by theygamesWant to know who the best Overwatch 2 tank heroes are? There’s a lot to consider when it comes to picking the best tank hero, especially since the PvP format made the switch from 6v6 to 5v5. Tanks now occupy just one spot on a team and they’re arguably the most influential member. Players no longer have an off-tank to cover mistakes or pair abilities with, and as the FPS game shifts to a more messy, dive-based meta, picking the right tank hero is a major decision.
We’ve gone through all ten Overwatch 2 tank heroes and ranked them from best to worst. Though all tank characters are reasonable picks with the right surrounding team comp, our selection makes it easy to pick up a strong hero that can hold their own no matter what situation they’re in, which is important if you solo queue a lot.
We also have guides to the best Overwatch 2 DPS heroes and the best support heroes, if you’re happy to queue for any role in multiplayer. Finally, it’s worth noting that with the exception of perhaps Doomfist, all of the tank characters in Overwatch 2 are genuinely viable, so try them all out and experiment against different comps to find your favourites.
The best Overwatch 2 tank heroes are:
- D.Va
- Zarya
- Orisa
- Winston
- Sigma
- Wrecking Ball
- Reinhardt
- Junker Queen
- Roadhog
- Doomfist
D.Va
What’s more cataclysmic than a tank hero that can dive into enemy territory and cause devastation? D.Va can do just that, and with one of the highest skill ceilings in the game, investing time into playing D.Va should pay dividends in the future. Her main guns and rocket salvos deal tons of damage and she’s super mobile which comes in clutch if you need to race to an objective.
D.Va doesn’t offer much defence for the rest of the team, but her Defence Matrix ability is stronger than ever before making it easy to stay alive. There’s also her devastating ultimate, Self-Destruct, which sees D.Va eject from her exploding mech. When timed correctly, this ultimate has the potential to wipe out entire teams and you’ll regularly see it as the play of the game.
Zarya
Zarya’s abilities have been altered in Overwatch 2 to make this tank hero stronger than ever. One of the most significant changes sees Zarya’s shields start their cooldown on use rather than when the bubble bursts. This has a huge impact in-game as she can protect herself and her teammates more often during pivotal moments.
In addition to this, Zarya has improved stats on health and shields, and her kit has been given more range. The other big change to Zarya’s shields is that her bubbles have been split into charges. Now, she has two charges that she can use as she pleases. So, whether you want two charges for Zarya, two for one teammate, or multiple teammates, she’s got the choice to deploy them at any given time.
Orisa
Orisa ticks a lot of boxes when it comes to providing the defensive play that teams are going to need now they can only rely on one tank. She’s got a kit full of goodies such as Fortify which temporarily reduces incoming damage, her powerful Javelin Spin which can destroy projectiles and push enemies, and the ability to throw an Energy Javelin which briefly stuns opponents.
But Orisa’s main strength is that she’s outrageously difficult to actually kill and capable of constantly dealing damage. Her combined health and armour, her ability to dash away from danger or mitigate huge stacks of damage, and her stun-capable javelin ensure she’s always got an option to stay in the fight. The downside is that she’s not exactly mobile, but it’s a relatively small disadvantage.
Sigma
Sigma’s strengths vary depending on the map choice, but even at his worst, this tank is capable of protecting his team with large, durable shields and inflicting rapid damage. Small maps with tight corridors play to Sigma’s abilities, forcing the opposing team to deal with his lethal attacks. He’s also capable of holding down sections on each map, but only if you play with patience. Sporting an improved health total and versatile attacks, Sigma can be effective as a damage dealer in the right hands.
Winston
As dive meta is in vogue for Overwatch 2, Winston is definitely worth picking. His new alt-fire lends him some long-range poke potential and can be combined with his dive landing to deliver a near-lethal one-two punch. He’s a little squishy without his shield, so use it sparingly if you want to stay in the fight. Winston is most effective when the enemy team is running a lot of long-range DPS heroes or pocket healers – he can dive in, disrupt the backline, and draw enough attention for the rest of his team to make up the ground.
Junker Queen
The Season 1 changes haven’t been kind to Junker Queen. She’s great for brawls, big engagement moments, and for, well, tanking damage, but you’ll need to be a lot more careful with how you deploy her abilities post-nerf. Still, she can be very useful if you’re solo queuing as she’s one of the only tanks that can effectively keep herself alive while pumping out big damage numbers. Her Ult is a little underwhelming compared to those of other tanks, however, if you use it very craftily and have the full support of your team you can get a team kill.
Wrecking Ball
If you can master the grapple hook movement then you can cause some serious havoc across the enemy’s backline, but it’s a massive learning curve. Wrecking Ball’s other strengths lie in soaking up and spitting out damage – the armoured shell makes him a seriously hard nut to crack, and quad cannons can punish enemies at all ranges. He also has a very powerful knockback ability in the form of his ground slam, which can throw a group of enemies into disarray.
Reinhardt
Big damage and big shields can still carry you a long way in Overwatch 2, especially on congested maps and push-style game modes. Reinhardt pairs really well with Lucio, who can buff movement speed, but also Kiriko, whose Protection Suzu can provide a salve if you get stunned, slowed, wounded, or slept.
Still, it seems that in most situations Reinhardt’s slow movement means he’s susceptible to dive attacks from enemies. And as your teammates are probably also fast-moving and agile, it’s unlikely that you can really shield from much damage with your massive barrier.
Roadhog
A true tank, Roadhog can be a menace in the right situation, such as attacking or defending points. His shotgun deals massive damage up close, and because he can drag heroes into range with his Chain Hook he’s more than capable of racking up eliminations. However, he’s far too slow and has very few ways of escaping damage so struggles unless fully supported.
Doomfist
Doomfist suffers against crowd control utility and stuns, and with heroes like Zarya, Ana, Sigma, and Sombra topping our main Overwatch 2 tier list, it looks like those are the heroes you’ll be facing as you start climbing the Overwatch 2 ranks. If you can master his mobility and get around quickly then Doomfist can still do a lot of damage up close, but he’s simply too easy to stop in most comps.
And that’s a wrap for the best Overwatch 2 tank heroes. Now the highly-anticipated follow-up is upon us, at least the Overwatch 2 PVP mode, check the Overwatch 2 system requirements you’re going to need to get playing.