Why Tanks Are Important
Now that Overwatch 2 has a 5v5 format, tanking is even more important than it was before. You only have one tank to work with, so you need to make sure the tank you choose is the right one for your team. However, it’s difficult to know which tank to choose when there are eleven tank heroes. Overwatch 2 relies heavily on tank gameplay, meaning you need to know who the best and worst tanks in the game are.
Tier Rankings
These eleven tanks will be rated on a tier list from S to C, with S being the best and C being the worst. Tanks will be sorted into their tiers based on how much they impact the game and how well they help their team. The higher the number, the more impact they have.
S Tier
Tanks in the S tier have the highest impact on the game. They have versatile kits that can mitigate or do lots of damage, meaning they can protect their team. They will have an aggressive play style that matches the aggressive nature of Overwatch 2.
D.Va (S Tier Tank)
It’s hard to talk about great tanks without mentioning D.Va. At the beginning of the 5v5 switch, D.Va wasn’t in a great spot. Players were adjusting to playing an off-tank in a way that fit the 5v5 format better. Now that players have had a chance to adjust, D.Va is fantastic thanks to her explosive gameplay, powerful Defense Matrix, high damage and health, and versatile ultimate.
Her ultimate is great for forcing enemies out of a certain position. Along with that, it can block off the objective and any pathways you don’t want the enemy using. The best part about her ult is that it automatically gives her a new mech. That means if you’re about to be forced out of your mech, you can use your ult to get a new one. Remember that sometimes a new mech is more dangerous than trying for a team wipe with her ult.
However, the best part of D.Va’s kit is not her ultimate. Her abilities make her extremely powerful. She’s fast and agile, giving her access to high ground and the speed necessary to flee a lost fight. She’s great for peeling back to help supports if needed, but at the same time, she has enough health and mitigating power to hold the frontline all by herself.
Her Defense Matrix is easily her best ability since it can block countless amounts of damage. As long as it's a projectile, it can even eat other ultimates. For example, she can eat Zarya’s Graviton Surge and save the team from a team wipe. Her being able to get and stop team wipes is what earns her a spot on the S tier.
D.Va: 95/100
What Makes D.Va S Tier
- Powerful Defense Matrix
- Can mitigate countless damage
- Does high damage
- Her ultimate is great for most situations
- She can keep up with the fast pace of Overwatch 2
- She gets two lives
- High health
Orisa (S Tier Tank)
In the current state of Overwatch 2, Orisa is an amazing pick for tank players. Not only does she have a great kit, but she works well with most team comps. She has two abilities that can knock enemies off the map, meaning she’s perfect for control maps in particular. Along with that, she has an ability that makes her even harder to kill, which can make the enemy frustrated.
Orisa is extremely powerful thanks to her high health capabilities. Although she doesn’t have the best base health out of all the tanks, she has a Fortify ability that makes her nearly impossible to kill. She’s immune to knockback damage and stun abilities, like Roadhog’s hook. This makes her a dangerous target that the enemy can’t do much about.
Along with that, she does high damage and can knock enemies off the map. Together, her two strengths make her one of the best tanks in the game. Her only flaw is that she can be slow and bulky. She’s a big target that’s hard to miss, even when she has Fortify on or is moving faster thanks to her javelin.
However, even with those factors in mind, Orisa is one of the best tanks in the game. If you want to get the most out of her, try playing her on the control maps. She absolutely dominates on these maps, especially the ones with gaps leading off the map.
Orisa: 95/100
What Makes Orisa S Tier
- Powerful knockback abilities
- Great for control maps
- Hard to kill
- Versatile
- Works well with most team comps
- Slow but makes up for it with power and high damage
Zarya (S Tier Tank)
Zarya is an iconic tank, mostly due to how much damage she can do and her insanely powerful ultimate. Because of how easily it can cause team wipes, her ultimate is one of the best in the game. Her high damage capabilities also make her insanely difficult to kill. Even when enemies try to kill her, more often than not they end up charging her instead.
Her high damage and ultimate are two reasons why she’s worthy of the S tier. The damage she does has devastating consequences for the enemy team. Any time her barriers take damage, she gains charge. That means if she’s using a barrier, not only can Zarya not be hurt, but if someone tries to hurt her, she only grows in power.
Zarya is a hero who punishes the enemy for shooting too carelessly. Seeing as most Overwatch players shoot first and think later, Zarya is perfect for the aggressive play style of Overwatch 2. Not to mention, she is an aggressive tank that’s practically designed for this fast-paced play style.
Her Graviton Surge is her best ability and the main reason why she’s in S tier. It’s a projectile that sucks all enemies around it into a contained space. This leads to countless team wipes and forces the enemy to rethink their strategy. Zarya is an absolute monster, and although she’s slow, she makes up for it with brute strength and one of the best ultimates in the game.
Zarya: 100/100
What Makes Zarya S Tier
- One of the best ultimates in the game
- Extremely high damage
- Can protect her teammates
- Plays well with the aggressive Overwatch 2 gameplay
- Is hard to kill, especially without causing Zarya to get more powerful
A Tier
A tier tanks are amazing tanks due to how impactful they are for the game. Although they have certain flaws in their kits and/or play styles, they have powerful abilities and ultimates that can turn the tide of the game.
Reinhardt
Reinhardt is a powerful tank that can mitigate a lot of damage. Although he isn’t in the best spot right now, he has a strong kit that works well for hybrid maps due to how good he is on defense. Since there is only one tank now, it’s much easier for Reinhardt’s to land a successful Earthshatter. Reinhardt’s ultimate is devastating if used correctly, and seeing as it’s much easier to use now, that means Reinhardt’s value as a tank goes up.
Reinhardt has the ability to mitigate countless damage. His shield is powerful and can block entire ultimates, like Cassidy’s or D.Va’s. His shield is easily the best part of his kit, as it prevents enemies from harming him or his team until the barrier is destroyed or he chooses to deactivate it.
Along with that, Reinhardt has a melee attack that can do high damage. It takes only two to three swings to kill squishy enemies, meaning that in mere seconds, you can secure a kill. The issue is that Reinhardt is slow. To use him effectively, pair him with Lucio for the speed boost.
Overall, Reinhardt is a strong tank that can do a lot of damage and secure a powerful ult. The only issue with him is that he’s very slow and doesn’t do as much consistent damage as other tanks like D.Va. For defense, Reinhardt is a great pick, and he’s an even better pick if you have a Lucio.
Reinhardt: 85/100
What Makes Reinhardt A Tier
- Powerful shield can mitigate a lot of damage
- Strong ultimate that goes mostly uncontested most of the time
- Strong melee attack that pairs well with a popular support, Lucio
- Charge packs a devastating punch
- A bit slow; works best with Lucio
- Only has a melee fire, which can be detrimental at times
Roadhog (A Tier Tank)
The only reason Roadhog isn't S tier is due to a recent one-shot buff. Despite that nerf, he’s still extremely powerful and a great pick for control maps, in particular. Roadhog has an amazing hook ability that makes him stand out from the other tanks. He can pull one enemy toward him and trap them, potentially killing them.
Roadhog is great for maps that have an area allowing players to fall off the map, such as the well on Ilios. His ultimate is also good for knocking players off the map or keeping them off an objective. Roadhog works well on most maps, but to maximize efficiency, you should use him in areas that have knockoff points or open space where Roadhog can land a hook.
Roadhog is practically unkillable. He has high health and a healing ability that gives him a lot of his health back. He can walk toward the enemy, hook one, kill them, then walk right back out without much issue. Since his healing gives him ult charge, taking damage is encouraged. With a Kiriko to cleanse Ana's biotic grenade, Roadhog has almost no counters to his healing.
There are two issues with Roadhog. For one, he’s slow and loud. It’s extremely difficult to flank because of how slow and loud he is. Secondly, he has such a huge hitbox that he can often feed the enemy team. Whenever I play D.Va against a Roadhog, I get my ultimate so much faster than I do against any other tank in the game.
Roadhog: 85/100
What Makes Roadhog A Tier
- Powerful hook ability
- Very hard to kill
- High health and high healing
- Decent ultimate that works well on control maps
- Very slow
- Huge target and can feed easily
Sigma (A Tier Tank)
Sigma is a great tank thanks to his powerful ultimate and high damage. Sigma is not only an amazing character, lore-wise, but in-game-wise as well. He can mitigate a lot of damage and do a lot of damage at the same time, making him a perfect pick for teams that need both protection and damage. Along with that, he can absorb or completely interrupt other enemy ultimates with his Kinetic Grasp and his giant boulder.
Sigma’s kit is perfect for countering other tanks. He really has it all: high damage, an ability that blocks damage and gives him extra health, an ability that interrupts enemy ultimates, and an ultimate that has few counters. Sigma can mitigate countless damage while also putting out high damage, even from long distances away.
Sigma is almost like a superior version of Reinhardt. He has no footsteps because he floats, so he can hide and flank more easily than any of the other tanks in the game.
Shambali Monastery is a great map to use Sigma on. He adapts well to all the different twists and turns the map provides. I always see Sigma played on this map, and it works out well every time. Along with that, Sigma is great on maps with vertical space, as his ult launches him into the air.
Sigma: 85/100
What Makes Sigma A Tier
- Can stop enemy ults
- Can absorb enemy ults
- Powerful ultimate that’s hard to counter
- High damage
- No footsteps since he floats
- Mitigates a lot of damage
- Can get trapped easily
- Moves slowly
B Tier
B tier tanks are good tanks that, although they aren’t the best, still provide a lot of damage and protection to their team. They can impact the game but have many flaws in their kits and/or play style, or they’re just in a rough spot due to the current state of Overwatch 2.
Doomfist (B Tier Tank)
Doomfist isn’t a bad tank by any means; he’s just in a rough spot because of the current state of Overwatch. As many players know, there are certain team comps that trend more than others. Unfortunately, Doomfist is not in many of the team comps that are currently trending. Although he has a lot of positives, the other tanks in the game tend to overshadow him.
The main flaw with Doomfist is that you have to get good with him in order to make an impact. It's difficult to be good to him because he's a difficult hero to master. You need to master combos and know when to pull back. Most of the time, when you’re diving in, your team is vulnerable. That’s why not many players like playing with Doomfists.
On the bright side, Doomfist’s kit is very unique. The combos you can do with his kit make you feel like you’re playing an old fighting game. At the very least, Doomfist is a lot of fun to play. Support players may hate you because you’re jumping right in, but hey, it’s fun.
Doomfist can keep up with the aggressive pace of Overwatch 2, which is one of his strongest traits. The real issue is that it’s hard for him to protect his teammates. He doesn’t have much utility for his team. His block is really for himself, not his team, meaning he’s more of a glorified DPS than a tank.
Doomfist: 75/100
What Makes Doomfist B Tier
- Powerful combos
- Fast movement speed
- Can keep up with the aggressive pace of Overwatch 2
- Leaves his team vulnerable far too often
- Doesn’t mitigate much damage for his team
- Hard to protect teammates using this hero
Junker Queen (B Tier Tank)
Junker Queen is a great tank with a powerful ultimate. Well, a powerful ultimate assuming there isn’t a Kiriko on the enemy team. That’s the main problem with Junker Queen: she’s easy to counter. Her ultimate is the most dangerous part about her, but Kiriko cleanses away all the negative effects the ult brings. Since Kiriko is one of the most-played support heroes right now, it’s difficult to play Junker Queen.
However, Junker Queen is so much fun to play. She’s aggressive; she has a knife that can be thrown all the time, and her ultimate launches her forward. It’s hard not to laugh in delight when you see her ultimate hit a bunch of enemies. The only issue is that your joy will deflate as soon as you watch Kiriko cleanse her entire team.
Although Junker Queen does a lot of damage, she’s too easy to counter with a Roadhog, Kiriko, Pharah, Echo, and other heroes that can either counter her abilities or damage her from long range. When Junker Queen isn’t being countered, she’s fun to play and can get a lot of kills for her team.
Junker Queen: 80/100
What Makes Junker Queen B Tier
- Very aggressive
- Perfect for Overwatch 2’s preferred playstyle
- Does high damage
- Great abilities
- Easy to counter
- Junker Queen players tend to get too aggressive and play out of position, leading to a high death stat
Ramattra (B Tier Tank)
Ramattra is in an interesting spot right now. His ultimate is so powerful that it’s worthy of the S tier. Unfortunately, the rest of his kit does not live up to his insane ultimate. Despite being fairly powerful, his Nemesis Form is unimpressive. It isn’t unique enough to give players a reason to choose him over D.Va or Zarya. Although Ramattra is a solid tank, he could use some work before he’s something truly special.
Let’s start with the positives: his ultimate. His ultimate is extremely powerful and one of the most powerful in the game right now. It can potentially last forever as long as he’s constantly hurting the enemy team. His ultimate sucks the life energy out of any enemy in his range, and Ramattra can pummel them to death while they run away in fear.
It’s one of the most fun ultimates in the game, too. Another positive is how much damage he sucks up for his team. His barrier can be clutch if placed well, and for all the flaws Nemesis Form has, it can take a lot of damage.
Unfortunately, the positives end there. His primary weapon feels like a tickling device unless you’re landing consistent headshots. Along with that, his Nemesis Form feels like a glorified Reinhardt. Ramattra is a decent tank that could use some work. And to my fellow female Overwatch players, yes, Ramattra’s voice is indeed attractive, even though he’s an omnic.
Ramattra: 80/100
What Makes Ramattra B Tier
- Extremely powerful ultimate
- Can mitigate a lot of damage
- Can protect his team well
- His kit isn’t too special when compared to other tank heroes
- He’s a relatively new hero, meaning not many have learned to play him well yet
Winston (B Tier Tank)
Depending on who the opposing team has, Winston is either a great or a terrible pick. Winston is in a good spot right now because of his new, long-range secondary fire. The only issue is that the rest of his kit isn’t the best. His bubble gets destroyed in what feels like seconds, making it mostly useless in the long run. He’s also easy to counter with Reaper.
In Overwatch 2, Winston can keep up with the high mobility and aggression needed to keep the pace of the game going. He can jump on enemy squishies and cause chaos if played well. The only issue is that there are other tanks that do his job better, like D.Va, who has one of the most powerful abilities in the game.
Although Winston is powerful and definitely worth playing, there’s no real reason to choose him over the other mobile tanks. D.Va does far more consistent damage than he does, and in general, her ultimate is better. Winston’s ultimate is great for stalling and for control maps. Otherwise, it’s not the best tank ult.
Overall, Winston is a solid pick who can do a lot of damage when played well. He’s great for countering slow supports like Ana and Zenyatta. Although Winston is easier to counter than other tanks, he still packs a punch and impacts the game a lot.
Winston: 75/100
What Makes Winston B Tier
- High mobility
- New long range attack gives him more use
- Good for maps with lots of high ground
- His bubble is mostly useless
- Easy to counter
C Tier
C tier tanks don’t have too much impact on the game. Although they can have clutch moments, the other tanks are much better and make far superior picks. C tier tanks tend to have kits that aren’t unique enough to justify choosing them over the other tanks in the game.
Wrecking Ball (C Tier Tank)
Someone had to be at the bottom of the list, and unfortunately, it’s Wrecking Ball. Although Wrecking Ball has a lot of strengths, he isn’t better than any of the other tanks on this list. He can stall the point for a long period of time and make certain pathways inaccessible with his ultimate. Otherwise, if you want a tank that can move fast and flank, you’re better off choosing D.Va or Doomfist.
He doesn’t do the same amount of damage as the other tanks, meaning you won’t gain much from picking him over, say, D.Va. Even when you look at his ultimate, it isn’t unique. He pops out a bunch of mines and has them hover around a certain area. Yes, this can be very useful, but it’s more situational as opposed to D.Va’s ultimate, which can do the same things as Wrecking Ball’s, and it gives her a brand new, full health mech.
The same applies to Orisa. Although the abilities aren’t exactly the same, many other tanks have point control ultimates that are miles better than Wrecking Ball’s. His ultimate can definitely cause some clutch plays and even get team wipes, but there are just other tanks that do this more effectively.
Overall, Wrecking Ball is an okay tank. If you can play Wrecking Ball really well, he becomes more like a B or A tier tank; however, I haven’t seen many good Wrecking Ball players. I haven’t seen many Wrecking Ball players at all, actually. He’s also easy to counter since his entire kit revolves around constant movement. If you stop his movement with someone like Sombra, he’s a sitting duck.
Wrecking Ball: 70/100
What Makes Wrecking Ball C Tier
- Very fast and mobile
- Has high health
- Great for stalling during Overtime
- Other flanking tanks have better kits than him
- Easily countered by Sombra, Mei, Sigma, and other heroes with slowdown, knockback, or halt abilities
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