Best Overwatch 2 Heroes: Tier list for Tank, Support & DPS

Joseph Pascoulis
Mythic Moira skin in Overwatch 2 Season 9

Overwatch 2 Season 9 has been huge for the game as it introduced self-healing, a rework for Pharah, and a lot more. To help you climb the ranks, here’s an Overwatch 2 tier list revealing the best Tank, DPS, and Support characters.

Overwatch 2 is easily one of the most competitive FPS games out there that compels you to work with your teammates and fulfill a wide range of responsibilities based on your role. It features 39 characters divided into Tanks, Supports, and DPS.

Selecting the right Hero is as important as it gets in Overwatch 2 because their characteristics like abilities, damage mitigation, damage range, damage type, HP, and healing technique can drastically change the course of the match. On top of that, the meta changes frequently with Seasons that introduce new characters or balance changes.

On that note, let’s take a look at the best Overwatch 2 characters in this tier list for all Tanks, Supports, and DPS.

Overwatch 2 showdown between Moira, Pharah, Lucio, Soujourn, Winston, Zenyatta, JunkerQueen, Hanzo and Echo.
Keep in mind to pick the hero that works best with your team’s strategy.

Best Overwatch 2 characters

In the tier list below, you’ll find all Overwatch 2 characters placed in tiers ranging from S to D. The characters placed in the S tier are the strongest while the ones in the D tier are the weakest:

TierOverwatch 2 characters
SZarya, Orisa, Sojourn, Kiriko, Ana, Bastion
ASigma, D.VA, Reinhardt, Ramattra, Pharah, Genji, Hanzo, Soldier 76, Reaper, Echo, Sombra, Ashe, Brigette, Mercy, Baptiste, Lucio
BWinston, Doomfist, Roadhog, Mauga, Tracer, Cassidy, Symmetra, Torbjorn, Illari, Zenyatta, Moira
CJunker Queen, Junkrat, Lifeweaver
DWrecking Ball, Widowmaker

As Overwatch is all about team play and composition, it’s important to break down the best characters in Overwatch 2 into three classes: Tank, DPS, and Support. It’s also wise to remember that this list isn’t gospel and most characters are strong if used correctly, especially if you are picking based on countering who the enemy team picks.

Here are all of the best Tank, DPS, and Support heroes in Overwatch 2 ranked.

Best Tanks in OW2

In the tier list below, you’ll find all Overwatch 2 Tanks placed in tiers ranging from S to D. The characters placed in the S tier are the strongest while the ones in the D tier are the weakest:

TierOverwatch 2 Tanks
SZarya, Orisa
ASigma, D.VA, Reinhardt, Ramattra
BWinston, Doomfist, Roadhog, Mauga
CJunker Queen
DWrecking Ball

Zarya

Zarya in Overwatch 2

Zarya has become a top-tier Tank in Overwatch 2 Season 9 thanks to the health buff and the increase in her Primary fire beam width. If you’re able to master her shield activation ability, you’ll basically have a Tank who can endlessly push the opponent’s frontline and deal reckless damage.

Zarya’s only downside is her range and you can compensate for the same by having hit-scan damage dealers in the team to take out long-range opponents.

Orisa

Orisa in Overwatch 2

Orissa is the best Tank for beginners in Overwatch 2. Her straightforward playstyle includes dodging projectiles and using the damage and health boost from abilities while pushing. This character can easily push the enemy team back and at higher ranks, you can make the most of her Javelin to neutralize opponent abilities.

Orisa is easy to understand and has a massive skill ceiling, implying that you can use this tank at most ranks without worrying about the meta. In Season 9, she’s only received a health buff and better handling of the Energy Javelin but it is still impossible to not include her in the S tier.

D.VA

DVA in Overwatch 2

D.VA is another beginner-friendly tank in Overwatch 2 that is easy to learn but can become outright broken if you master the playstyle. Like Orisa, she can block projectiles but there’s no limit and she’s received major buffs in Season 9. 

D.VA’s Ultimate was already a game-changer if used correctly, and in Season 9, it’ll deal more damage as well as have a bigger inner explosion radius. 

It is important to note that the likes of Winston and Doomfist are amazing in certain situations and team compositions but cannot be placed in higher tiers for the same reason. The polarizing and inconsistent gameplay can be a bummer for many, so our top picks include more versatile characters.

Best DPS characters in OW2

In the tier list below, you’ll find all Overwatch 2 DPS characters placed in tiers ranging from S to D. The characters placed in the S tier are the strongest while the ones in the D tier are the weakest:

TierOverwatch 2 DPS characters
SMei, Sojourn, Bastion
APharah, Genji, Hanzo, Soldier 76, Reaper, Echo, Sombra, Ashe
B Tracer, Cassidy, Symmetra, Torbjorn
CJunkrat
DWidowmaker

Mei

Mei in Overwatch 2

Mei’s ability to instantly stop a push with her wall and freeze opponents makes her a brilliant counter to most tanks in Overwatch 2. In a 1v1 fight, it is hard to walk away alive when facing a skilled Mei.

Close-range damage is never an issue with this Hero, and her Icicles take care of long-range encounters as well. The true game-changer in her kit though, is the Ultimate called Blizzard, which slows down and damages enemies in a massive AoE, and anyone that stays in for too long is frozen completely. 

When paired with a solid set of tanks and supports, Mei can be a nightmare to deal with in Overwatch 2 as most of the time, you’ll be struggling with mobility and positioning.

Sojourn 

Sojourn in Overwatch 2
Sojourn was the first character released in Overwatch 2.

Soujourn is a simple hit-scan damage dealer like Solider: 76 who can easily carry you to the highest ranks in Overwatch 2 if you learn placement and have great aim. To get out of sticky situations, Sojourn can quickly slide and jump high in the air and her Ultimate ability where she shoots Fire base projectiles without a cooldown is truly devastating in the right hands. 

Don’t sleep on the Disruptor Shot ability either, as it can be lethal if used correctly. From blocking enemy paths to taking out turrets to finishing off enemies hiding in corners, it has many uses in all stages of the game.

Bastion

Bastion in Overwatch 2

It’s hard to compete with Bastion in Overwatch 2 if we’re talking about DPS characters that can have a major impact on a match’s outcome. This Hero’s damage potential is incredible and you can instantly shred opponents in his turret form. 

In games where you’re pushing the payload, Bastion’s Ultimate can easily hand you multiple kills and with self-healing in Season 9, you can be way more confident playing it.

Pharah

Pharah in Overwatch 2

With self-healing in Overwatch 2 Season 9, you won’t be too reliant on a pocket Mercy to excel as Pharah. The rework this season focuses on improving her horizontal movement and her base health has increased as well like other characters. 

Pharah has always had massive damage potential but it was hindered due to dependence on healers. This time around, you can focus on avoiding hit-scan Heroes for a few seconds, rejuvenate your health, and bounce back.

Most of the DPS characters are pretty viable in Overwatch 2, especially as some characters are better on certain game modes and maps than others. As a result, feel free to use Genji, Hanzo, Solider: 76, Echo, Sombra, and Tracer if they suit your playstyle.

Best Supports in OW2

In the tier list below, you’ll find all Overwatch 2 Supports placed in tiers ranging from S to D. The characters placed in the S tier are the strongest while the ones in the D tier are the weakest:

TierOverwatch 2 Supports
SKiriko, Ana
ABrigette, Mercy, Baptiste, Lucio
B Illari, Zenyatta, Moira
CLifeweaver
D

Kiriko 

Kiriko in Overwatch 2
Kiriko is a new character that wasn’t available in Overwatch.

Be it mobility, healing, or damage, Kiriko has everything you’d want from a Support in Overwatch 2. Her healing potential is off the charts and her Ultimate is ideal for pushing because you won’t be affected by negative effects and damage such as Ana’s Sleep Darts, Sombra’s Hacks, Tracer and Echo’s bombs, and a lot more annoying abilities. 

Thanks to teleporting, Kiriko is also hard to track down and kill. She can conveniently operate from the back line without risking a lot, making her perfect for most scenarios.

Ana

Ana in Overwatch 2

From the Biotic Grenade that stops opponents from healing or the Sleep Dart that can neutralize Ultimates, Ana is loaded with some of the best Support abilities in Overwatch 2. 

She can snipe from long ranges making it very hard for Tanks and DPS heroes to tackle her directly. At the same time, she can continuously provide heals to the entire team and significantly boost an aggressive push through her Ultimate that increases an ally’s damage and defense. 

Baptiste

Baptiste in Overwatch 2

Baptiste is another Support in Overwatch 2 that rewards players with skills. His burst gun is hard to master but its damage output is brilliant once you figure out the recoil. 

In terms of healing, Baptiste is second to none as his Regenerative Burst grants all nearby allies heals over time and the Immortality Field can literally make the entire team invincible for 25 seconds. Of course, all allies must be in the shield to utilize this. 

Baptiste also boasts a brilliant Ultimate that can be used to double the damage and healing of allies. There are many scenarios to use this ability and you also get it back quickly so don’t refrain from using it selfishly against single opponents.


That’s all for our list of the best Overwatch 2 characters to use in Season 9. Make sure to check out our Overwatch 2 guides:

Best Overwatch 2 PC settings: How to boost FPS & optimize graphics | Does Overwatch 2 have cross-progression crossplay? Is Overwatch 2 crossplay? | How to play Overwatch 2 on Steam Deck | Best Overwatch 2 Heroes | Best Overwatch 2 PC settings: High FPS, graphics & visibility | How to get Golden Guns in Overwatch 2 | How to change crosshair in Overwatch 2

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About The Author

After graduating from the University of Southampton, Joseph joined CharlieIntel as a Games Writer after a short stint of freelance journalism. He enjoys most genres of games and will play anything that sparks his interest, but his expertise lies within the FPS category. If Joey isn't writing about games, then he's most likely playing them. You can contact Joseph at [email protected]