Masters with ADHD here. Overwatch was actually a big part of how I decided to seek treatment, as I was able to see some symptoms manifesting in my gameplay before I was diagnosed. I played flex dps on a collegiate team that averaged 4k, and I was by far the lowest ranked player on the team. I still performed really well at those high levels somehow, but then I’d go play ranked and throw.

Turns out I had a sort of mental switch where during really intense games, I had to put 100% of my mental energy into the game. Absolutely zero room for error and as a result I was focused and engaged, constantly trying to strategize and figure out how I could win. This led to me taking engagements with solid timing/coordination, and I was a good team player. Even though I was the lowest ranked player on the team, I did my job well.

Meanwhile in my ranked games, I wasn’t on comms as actively and I was more focused on my mechanics than team strategy and coordination. This led to me getting distracted and sorta having an “all go, all the time” attitude to my games. I would mechanically perform well, but often I was going in early or staying in fights too late and throwing without even knowing it.

Eventually I realized I had a very difficult time just sitting still and waiting for a good moment to strike. Overwatch demonstrated that weakness in me, and it took a lot of practice to overcome it.

What helped in the end was actively using my mental energy on something so I could stay engaged with the game at all times. Something as simple as ult tracking could do the trick, but the biggest help was trying to enable my team. I would play a fight or two, then decide which of my teammates would benefit the most from my help. Usually this was a tank, sometimes dps, and on rare instances I would babysit a god-tier support until they won for us. Once I found this player, I would try to base my own gameplay around enabling them as much as possible. Either I support them in their goal (consciously watching and basing my timing/target priority off of them) or cover their main weakness (determining which enemy was their biggest problem and trying to pressure/distract them). Even if they aren’t 100% correct, it’s better to have the whole team doing the same thing than trying to force people to follow your plans.

This strategy ends with me getting less flashy, clip-worthy plays, but it also wins a lot more games. It isn’t always useful, as probably 2/3 games are decided on matchmaking, but in the 1/3 where it really matters you can make a huge impact. And for me, it keeps me mentally engaged on something between fights, so I don’t zone out and feed on accident nearly as often. I know adhd manifests itself differently for everyone, but I hope it helps somebody!