Overwatch 2 Best Characters: Tank, DPS, & Support [2024]

About The Author

With 70+ hours invested in Overwatch 2 (His Battlenet Tag is Panther #31676, Reeshail Qureshi is well-versed in the game, and you can trust the information he provides about it.

Overwatch 2 features three character classes: Tank, DPS, and Support. Each team can have up to 1 Tank, 2 DPS, and 2 Supports. I will cover the Overwatch 2 best characters from each category, their Weapons, Abilities, and stats.

Key Takeaways

Overwatch 2 has three classes: Tanks, Damages, and Supports.
The top Tanks in Overwatch 2 are D.Va, Winston, and Zarya.
Genji, Soldier 76, and Tracer are the top three damage-dealing (DPS) characters in Overwatch 2.
Overwatch 2’s top three Support characters are Kiriko, Lucio, and Ana.

Table of Contents

Overwatch 2 Best Characters Summary

Here is a comparison table of my best Characters in Overwatch 2. Each stat can be sorted to view the highest and lowest values, which has been done for your convenience:

No	Names	Weapon	Effect type	Damage	Fire rate	Ammo	Reload time
1	D.Va	Fusion Cannons	Shotgun (Hitscan)	0.6-2	6.667 shots per second	∞
1	D.Va	Light gun	Projectile	14	7 rounds per second	20	1.4 second
2	Winston	Tesla Cannon	Beam (Multi-target)	60 per second		100	1.7 seconds animation
2	Winston	Tesla Cannon	Beam	15-50	1.2 seconds for full charge
3	Zarya	Particle Cannon	Beam	85 per second at(0%) 170 per second at (100%)	20 rounds per second	100	1.5 seconds animation
3	Zarya	Particle Cannon Alt fire	Arcing projectile Area of effect	Enemy: 9.4-47 (at 0%) Enemy: 19-95 (at 100%) Self: 4.7-23.5 (at 0%) Self: 4.7-23.5 (at 0%) Self: 9.5-47.5 (at 100%)	1-second recovery 0.5 seconds recovery for primary	100	1.5 seconds animation
5	Genji	Shuriken	Projectile	27	3 shurikens per 0.88 seconds	24	1.5 seconds animation
		Shuriken Alt fire	Projectile	27	3 shurikens per 0.68 seconds	24	1.5 seconds animation
		Dragon Blade	Melee	110	1 swing per 0.9 seconds	-
6	Soldier-76	Heavy Pulse Rifle	Hitscan	5.4-18	9 rounds per second ~0.22 seconds recovery for the shoot if stops	30
7	Tracer	Pulse Pistols	Hitscan	1.5-5.5 per bullet 3-11 per shot	20 shots per second	40	1-second animation
10	Kiriko	Healing Ofuda	Projectile		~0.2 seconds per burst#1-second ammo recovery Full clip every ~1.8 seconds	10
10	Kiriko	Kunai	Projectile	40 - 120 (Body/Headshot)	1 shot per .55 seconds	15	1 second
11	Lúcio	Sonic Amplifier		20	1 burst per 0.93 seconds recovery stops while using melee	20	1.5 seconds Animation
12	Ana	Biotic Rifle	Projectile (unscoped) Hitscan (scoped)	75 over 0.58 seconds	0.8 seconds recovery Recovery stops while using melee Recovery stops while zooming in/out	15	1.5 seconds animation

Best Tank Characters

Here are the best tank characters and their Abilities:

Genji

Hero	Genji	Genji	Genji
Weapon	Shuriken	Shuriken Alt fire	Dragon Blade
Effect type	Projectile	Projectile	Melee
Damage	27	27	110
Headshot	✓	✓	✕
Proj. speed	60 meters per second	60 meters per second
Range	15 meters
Radius	0.1meter shuriken Radius	0.1meter shuriken Radius
Fire rate	3 shurikens per 0.88 seconds	3 shurikens per 0.68 seconds	1 swing per 0.9 seconds
Ammo	24	24	-
Reload time	1.5 seconds animation	1.5 seconds animation

Genji is the all-time favorite ninja that everyone wants to play from Overwatch 1. With the launch of Overwatch 2, his resurgence was inevitable, and now that the game is more damage-oriented, Genji is shining in the meta. His kit has very high mobility, allowing him to maneuver around his foes, and even more excellent reflexes to dodge and reflect attacks. All this will enable him to dish out damage as well, and then the demise of his opponents is very effortless.

Weapons

Shuriken: His Shuriken is his Primary attack and can be used in two ways. The first way is the Accurate Burst Throw, in which he throws 3 Shuriken in succession and does 29 damage per Shuriken. The second way is by throwing the Shuriken in an arc. This also has the same amount of damage, and the speed of each Shuriken is 60m/s.
Dragon Blade: Genji’s Ultimate. Genji unsheathes his Katana and goes ham on the enemy, only performing melee attacks and dealing 110 Damage. However, the attacks last only 6 seconds.

Abilities

Deflect: Deflects any incoming projectiles or Melee attacks from the direction that he is facing. Cooldown: 8 seconds.
Swift Strike: Genji dashes forward to wherever he is facing and inflicts 50 damage on foes. If Genji manages to kill the enemy, the cooldown on Swift Strike is reset. Cooldown: 8 seconds
Cyber Agility: Genji can climb walls and double jump.

Soldier 76

Hero	Soldier-76
Weapon	Heavy Pulse Rifle
Effect type	Hitscan
Damage	5.4-18
Damage falloff range	30-50 meters
Headshot	✓
Fire rate	9 rounds per second ~0.22 seconds recovery for the shoot if stops
Ammo	30
Reload time	1.5 seconds animation

Soldier 76, also known as the Tutorial champ, is usually not preferred by players because of his basic looks and straightforward mechanics. He is easy to grasp and not complex, perfect for beginners. His simplicity makes him stand out, and the diversity in his kit keeps him in the current meta. He has everything to offer, from reasonable damage to healing and an infinite dash with an easy-to-execute ultimate.

Weapons

Heavy Pulse Rifle: An Automatic Assault Rifle with a fire rate of 10 Bullets/Second and a damage of 18. Magazine capacity: 30.
Tactical Visor: Soldier 76’s Ultimate. It lets all your shots connect with the enemy and give a guaranteed hit. It aims your Rifle at the target, and you shoot. It lasts 6 seconds.

Abilities

Sprint: Basic sprinting ability. No cooldown.
Biotic Field: Creates a healing field that heals you and your allies for 35 health/second. The maximum health you can gain is 175. The cooldown is 15 seconds, and the field is deployed for 5 seconds.
Helix Rockets: Launches rockets that explode on impact and have an AOE effect, dealing 120 damage in an area of 3 meters.

Tracer

Hero	Tracer
Weapon	Pulse Pistols
Effect type	Hitscan
Damage	1.5-5.5 per bullet 3-11 per shot
Damage falloff range	13-20 meters
Headshot	✓
Fire rate	20 shots per second
Ammo	40
Reload time	1-second animation

If you’ve played Overwatch 1 before, you probably have heard about Tracer. She is the face of DPS characters in Overwatch, and in the latest installment, it’s no different. Being the face of the game, you would consider her the most played, but don’t be misled. She is a complicated character to master properly and requires masterful execution. She has a very burst-based damaging kit that can be utilized to annihilate the enemy team’s squishies.

Weapons

Pulse Pistol: Basic pistols with a high fire rate of 20 shots/second and a short range.
Pulse Bomb: Tracer’s Ultimate. It’s a sticky bomb that can stick to platforms and enemies. If you stick it onto an enemy, the bomb explodes, dealing damage. If you are in the blast radius, you’ll also get damaged.

Abilities

Blink: She can teleport an average of 7 meters in the direction she is moving. You get two charges to utilize, which consistently refresh.
Recall: Tracer goes back in time to where she had her last given health and ammo. She can return almost 3 seconds in the path and return to the given position.

Best Support Characters

The three best Support characters have been mentioned below:

Kiriko

Kirko Abilities. — Kiriko allows for a diverse Support playstyle. (Image captured by me: Abubakar Minhas)

Hero	Kiriko	Kiriko
Weapon	Healing Ofuda	Kunai
Effect type	Projectile	Projectile
Damage		40 - 120 (Body/Headshot)
Damage falloff range	15-35 meters
Headshot		✓ (3x multiplier)
Healing	13 per talisman, 26 per burst
Proj. speed	20 meters per second (homing) 14 meters per second (non-homing)	90 meters per second
Range	35 meters (lock on)
Radius	0.15-meter beam width
Fire rate	~0.2 seconds per burst 1-second ammo recovery Full clip every ~1.8 seconds	1 shot per .55 seconds
Ammo	10	15
Reload time		1 second

Kiriko is a support but capable of so much more as a Character. She has healing abilities to help sustain her team, but her damage output and mobility are where she shines. Not to mention her temporary invulnerability that allows her team to make plays. Overall, Kiriko has the potential to be the most diverse character in terms of playstyle.

Weapons

Healing of Uda: It transmits bursts of healing talismans that can look for your allies and heal them. It has 2 phases: one in which the talismans actively seek out the allies and go to them, and the other is the stationary phase, where the talismans are just passively at one spot. This also has around ten rounds for the weapon.
Kunai: These are projectiles that, when thrown at the enemy, deal a critical amount of damage, even above 110 when hit in the face.
Kitsune Rush: Kirikos’ Ultimate. Once she activates this ability, she summons a fox spirit that grants herself and her team significant benefits, including boosted movement speed, attack speed, and reduced cooldown. Allies must be in the path of the spirit.

Abilities

Swift Step: Kiriko can teleport 30-35 meters. Cooldown: 7 seconds.
Protection Suzu: Kiriko removes status debuffs for herself and her allies while also becoming invulnerable to damage.
Wall Climb: She can jump on walls and climb them.

Lucio

Hero	Lúcio
Weapon	Sonic Amplifier
Damage	20
Headshot	✓
Proj. speed	50m/s
Fire rate	1 burst per 0.93 seconds recovery stops while using melee
Ammo	20
Reload time	1.5 seconds Animation

Lucio is delightful and one of the best characters because he can do almost everything considered fun. Lucio has an elementary kit and can passively do much for his team by giving them buffs. However, the fun part of Lucio is his maneuverability around the map. Positioning-wise, he is very beneficial because of his speed boost, and he also has one of the highest win rates as a supporting character in Overwatch 2.

Weapons

Sonic Amplifier: This weapon deals relatively lower damage. You can still do 75-80 damage if you hit four consecutive shots. Magazine capacity: 20.
Sound Barrier: Lucio’s Ultimate. After Lucio activates this ability, all the allies in a 30-meter radius get another health bar in the form of shields. The shields last 7 seconds or until they are destroyed entirely.

Abilities

Crossfade: Lucio grants his allies within a radius a heal of 16/second. If they leave the radius, the healing will continue for a second. Lucio also gives his allies 25% extra movement speed.
Amp It Up: Crossfade’s effects are boosted for 3 seconds. The movement speed boost is increased to 60% and the healing to 52/second. Cooldown: 12 seconds.
Soundwave: A giant shockwave knocks enemies off the map.
Wall Ride: Lucio can attach to and run along walls and jump from one wall to another.

Ana

Ana Support character. — Ana is a Support plus DPS character. (Image captured by me: Abubakar Minhas)

Hero	Ana
Weapon	Biotic Rifle
Effect type	Projectile (unscoped) Hitscan (scoped)
Damage	75 over 0.58 seconds
Damage falloff range	15-35 meters
Headshot	x
Healing	75 over 0.58 seconds
Proj. speed	125 meters per second (unscoped)
Radius	0.3 meters radius (allies) As hitscan shoot (vs wall, shield or enemy)
Fire rate	0.8 seconds recovery Recovery stops while using melee Recovery stops while zooming in/out
Ammo	15
Reload time	1.5 seconds animation

As a support, Ana is a crucial character to keep players alive in your team. Her healing is beneficial, and her offense with the darts can be even more helpful. The good thing about Ana is that her healing buff from the Biotic Grenade doesn’t only get affected by her Darts alone, but also all other external factors for healing are boosted.

Weapons

Biotic Rifle: Ana’s primary weapon that deals a significant amount of damage to enemies and, when pointed at an ally, heals them with a lingering effect. Right-clicking opens the sight for this weapon. Biotic Rifle can hold up to 15 bullets.
Nano Boost: Ana’s Ultimate. Boosts an ally’s damage resistance by 50%, damage output by 50%, and HP by 250.

Abilities

Sleep Dart: A sharp dart that puts enemies to sleep. The effect lasts 5 seconds if the enemy takes no hits. Hitting the enemy ends the sleep state in just 0.5 seconds.
Biotic Grenade: A grenade you can throw on the allies to heal them and boost their healing effects. Enemies take damage from the grenade and also get a debuff of getting less healing.

My Thoughts

Overwatch 2 features a diverse roster of characters, ranging from Tanks and DPS heroes to Supports. I highly suggest experimenting with the different character classes and figuring out which playstyle is perfect for you. Take my list above with a grain of salt since other characters will work in different scenarios. But the ones I’ve listed are the most popular and resourceful in the current meta.

Up Next:

D.Va

D.Va Abilities. — D.Va is a versatile and powerful Tank. (Image captured by me: Abubakar Minhas)

Hero	D.Va	D.Va
Weapon	Fusion Cannons	Light gun
Effect type	Shotgun (Hitscan)	Projectile
Damage	0.6-2	14
Damage falloff range	10.20m
Headshot	✓	✓
Healing
Proj. speed		50 meters per second
Range
Radius
Fire rate	6.667 shots per second	7 rounds per second
Ammo	∞	20
Reload time		1.4 second

I start with one of the most iconic Overwatch Champions, D.Va, also called the Mech because she sits in a giant mech. With a well-rounded kit and her playstyle, she is arguably one of the best tanks in the game. She is also a tank and super mobile, which helps her utilize her kit to bring down squirmy damage and support characters in the enemy’s backlines.

Weapons

Fusion Cannons: A shotgun-based weapon with mediocre damage and a shorter range. The damage falloff is 15m with a large spread.
Light Gun: A projectile-based weapon with excellent damage. It deals 14 damage with a fire rate of 7 shots/second. The reload speeds are also minimal, around 1.4 seconds, giving you 20 ammo.
Self-Destruct: D.Va’s Ultimate. It deals 95-1000 damage with an effective radius of 20 meters. It takes 3 seconds to be cast fully and can be dodged by enemies who see it coming.
Call Mech: D.Va exits her previous Mech, Overloads it, and makes it explode. She can use Self-Destruct to get another mech.

Abilities

Boosters: Basic dash. She can dash into the air as well.
Defense Matrix: Counters a large number of attacks and abilities. This ability lasts a maximum of 3 seconds and a minimum of half a second, with an extremely low cooldown to cast.
Micro Missiles: Shoots small missiles with an AoE damage radius of 1.5 meters.
Eject: D.Va ejects her Mech.
Passive: D.Va takes less knockback.

Winston

Hero	Winston	Winston
Weapon	Tesla Cannon	Tesla Cannon Alt fire
Effect type	Beam (Multi-target)	Beam
Damage	60 per second	15-50
Damage falloff range	10.20m
Headshot	✕	✕
Range	8 meters	30 meters
Radius	6-meter width
Fire rate		1.2 seconds for full charge
Ammo	100
Reload time	1.7 seconds animation

Secondly, we have the OG Tank, Winston. As a tank, he primarily has to act as frontline and defend his team, but his kit allows him to do much more. He has more burst damage potential and can finish enemies in a flash. His charge attack also serves as a play setter because it allows him to do many things and opens up play possibilities. Winston is more of a heads-on character whose primary approach is to get into the enemy’s face and do what Tanks essentially do.

Weapons

Tesla Cannon: Left-clicking will fire a cone-shaped attack that does mediocre damage. Hold right-click to charge the Tesla Cannon. Release it to deal burst damage.
Primal Rage: Winston’s Ultimate. He gains 850 Health, 150 Armor Points, and 30% movement speed. Along with all these buffs, he goes into all Melee-type attacks and does 40 Damage on every hit. It also has a relatively low cast time of only 0.5 seconds.

Abilities

Jump Pack: Winston jumps a great distance and deals damage upon landing.
Barrier Projection: It gives Winston a shield/barrier against the enemy’s damage and allows him to soak up a good amount of hits. This shield/barrier has a health of 700 and lasts 8 seconds when active. This barrier has a radius of 5 meters around Winston and has a short cast time of 0.1 seconds.

Zarya

Hero	Zarya	Zarya
Weapon	Particle Cannon	Particle Cannon Alt fire
Effect type	Beam	Arcing projectile Area of effect
Damage	85 per second at(0%) 170 per second at (100%)	Enemy:9.4-47 (at 0%) Enemy: 19-95 (at 100%) Self: 4.7-23.5 (at 0%) Self: 9.5-47.5 (at 100%)
Damage falloff range
Headshot	✕	✕
Proj. speed		25 meters per second
Range	15 meters
Radius	0.15-meter beam width	2.5-meter radius (explosion) 0.2-meter radius (projectile)
Fire rate	20 rounds per second	1-second recovery 0.5 seconds recovery for primary
Ammo	100	100
Reload time	1.5 seconds animation	1.5 seconds animation

Zarya is a tank that most people have mixed feelings about, but she objectively shines as a great character option. As a Tank, she has some of the best Damage output with her Bubbles and Cannon. If you properly play her and utilize her abilities, she can even dish out more damage than some DPS characters. She is a solid pick against a heavy attack-focused enemy team and can potentially turn the game around for your team.

Weapons

Particle Cannon: Zarya’s primary weapon. It has two attack types. The first one is a beam attack that deals 75 to 170 damage/second, depending on how charged the gun is. The secondary attack is a grenade launcher for Energy (Passive). It has a range drop-off and also provides Zarya with movement speed.
Gravitation Surge: Zarya’s Ultimate. You can throw a gravity surge grenade to deal five damage/second in an area (stackable up to 17.5 damage). Lasts 3.5 seconds.

Abilities

Particle Barrier: She gets a personal barrier of 200 health and a 1.5-meter radius around her that prevents her from taking any damage. It helps increase Zarya’s Energy (Passive), which allows her to output damage.
Projected Barrier: Zarya creates a shield around an ally with 200 health, lasting 2.5 seconds.
Energy: Zarya’s Passive. Energy is converted from the foe’s damage and translated into the damage output from the Particle Cannon. Energy use in the Particle cannon will lower by a 2.2% rate.