For the players wanting to top the kills or damage charts in Overwatch 2, look no further, as this article will list and discuss the best 10 heroes for dealing huge amounts of damage during this season.
With the announcement of several buffs and nerfs lined up for the mid-season patch and for further hero changes down the line, approximately by the start of season 2, this article will most likely be relevant until those changes go live.
Each of the heroes on this list is the best attacker in his or her category. Meaning that playing with and against different team compositions will dictate how good a certain hero will be. Due to this rock-scissors-paper design, every hero has a list of heroes that they are strong and weak against. For example, Widowmaker and Ashe struggle against flankers like Reaper and Sombra due to their weak mobility and lack of close-range damage. The only exception to having weaknesses would be the top 2 heroes on this list, as they are on the “Overpowered with No Counterplay” list, which will be nerfed in the mid-season patch.
Scoring System
The various heroes on this list will be scored on five categories: their ability to output damage per second, how good their burst damage is if present, the mechanical and game knowledge needed to play the hero effectively, other aspects of their kit to enable their damage or escape unfavorable situations, and the strength of their ultimate. A higher difficulty score means that a hero is easier to pick up and play. These categories will be scored out of 5 stars and will be given an attacker score for their power rating.
10. Roadhog
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Roadhog has always stood as one of the most threatening tanks in all of Overwatch, thanks to his close-range lethality, his ability to sustain, and the pressure he exerts on the enemy team due to his potential to one-shot any DPS or support hero with his combo.
The fact that he is a tank hero with a large 700 health pool and the ability to self-heal 350 hit points, combined with his massive short-range lethality, makes enemies think twice about entering his Hook's range. His abilities and kit design encourage an aggressive playstyle, as he has no tools that let him mitigate damage or shield his allies besides his large hitbox. This effectively doubles his offensive threat and defensive capabilities.
What Makes Roadhog Strong
One-shot combo
Landing Roadhog’s hook, followed by a shotgun blast and melee attack against an enemy, will take out a little over 200 hit points of damage. Even if the combo doesn’t kill, your teammates can follow up to secure the kill, or the enemy team will use their defensive tools to save their teammates. The enemy team is aware of this combo and will be playing around the edge of Roadhog’s range, which is the main way that Roadhog exerts pressure and takes up space on the map.
Self-Healing
By design, tank heroes receive the bulk of the enemy damage, as they are the front-line heroes that are targeted due to their large hitbox and lack of mobility. This makes tanks rely on their healers to stay alive and their DPS to target key enemies so that they can do their job effectively and continue playing for the objective. Roadhog’s self-healing makes him less reliant on healers, so the supports can focus on assisting the DPS or dealing damage.
Amazing Utility on Ultimate
The knockback effect that Roadhog’s Whole Hog has is invaluable when used properly. Against teams grouped up together for an important objective, such as a payload or when capturing an area, using Whole Hog will push all enemies back and deal moderate damage to them. Communicating with your team prior to using Whole Hog is critical, as your ultimate is a great tool to set up plays for your team. Another use of this ultimate is to peel off enemies that are flanking your backline.
Pressure and Space
A combination of tankiness, self-healing, and a one-shot combo makes Roadhog take up more space and pressure the enemy a lot harder compared to other tanks that focus on defense and utility. This functions as a double-edged sword, as once Roadhog misses his hook, this opens an opportunity for the enemy team to punish by pushing and potentially rushing down Roadhog’s teammates.
Weaknesses and Counters
Good Damage, Lackluster Tank
With his power budget focused on his offensive power, his defenses are lacking as a result, making his ability to tank damage quite poor and leaving him with a complete lack of tools to help his allies. This makes Roadhog known as a “selfish” tank in the Overwatch community.
Other Tanks Provide More
Tanks such as Zarya, Reinhardt, and even Orisa bring in damage capabilities that are close to, but not quite on the same level as Roadhog, while also bringing more to the table in terms of their defensive capabilities and ability to save their teammates by shielding or peeling enemies away from them.
Many Counters
With Ana being a staple support pick ever since her release and Reaper being a mechanically easy tank shredder, it’s unlikely that Roadhog will perform well in higher-ranked matches. At best, pairing Roadhog with a Kiriko so she can cleanse Ana’s Anti and Sleep Dart to mitigate some of his counters is the best option, but the opportunity cost of picking a better tank with better synergy ultimately makes Roadhog a for-fun tank suited for normal games.
Sustain: 2 / 5
Burst: 5 / 5
Difficulty: 3.5 / 5
Utility: 4 / 5
Ultimate: 3.5 / 5
Attacker Score: 3.5 / 5
9. Zenyatta
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Zenyatta has gained a powerful new kick as his melee attack, but still remains the hybrid support/DPS character that everyone knows. His ability to heal at a longer distance as well as his solid attacks make him useful not just for restoring HP, but for taking down threats as well. However, he’s vulnerable once cornered and poses minimal threat up close, due to a total lack of mobility and defense.
Zenyatta is a unique support hero with some of the strongest DPS potential among his fellow supports. His projectile orbs deal a significant amount of damage, especially when charged, and one of his healing abilities has an alternate form that reduces enemy defense--perfect for keeping enemies off you or helping another DPS take down difficult foes. He also has a healing ability that works at a distance, so long as you keep your ally in sight, and Zenyatta’s ultimate ability heals an enormous amount of HP over the course of a few seconds.
What makes Zenyatta strong
Support That Deals Damage
A single orb deals 48 damage and can be fired at a rate of 1 shot every 0.4 seconds. Compared to the other support heroes and even among DPS heroes, Zenyatta has a solid amount of damage per second at 120. Holding his alternate fire allows him to charge up to 5 orbs that can be released to quickly burst down the enemy.
Orb of Discord
Putting an Orb of Discord on an enemy increased incoming damage by 25%. Effectively reducing their HP pool to 75%, making the affected enemy easier to burst down by Zen or his teammates. Most players typically place their Orb of Discord on the enemy tank, which is entirely fine, but a better target is an out-of-position DPS or support that Zen or his team can quickly burst.
Heal and Forget
Unlike other support heroes who require an active effort to heal and keep their teammates alive, Zen can place Orb of Harmony on the tank or a bruiser frontline DPS so that he can focus on dealing damage.
Team-Saving Ultimate
Transcendence heals all teammates by 300 hit points per second in a 10.5 meter radius, effectively making them immune to all damage save for one-shotting heroes or ultimates such as a Widowmaker headshot, and Junkrat’s RIP-tire. Zen becomes invulnerable to all damage during the duration, giving him an option for escape.
Weaknesses and Counters
Zero Mobility or Peel
Having zero mobility means multiple things for Zenyatta and any hero. First off, positioning and map knowledge help tremendously in reducing deaths and being impactful, especially knowing where the health packs are. Secondly, immobile heroes are easy targets for flankers, especially when the enemy has a rush team composition. Finally, upon respawning, walking back to the frontline takes a painfully long amount of time.
Extremely Vulnerable
Zen is a vulnerable target against almost every hero, with no mobility and no ability to peel off enemies, and the meta focused on taking down the supports and DPS first. His saving grace is that his melee attack has decent knockback.
Good DPS, Lackluster Support
While Zenyatta’s damage per second rivals that of his DPS counterparts, his low healing output of 30 health per second to a single target makes him a subpar support. In addition, Zenyatta has a reputation for triggering his teammates when picked, especially if the Zen player doesn’t perform well.
Sustain: 3.5 / 5
Burst: 4 / 5
Difficulty: 2.5 / 5
Utility: 2 / 5
Ultimate: 4 / 5
Attacker Score: 3 / 5
8. Widowmaker
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Widowmaker is Overwatch 2’s stereotypical sniper, similar in design to the AWP user from CS:GO, the Operator in Valorant, and the Sniper from Team Fortress 2. Playing her requires a high level of mechanical aiming skill, significantly higher than other DPS heroes. She is a “make or break” hero because map knowledge and aiming skill are the two biggest factors that separate an average Widowmaker from a competent one.
Widowmaker’s primary weapon has two forms. The more well-known of which is a high-power sniper rifle that can one-shot headshot most heroes when it is powered up after a few moments. The second form is an automatic submachine gun that is meant to be a backup weapon due to its low damage and poor accuracy, even at close range.
The other abilities in her kit include a grappling hook to escape from foes and reach high places to quickscope enemies, and a venom mine that’s best used defensively as an indicator that a flanker is nearby. With only one subpar mobility option, this is where Widowmaker's biggest weakness lies. As you’d expect from the sniper archetype, she is extremely vulnerable to everyone and won’t survive a one-on-one fight even against Mercy.
What makes Widowmaker strong
300 Damage Hitscan Headshots
At maximum charge, Widowmaker’s sniper rifle can deal 300 damage to an enemy if she lands a headshot. Needless to say, every non-tank hero, except Bastion, is easy prey for a skilled Widowmaker.
Zero Falloff Damage
Hitscan DPS heroes have a limited effective range, which means they do less damage after a certain distance. Widowmaker, however, does not have any damage drop off, allowing her to be played from the furthest sightline possible. The only drawback from playing so far behind is that aiming becomes harder as the enemies’ hitbox gets smaller.
Multi-Use Mobility
Grapple to reach inaccessible areas, sniping spots, repositioning, following up on a push or retreating, and my personal favorite of aiming at a high ledge to launch Widowmaker up in the sky and land a headshot on a key target.
Venom Mine to Detect Flankers
Most sniping nests have an entrance that 95% of flankers use. By laying down a Venom Mine and paying attention when it detonates, Widowmaker players can increase their survivability, ping their teammate for assistance, and buy time by grappling with them.
Ultimate for Wallhacks
After a certain amount of time has passed, newer players will begin to appreciate the value of communications and information passed around. The information game is just as important as landing headshots, and Widowmaker's ultimate has more to it than meets the eye; knowing exactly where each enemy team's location is is invaluable. It also aids aiming once Widowmaker has a direct line of sight to her opponent.
Weaknesses and Counters
Map Knowledge
Researching the best sniping nests to set up in for the various situations at various stages of the game is crucial to playing Widowmaker. Constantly staying in the same spot is a detriment too, as enemies can preemptively prepare and trap the key position. A few hours of scrolling through YouTube and Reddit for the best sniping spots, as well as familiarity with the map and which heroes are good in each of the maps, are all required to play Widowmaker at a high level.
Aiming Skill
The success that a Widowmaker player will have is 50% due to their map knowledge and 50% due to their mechanical aiming skill. Putting in a few hours in Aim Lab to practice flicking, microflicks, tracking, and other aiming techniques will go a long way in improving one’s aim.
Tracer Rounds and Sound
Tracer rounds are essentially bullet trails that give away the direction that the bullet came from. Coupled with the distinct audio signal that Widowmaker’s sniper rifle makes, enemies will have a good guess as to where you are positioned. Missing shots or rapidly firing without killing makes Widowmaker more vulnerable as a result.
Enemy Widowmaker and Flankers
With Widowmaker's one-dimensional playstyle, flankers are a natural hard counter. Facing an enemy Widowmaker is an extremely risky gamble too, as both players scramble to headshot the other while employing unusual tactics such as jiggle peeking, shooting and repositioning, or grapple and quickscoping.
Sustain: 2 / 5
Burst: 5 / 5
Difficulty: 2 / 5
Utility: 2.5 / 5
Ultimate: 3 / 5
Attacker Score: 3.5 / 5
7. Sombra
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Sombra falls under the flanker subclass while having unique abilities that make her a menace to play against. She utilizes her permanent invisibility and teleporter to regularly harass the enemy backline and eliminate isolated targets, while having an instantaneous escape once she finds herself in hot water.
Sombra’s playstyle is reminiscent of the Spy from Team Fortress 2. The gameplay loop for characters is to look for an infiltration path, flank the enemy, eliminate high-priority targets, and escape to repeat the process all over again. What Sombra has over traditional flankers is the ability to set up a teleporter, preferably near a hacked health pack, that enables her to heal up and continue to impact the map.
What makes Sombra strong
Stealth and Assassination
With permanent invisibility and a +60% movement speed buff, Sombra is built to stealthily infiltrate behind enemy lines. Not to mention her passively boosting her damage output by 40% against hackers, allowing her to burst down enemies within a second, so long as Sombra lands headshots.
Almost Unkillable
The gameplay loop that nearly all Sombra players go through is as follows: find a health pack, hack it, and set up your Translocator near it. Once her escape options are set up, enter stealth and make your way towards the enemy team’s position, hack someone on the back line, preferably a support hero, and eliminate them. Once they die or if you are compromised, immediately teleport out and use the health pack. Repeat the process over and over again, occasionally repositioning your Translocator to another health pack to keep the enemy team on their toes, and you’ll leave the enemy team down a DPS or support hero at every opportunity.
Impactful Ultimate
Sombra can use her ultimate in one of two ways. One method is throwing her Translocator into the middle of a massive teamfight, teleporting to it, and then detonating her EMP. This method requires coordination with your teammates to maximize her ultimate’s impact, but this method is riskier as Sombra’s teleport ability won’t be available, meaning that her chances of surviving the fight are slim. The alternative method is walking up close to 2–3 enemies while invisible, detonating her ultimate, and using her machine pistol to finish them off. This is much safer and allows for 1 or 2 solo kills from Sombra,but itt lacks the game-winning potential of the first method.
Counters Many Heroes and Ultimates
Heroes such as Mercy, Tracer, Genji, Pharah, Widowmaker, Sojourn, Echo, and many other popular heroes are next to useless as they rely on their abilities to function, and when those abilities are taken away, they are easy targets for Sombra or her teammates.
Sombra’s hack can cancel many channeling abilities and perform different functions against certain ultimates. Every ability that can be channeled, such as Roadhog’s healing and ultimate, Ashe’s B.O.B., Moira’s Coalescence, Pharah’s Rocket Barrage, High Noon, Sigma and Reinhardt’s barrier and many more abilities. For a more comprehensive list, check out KarQ’s Sombra video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw-ph6y22kU
Weaknesses and Counters
Mediocre and Conditional Damage Output
Sombra’s machine pistol has one of the lowest damage per second in the game, at 140, while having a large amount of spread after a few shots. She is able to fire continuously for at least 3 seconds. This means that to burst someone down, Sombra must first hack an enemy target, then be close enough to fire multiple headshots while being lucky with her spread and aim.
Success Depends on Enemy Team
One of the biggest and easiest counters when facing a Sombra is to stay close to your teammates. Sombra lacks the tools to deal with multiple enemies engaging her, which limits her impact as she's forced to teleport early or continue stalking her prey for an opportune moment. Both options are extremely unfavorable for her.
Can be Bursted
Sombra dislikes fighting against heroes who can deal large amounts of damage even while hacked, such as Zenyatta, Kiriko, and Reaper, and against heroes who can deploy turrets because the risk deters her from engaging. Facing team compositions that can peel for their teammates, such as a D. Va or Brigitte, will be a nightmare to play against, especially in higher elo where everybody has greater awareness.
Sustain: 3 / 5
Burst: 2 / 5
Difficulty: 5 / 5
Utility: 5 / 5
Ultimate: 4 / 5
Attacker Score: 3.5 / 5
6. Junkrat
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This explosive-focused Aussie makes it to number six in this list for his capacity to deal reliable damage in a large area, deterring the enemy team from passing through the hazardous section unless they wish to take splash damage from Junkrat.
Besides the carpet bombing capabilities, Junkrat has the tools to escape or engage the enemy with 2 charges of his Concussive Mine, and his passive that drops mini bombs upon death, making him a forbidable enemy even when cornered. His Steel Trap is an excellent tool to plant near popular flanking routes. Getting trapped deals a large amount of damage and prevents an enemy from moving for a brief period of time, which almost always leads to certain death if Junkrat is nearby to capitalize on the rooted target.
The biggest issue with Junkrat is that when facing competent enemies, his overall damage doesn't necessarily lead to kills, as players will respect the area that he controls and maneuver around it. But with proper communications and a competent team, advising them to cover the areas that Junkrat cannot will lead to a lockdown defense.
What makes Junkrat strong
Area Denial
Similar to the Demoman from Team Fortress 2, Junkrat specializes in carpet bombing an area in order to deter enemies from entering it. Key areas that Junkrat players should target are payloads, spawn rooms, control points, choke points, and tight hallways. By carpet bombing one main area and a side passage that enemies may walk through, as well as through clever usage of his Steel Traps and Concussive Mines, Junkrat can be a one-man defensive powerhouse.
Extremely High Damage Output
A direct hit from Junkrat’s Frag Launcher deals 120 damage, while splash damage ranges from 10–80 damage within 2 meters of the explosive. Grenades detonate after two bounces, allowing Junkrat to utilize the environment to bounce grenades off walls and ceilings. Not to mention the Steel Trap and Concussive Mines dealing 100 and 30–120 damage, respectively.
Difficult to Eliminate
With two charges of his Concussive Mines that can be used to gain distance and a Steel Trap to lay down against enemies that are chasing or flanking him, Junkrat is a surprisingly difficult hero to eliminate. Once eliminated, his passive deploys small grenades that most players forget about, which can occasionally net a revenge kill.
Aiming Skill is Optional
Once players grasp the projectile arc from Junkrat’s Frag Launcher, aiming for an area becomes trivial. Junkrat players can even spend the entire match without seeing an enemy on their screen if they choose to, so long as they carpet bomb an area and communicate with their teammates.
Weaknesses and Counters
Short Range
Having a short projectile arc means that Junkrat is susceptible to long-range heroes. Though not a hard counter so long as the Junkrat player is skilled with his Concussive Mines to blast away from them, Widowmaker, Pharah, and Echo all have the potential to one-shot or follow Junkrat even as he blasts away.
Destroyable Ultimate
The combination of an audible cue and a large hitbox makes Junkrat’s RIP-Tire a primary focus for the enemy team. This means Junkrat players should be aware of the flanking routes taken by Genji and Reaper in order to maximize the use of his ultimate.
Easy to Pick Up, Hard to Play Effectively
Another aspect of Junkrat’s playstyle is landing direct hits, which require players to lead their shots and predict where the enemy will end up a half-second or so in the future. Another aspect of his arsenal with nearly limitless potential is mastering the use of his concussive blasts. Finally, learning popular flanking routes or picking up on a cue that the enemy intends to push through are both required to trap enemies in his steel trap. In addition, studying lineups and rollouts from Junk League veterans helps him develop a character with surprising nuance.
Sustain: 4 / 5
Burst: 4 / 5
Difficulty: 2 / 5
Utility: 2 / 5
Ultimate: 4 / 5
Attacker Score: 3.5 / 5
5. Reaper
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Equipped with dual shotguns that can shred every single enemy that Reaper encounters in only a few seconds, on top of healing 35% of all damage dealt, this makes Reaper an offensive powerhouse. His abilities support this close-range brawling nature, with one allowing him to teleport to a visible area in a Dishonoured-like manner and the other functioning as an in-combat defense and escape tool. Plus, he has 250 hit points.
The drawbacks of having such a loaded kit are that Reaper is limited to short or point-blank engagements, as his shotguns have one of the highest damage drop-offs and spreads in the game. Which limits his playstyle to the flanker subcategory and close-range DPS if the situation is favorable.
What makes Reaper strong
Drain Tank
The combination of having a health pool of 250 hit points, healing 35% of all his damage dealt, and having up to 216 damage per second on bodyshots alone makes Reaper an excellent brawler that is reminiscent of the drain tanks from RPG games.
High Sustained Damage
As mentioned above, Reaper’s damage per second is insane. To further improve this, position your crosshair so that approximately 25% of the default crosshair covers the enemy’s head to deal extra damage.
Solid Defensive and Positioning Abilities
Wraith Form allows Reaper to become a ghost-like shadow for up to 3 seconds. While in this form, he is immune to all damage and can phase through enemies; however, he cannot fire his weapons or use other abilities.
Shadow Step is an excellent ability for getting to difficult places. This enables Reaper to flank from unsuspecting angles and get the drop on the vulnerable backline supports and DPS.
Game-Winning Ultimate
Dropping down from a high vantage point and activating Death Blossom onto the enemy backline is extremely satisfying, with the potential to eliminate 1-3 squishy heroes while healing for the same amount of damage dealt. In higher levels, using his ultimate to secure kills rather than for big POTG moments is better,as players have greater awareness and reflexes to deal with Reaper and his ultimate.
Weaknesses and Counters
Extremely Loud Footsteps
Players who have faced Reapers will know of his audible and distinct metallic thunks every time he walks. This audio cue gives away Reaper’s position and element of surprise, lowering his chances of eliminating the enemy. Shadow Step on high ground and drop down on enemies to reduce or avoid this problem, or use Wraith Form, which does not emit noises.
Lacks In-Combat Mobility
Against heroes with mobility or peel, Reaper may struggle to eliminate them once they react and use their mobility. The higher level the player, the quicker their reflexes, making Reaper less effective at Diamond and higher.
Map Knowledge and Travel Time
As with any flanking hero, knowing which routes to take and where the key enemies are is vital to playing any flanking hero well. This can lead to long travel times and, with the Reaper’s loud footsteps, less successful hunts. Not to mention his close-range nature, which means that positioning is more important compared to other flanking heroes.
Ultimate Can Be Countered
Defense Matrix, Barriers, Lucio or Zenyatta's ultimate, and any crowd control on Reaper will nullify his ultimate. Though the abilities mentioned above can be played around, making them a soft counter rather than a full nullification.
Sustain: 5 / 5
Burst: 2 / 5
Difficulty: 4 / 5
Utility: 4 / 5
Ultimate: 4 / 5
Attacker Score: 4 / 5
4. Genji
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Genji remains one of the more popular DPS characters thanks to his exceptional mobility and Japanese aesthetic. Though Genji may be seen in almost every other game, players looking to play him at a decent level will need to spend some time in the practice lobby and play a few unranked games, as Genji is fairly difficult and possesses a unique kit.
The bionic ninja’s mobility is unmatched. His passive ability allows him to double jump and scale walls; one of his combat abilities sees him dart forward and attack, which resets upon earning kills. He excels at surprising the enemy team, activating his ult, slashing around, dashing to low enemies, and leaping away before they can recover. If it doesn't go according to plan, Genji can return incoming projectiles to the enemy.
What makes Genji strong
Horizontal, Vertical, and Aerial Mobility
Double jumping, wall climbing, and a dash attack in the direction that Genji is looking at, which resets on elimination Genji simply has unparalleled mobility that no other hero has, and with his mobility, it opens opportunities to flank in unsuspecting angles
Tried and True Combo
Chipping down enemies’ hit points from a distance until they get damaged enough to a comfortable threshold where Genji can shuriken and Swift Strike, followed by turning around 180 degrees to either melee or shuriken to finish the enemy off.
Mobility and Deflect to Survive Longer
With all the mobility in his kit, all players, regardless of skill level, will have a hard time hitting Genji while he dashes and jumps around. Add in his ability to deflect and return fire to enemies, which makes him survive that extra bit longer.
Backline-Killing Ultimate
Two hits from his katana during Dragon Blade will deal 220 damage, which is more than enough for most DPS and support heroes. Utilizing Swift Strike to dash around the enemy’s backline, you have yourself a killing machine.
Weaknesses and Counters
Limited to Mid and Close Range Engagements
Genji’s projectile-based shurikens limit his engagements to being close and mid-range engagements. Although skilled Genji players can take out airborne targets by careful use of their mobility, it is best to play him as a traditional flanker.
Average Damage Output
Genji's damage output is average among flanking heroes. Reaper outdamages him by a large stretch, while only Sombra’s machine pistol is slightly worse than Genji’s shurikens and dashes.
Mechanically Difficult and High Skill Ceiling
Many aspects of Genji's kit are complex and require a high level of mechanical understanding. Mastering his 3 mobility tools, landing shurikens, chaining Swift Strike, flanking routes, matchups and counters, and many more aspects.
Countered by Beam Weaponry and Heroes with Self-Peel
Enemies armed with beam weaponry such as Moira, Symmetra, or Zyra, or enemies with self peel particularly Brigitte, Ana, Sojourn’s Power Slide, and many more, all hinder Genji’s ability to deal damage.
Sustain: 2.5 / 5
Burst: 2.5 / 5
Difficulty: 2 / 5
Utility: 5 / 5
Ultimate: 5 /5
Attacker Score: 3.5 / 5
3. Soldier: 76
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Soldier: 76 is one of the most well-rounded attackers in Overwatch 2. Designed to be new player friendly, this jack-of-all-trades hero can deal a respectable amount of sustained damage through his Heavy Pulse Rifle or burst damage through Helix Rockets, has unlimited sprinting ability, and can heal himself in a pinch. He may not be as flashy as the newer heroes, but he nonetheless gets the job done.
This amount of versatility is unmatched compared to other DPS heroes that have a specific playstyle such as Widowmaker, and makes Soldier: 76 great in a variety of situations that the player will find themselves in.
Soldier: 76's ultimate “Tactical Visor” removes the need to aim precisely, which allows him to quickly destroy evasive or high-priority targets like Tracer or Pharah. Although his ultimates seem lackluster when compared to those of other DPS heroes, Tactical Visor provides guaranteed value while needing barely any aiming skills.
What makes Soldier: 76 strong
Strong Sustain and Burst Damage
Equipped with the standard FPS assault rifle, Soldier 76 has a strong amount of sustained DPS at any distance. Provided that the player accounts for recoil, Heavy Pulse Rifle is one of the best and most consistent sources of sustained damage. Good usage of Helix Rockets can take out up to 120 hit points upon direct impact, coupled with a short and accurate burst from his primary weapon makes Soldier: 76 a solid offensive threat.
Mechanically Easy
Although useful, no advanced game knowledge or high levels of mechanical aim are needed when playing Soldier: 76. In a game like Overwatch 2 with a colorful cast of characters, each equipped to operate in a niche environment, Soldier: 76 is a breath of familiarity and ease to players who pick him.
FPS Player-Friendly
Players who have played Valorant, Apex Legends, CS:GO, and other popular FPS games will recognize Soldier: 76 and may even find great success when playing as him.
Poke and Flanking Viable
Playing behind your tank while chipping away at key targets is known as the “Poke” playstyle. Flanking, on the other hand, entails moving around the map undetected in search of unsuspecting Supports or DPS to quickly burst down. Soldier: 76 excels in both of these playstyles, moreso when flanking with his Tactical Visor.
Guaranteed Value with Ultimate
With an aimbot for his ultimate, hovering your crosshair over the enemy’s supports or DPS will elicit a response from them to duck and hide or to use their defensive tools to avoid being eliminated. Compared to other DPS heroes' ultimates, such as Genji’s Dragon Blade or Sojourn’s Overdrive, Tactical Visor requires less setup and mechanical skill to use effectively.
Weaknesses and Counters
Easy to Pick Up, Hard to Master
Any Valorant player who mains a specific gun in that game will grasp the concept of learning a rifle. The same issues will arise when learning a weapon, such as mastering its spray control, the number of bullets to fire before the spread becomes too wide, the number of bullets required for an elimination, and so on. Add to the list the projectile nature of Helix Rockets which require leading your shot, and all the game and map knowledge, and anyone can see that Soldier: 76 has a surprising amount of depth.
Jack of all Trades, Master of None
With all the strengths that a versatile kit brings, it also means that Soldier: 76 lack a specialization. Although this is not exactly a drawback that enemies can exploit, it simply means that he gets outclassed against a Reaper in close combat or struggles in long-ranged combat against a Widowmaker.
Other Ultimates are more Impactful
Compared to the ultimates of Junkrat, Reaper, and Sombra, all of which are lower on the list than Soldier: 76, their ultimates are potentially game-winning and highly impactful.
Sustain: 4 / 5
Burst: 4 / 5
Difficulty: 4 / 5
Utility: 4 / 5
Ultimate: 5 / 5
Attacker Score: 4.5 / 5
2. Zarya
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Zarya is the tank hero who covers all three roles at once. Dealing incredibly high damage while having a large health pool and the ability to deploy impenetrable barriers that convert incoming damage into energy for herself or her teammates.
Her Particle Cannon and Particle Barrier are the defining armaments in her kit. Zarya’s primary weapon can either fire a short-ranged beam or projectiles with a bit more range. Both of which can deal large amounts of damage. Zarya’s Particle Barrier comes with two charges that can be distributed to either teammates or herself. Damage taken by the Particle Barrier is then converted into her passive ability, known as "Energy," which increases the damage output of the Particle Cannon, dealing anywhere between 85-170 damage per second.
Zarya’s ultimate ability is called “Graviton Surge." When activated, Zarya fires a projectile that creates a gravity bomb that pulls enemies into the center and prevents them from leaving for 3.5 seconds. This ability has amazing combinations and can win teamfights easily.
What makes Zarya strong
Face Meltingly High DPS
As previously stated, depending on the amount of charge she has, her particle cannon deals between 85 and 170 damage per second. With over 50% charge, Zarya becomes an offensive powerhouse where enemies are required to step aside or be beamed down in under 2 seconds.
Particle Barrier
It comes with two charges of 200 hitpoint barriers, which make the recipient of the barrier immune to all knockback effects while charging Zarya’s energy. Most enemies are aware that when Particle Barrier is active, they must stop firing; thus, it is best activated in the middle of a fight while under fire. Alternatively, shielding an ally when they’re about to use their ultimate is another simple yet game-winning play that requires communication.
S-Tier Ultimate
An inescapable gravity well whose only counters are barriers. This ability sets up Zarya and works well with the ultimates of most DPS heroes, allowing for combos and team wiping plays.
Weaknesses and Counters
Requires Tracking-Aim
One of the most difficult aiming mechanics to learn is tracking your opponents. A combination of mechanical skill, predicting where your opponent will be, and reflexes are required to use Zarya’s Particle Cannon effectively.
Lowest Defense Numbers
Coming in with 250 health and 225 shields (blue health bar), and with two 200 hit point barriers, Zarya struggles against heroes that can output large amounts of damage, moreso if they play outside of Zarya’s effective range, such as Pharah or Bastion.
Low Mobility
Only having a small rocket jump with her alternate fire, Zarya has no mobility whatsoever, making walking from the respawn to the frontline a time-consuming ordeal.
Reliant on Teammates
Being a jack of all trades, she doesn't have the best range, supportive capabilities, or defensive tools that other tanks have and thus, she plays more like a cog in a machine rather than a self-reliant hero.
Countered by Barriers, Sombra, and Poke
The one counter to Zarya’s Particle Cannon are heroes with barriers, particularly Reinhardt, as his large barrier is a hard counter to Zarya. Other heroes that deal large amounts of sustained DPS while outranging her are another nuisance, such as Pharah, Bastion, and Zenyatta. Sombra can disable Zarya from using her shielding, while Sombra’s ultimate can destroy all barriers within its radius.
Sustain: 5 / 5
Burst: 3 / 5
Difficulty: 3 / 5
Utility: 5 / 5
Ultimate: 5 / 5
Attacker Score: 4.5 / 5
1. Sojourn
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Sojourn takes the number one spot for the hero with the best offensive power in Overwatch 2. She is a mid-range offensive focused DPS hero who primarily deals damage using her gun and its two modes of firing.
To play her at a high level, Sojourn requires two forms of mechanically high aim: leading projectile-based shots and landing hitscan railgun shots. The more accurate the player’s aim, the more frags, damage, and impact that a player has. Sojourn has one of the highest skill ceilings of any DPS hero, thanks to her use of Power Slide for repositioning and landing Disruptor Shot to set up railgun shots.
The primary strategy for taking down enemies as Sojourn is to open with a burst of machine gun fire and then finish them off with the railgun, as that combo will provide a fast time to kill. Alternatively, damaging the enemy tank to charge your railgun to 80% or higher has the potential to deal 200 damage upon a headshot. Add in the ability to power jump and the use of disruptor shot to slow enemies so she can land railgun headshots more easily, and you've got yourself a killing machine.
What makes Sojourn strong
One-Shot Potential
Being one of the very few heroes in the game that is able to one-shot any hero with 260 hit points or less with a fully charged railgun on the head is incredible. Prior to Sojourn’s release, instantly killing an enemy was exclusive to both Widowmaker and Hanzo, who needed to land difficult headshots while needing a good position to fire onto the enemy. Sojourn has greater mobility, setup, and consistent damage output than those two heroes, making her a clear upgrade.
Solid Mobility
Most DPS heroes lack the tools to reposition or to disengage from an unfavorable situation, but not Sojourn. Her Power Slide provides instantaneous mobility that allows her to escape a flanking Reaper or Genji or to retreat once her friendly tank dies on the battlefield. The value of Power Slide to make Sojourn die less and do more while alive is worth its weight in gold.
Disruptor Shot into Railgun Combo
Landing a Disruptor Shot on an enemy deals damage over time to them, while slowing them on top of it. This gives Sojourn an opportunity to land her railgun beam on them as enemies tend to move away from the Disruptor Shot, while being slowed down, making them an easy target for her.
Impactful Ultimate
During Sojourn’s ultimate, her Railgun fully charges once every 1.2 seconds while gaining the ability to pierce through enemies. This ultimate essentially doubles down on the player’s ability to aim and rewards the player for doing so. While Overclock can be used by itself as a standard boost to Sojourn’s DPS, combining it with the ultimate of other heroes such as Zarya or Mei will lead to team wipes.
Weaknesses and Counters
Aiming Skill
Spending time in Aim Lab or custom lobbies is a necessity to play Sojourn at a high level. Her entire kit is designed around how well the player’s aim is, which makes her a “feast or famine” hero. Leading shots and flicking to the enemy’s head to fire her railgun are the two core aiming skills required to train.
Charging her Railgun
As her railgun is a key component of her kit, having it charged is vital to having success with Sojourn. The conditional nature of her railgun being locked behind a damage quota means that she must chip away at the enemy with her primary fire, usually against the enemy tank, until she becomes more useful.
Vulnerable to Long-Range and Dive Heroes
Sojourn operates best at a medium distance. Her lack of close-range capabilities or long-range damage means that enemies like Widowmaker, Pharah, Sombra, Winston, and Genji can make quick work of her. Unlike other heroes on this list, Sojourn comes with great mobility, which allows her to reposition and fight back.
As a travelling writer hailing from the exotic, alien world of Australia, Ralph seeks far and wide hunting for the stories contained within the mystical glass-looking box named the "personal computer"
Gamer Since:
2005
Favorite Genre:
RPG
Currently Playing:
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
Top 3 Favorite Games:
Divinity II: Ego Draconis, XCOM 2, Metro: Last Light
