiting for the enemy AI to walk into it.

That combination is the basis of the Force Push and Overwatch squad build — it turns a passive, hope-they-move ability into something you can plan a turn around.

Confirmed

The rules as officially stated

  • Overwatch is a directional cone.
  • It triggers when enemies move or act.
  • More AP can increase the number of reaction shots.
  • Using Overwatch ends the Operator's turn.

Planning

What this means for squad building

  • Tag Operators that can hold a cone, and tag the abilities that can push enemies into one.
  • A squad built entirely on stationary Overwatch will struggle with timed objectives.
  • Overwatch competes with attacking for the same turn, so an Overwatch-heavy squad trades damage now for damage later.
  • Pair at least one displacement tool with any Overwatch plan.

What we don't know yet

The game has not been released. These are open questions we have chosen not to guess at.

  • The cone's angle and range.
  • The exact relationship between AP invested and number of reaction shots.
  • Whether reaction shots use the same accuracy rules as normal attacks.
  • Whether enemies can see and avoid the cone.

Related mechanics

Builds that depend on this mechanic

Sources