Strong Against
Weak Against
Strong Against
Weak Against
Build Code: 0DJT0
Hello everyone!
First of all, thank you all so much for the incredible support you've shown this build and guide — it became the second most liked build of all Season 16! When I first created it, I never imagined, even in my wildest dreams, that it would resonate with so many of you. So once again, thank you all 💚.
Season 17 Disclaimer: I've been struggling to find the right setup for Genji this season. With the introduction of new heroes, the change to the DPS passive, the adjustment to [Hidden Blade], and the nerf to [Ambusher Optics] — not to mention the current meta with Freja dominating — it’s been a rough start for Genji. That said, I think I’ve finally found a build that feels solid and comfortable. It might still go through some tweaks as I climb and experiment more, but for now, this is the setup I’m most confident in.
Now, Genji is an incredibly versatile hero. Unlike other characters in Stadium, there isn’t a single “best build” for him. Instead, multiple strong builds can suit different playstyles. I encourage you to experiment and find what feels most natural to you. This guide focuses on adapting the Melee Iaido build to various situations and team compositions — making it a strong and flexible strategy for climbing the ladder.
I don’t intend to make a full Genji guide for beginners, so I’ll assume you're already familiar with the basics of the character — how to engage and disengage properly, manage your cooldowns, etc.
Since space is limited here and I want to be as specific as possible, I’ve created a Notion page where you can find more detailed insights. These aren’t necessarily directly tied to the build but rather to Genji as a character. Currently, it includes a matchup list (soon to be updated with Sigma, Junkrat, and Zenyatta once they arrive next season). I’ll also be adding more content, such as how to handle enemy comps full of hard counters — which i just added to the page.
Now available on the Notion page:
âś… Matchup list for Genji in Stadium (Updated for Season 17)
âś… How to deal with a full 5-stack of counters
Finally, shoutout to t0nyb0i#0 for their build, where they break down the melee damage calculations in the build notes — super helpful for theorycrafting. You can check out their build here: https://stadiumbuilds.io/build/8b95595c-0d98-4f24-9bfa-ed3c6a833196
Rounds
Player Loadout
Powers
Optional Powers
Items
Optional Items
Stats Impact
Core
Stats
Round Notes
Round Notes
For the first round, let’s start by talking about Powers, since they largely determine my item choices.
[Hidden Blade] was adjusted this season — Its Quick Melee damage was reduced to 15 (down from 25), but its Melee Lifesteal was increased to 60% (up from 50%). At first, I wasn’t too happy with the change, but it slowly grew on me. Given the current meta and the buff to the DPS passive, the early rounds are rough for Genji due to the sheer amount of damage. However, the sustain from [Hidden Blade]'s lifesteal really helps smooth out those sharp edges. That’s why I now prefer starting with it over [Iaido Strike] in the first round—even though Iaido offers more raw damage.
The third Power worth considering is [Laceration]. I found it performing decently in testing with the buffs. However, its synergy with early-round items just isn’t quite there. Hidden Blade still has a better first-round item pool, even with the repeated nerfs to the price of [Gloomgauntlet] and [Ambusher Optics].
Since we’re running [Hidden Blade] as our Power, [Siphon Gloves] makes a strong pairing since we’ll be landing frequent melee hits.
When it comes to the other items, I personally find myself leaning more toward another defensive option over [Compensator] or [Power Playbook]. So how do you decide between [Armored Vest] and [First Aid Kit]?
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Armor is especially effective "...against attacks made up of multiple small instances of damage, like shotguns." and it also counters beam weapons effectively "...reducing beam-type weapons by 30%". - This means its good against [Zarya], [Junker Queen], [D.Va], [Mei], [Reaper] and [Moira].
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Shields, on the other hand, don’t reduce any particular type of damage, but they regenerate over time: “After not taking damage for 3 seconds, shields start regenerating at 30 shields per second.” This is good in matches where you’re able to disengage briefly and reset between fights.
If you end up choosing [Laceration] instead of [Hidden Blade], then [Frenzy Amplifier] becomes a great item to consider.
Comments
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Log InI mean yeah of course, thats the case of many blue items like you mentioned. I thought thats obvious, should i write it in the guide? Thanks @DragonBlood
@Piccoli Yes, you should totally mention it. As it stands it looks like you're recommending it as a Round 2 item, when it's a pretty ineffective use of money.
Done, my bad there. Thanks for pointing it out @DragonBlood
last i checked closer doesnt work with ambusher optics, is it fixed now?
Just checked again just in case and is not bugged but is not doing a full 10% but more around 9. something % @Guest_0a17451a
@Piccoli but that's just from the weapon power it gives.
"Blade — and by extension [Iaido Strike] — scales better with Ability Power" --- i actually don't understand this point: every Weapon Power % has labeled (Dragon blade) below, and every Ability Power has (Swisft Strike) only. And in late game you suggest The Closer and Eye of the Spider, both with ton of weapon damage
Hey! @Arioch For some reason — maybe they just forgot(?) — the tooltip doesn’t mention that Blade actually scales with both AP and AD (you can confirm this in the practice range). Now that you’ve pointed it out, I realize my wording was a bit off: it’s not that AP scales better, but rather that you get more AP for less gold.
How does armor counter this playstyle? I don't see how codebreaker is worth it. Edit: I see you have updated the build so this doesn't apply anymore. Cool!
Yeah! Mb i miscalculated. I just tried when i saw it in other builds and it felt good but it could have been placebo. In any case thanks to pointing it out!
Any tips on how to go up against meis snowball power?
Hey! I’m not sure if you’re referring to the Snowball power (where her secondary fire slows your movement speed by 30%) or Coulder, the one where she turns into a snowball during Cryo-Freeze. I’ll assume you're talking about the latter.
I know she can be really annoying, but just like with regular Mei, she should almost never be your main target. Most of the time, it’s better to avoid her, ignore her until you absolutely have to deal with her, and focus on higher-value targets.
If she’s constantly on top of you, try to use that to your advantage — move around areas she struggles to follow you into. And if you manage to pull her attention (and maybe even a support) away from the fight, that’s actually a win. You might not get a kill, but you’re turning it into a 4v3 for your team, which is much easier for them to capitalize on.
I just won a game with Genji, and I've literally only played him three times since I started playing Overwatch many years ago. I looked like a PRO PLAYER with this build.
Incredible work, and thank you so much for all the details and explanations.
Thank you so much for your comment! I really apreciate it since this took quite some work so it makes me super happy to see its helping other people ❤
Do NOT use Custom Stock in the first rounds, it's more expensive than getting the equivalent 2 greens. Just use it if you don't have the slots. Same thing with Energized Bracers or Technoleech: they're there to save space, cost-wise they're worse than getting 2 green items that add the same stats.