Cooldown trading:

Cooldown trading is the exchange of key abilities between teams or players, where one side uses a defensive or escape cooldown in response to an enemy ability and the other side commits a comparable resource in return. In Overwatch 2, it describes the timing of abilities such as stuns, cleanses, barriers, mobility skills, or defensive tools during a fight.

This concept matters because winning fights often depends on forcing the enemy to spend important abilities first, then pressing the advantage while those tools are unavailable. Good cooldown trading helps teams create openings, survive engages, and decide when to commit fully or disengage.

Related: Cooldown, Peel