Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić has revealed he’s maintained his top 500 ranking in Overwatch 2, currently sitting at around 400th place in North America’s competitive ladder.
The achievement places the Slovenian guard in the top percentile of players in his region. Taking into consideration all the game’s regions, Dončić’s ranking places him among the best 1,500 Overwatch 2 players globally.
The Slovenian guard discussed his gaming habits during a recent interview, confirming he’s been playing Blizzard Entertainment’s team-based shooter for almost a decade. Despite limited playtime during the summer months spent ‘seaside, on the beach,’ Dončić expects to return to regular play when he returns in Los Angeles.
“I think I’ve been playing this game since 2017, something like that,” Dončić said in the interview. “So I played a lot of games to get there for sure.”
The NBA All-Star primarily excels in the tank role, where players are responsible for creating space and protecting teammates whilst absorbing enemy damage. Some of the heroes that he has been known to play include Roadhog, Hanzo, Zarya and Cassidy.
Overwatch 2 streamer ‘moxy’ posted footage in 2023 of Dončić competing in high-ranked lobbies under his in-game name ‘Donatello.’ In the match, Dončić played Zarya, a technically demanding tank. Moxy noted that the Los Angeles Lakers player was ‘actually not bad at Overwatch’ – understated praise for someone competing at such elite levels.
The NBA All-Star uses gaming to decompress after matches, particularly given his difficulty sleeping post-game.
“I really can’t sleep after games, so I just go play video games. So I just disconnect a little bit,” he explained.
Partnership with Overwatch 2
Dončić’s passion for the game has become a formal partnership with Overwatch 2. In-game integration has been implemented into Season 18, with players able to earn exclusive Dončić-related rewards and access custom Stadium builds inspired by the player himself.
“Many have seen how competitive I am on the basketball court, but you may not know that I’m just as competitive when I’m playing Overwatch,” Dončić stated about the partnership. “I love this game, and am excited about this partnership. It’s special to be in the game in a way that other players can be part of.”
