Overwatch 2 character rankings can be as fickle as their players, with constant patches and kit alterations changing just how effective each hero is. Your favorite heroes can be very personal, as some players find certain heroes fit their skill set more than others. If you're new to the game, however, there are a few characters you should start with.

Overwatch 2 heroes are split between the Tank, Damage, and roles. They focus on damage negation, damage dealing, and healing respectively. Each team has one Tank, two Damage, and two s in a standard match. As such, it is more important to know who shines in each of these roles rather than lump all the characters together.

Overwatch 2 Tanks, Ranked

Best Tanks For Season 12

A Tank's job in Overwatch 2 is twofold. First, they need to take a lot of damage, acting as shields for their squishier teammates. Secondly, they need to control their team's position, keeping them on the point and acting as the charge for new assaults. A good Tank protects their team and brings chaos to the heads of the enemy side.

The Tank class suffered when Blizzard transitioned from a 6v6 set-up to the 5v5 we are familiar with now. The plight of Tanks in Overwatch 2 is a well-known downside to the game, but if you rethink your position as a Tank, you may prove to be a more effective player. In this new meta, some of the best Tanks are those who can hold the line for their team.

D.va has dominated the Tank lineup since the first days of Overwatch. Both she and Reinhardt have incredible damage negation, with D.va literally deleting projectiles via her defense matrix and Reinhardt protecting his weaker friends with his massive and sturdy shield. Both require careful positioning and are more focused on defense than offense, but they're still at the top of their game.

Roadhog, Orisa, and Junker Queen have suffered from their fair share of nerfs in recent updates, falling behind in the rankings.

Doomfist, meanwhile, is just an oddly designed character whose melee kit is highly unintuitive and impractical for an FPS. Still, if you like these heroes, there are ways to use them effectively. For example, I love to play Orisa, and I find that using her in a bot escort match can prove incredibly useful.

Overwatch 2 Damage Heroes, Ranked

Best Damage Heroes For Season 12

The Damage role in Overwatch 2 sports has the highest number of heroes, all of whom share a similar goal: pick a target and take it down. Now that Blizzard has decided we can play all Overwatch 2 heroes for free, I've enjoyed the intricacies of each Damage hero and discovered just what makes each one good to play. Whether you like a top-tier hero or are like me and find yourself gaining some of the lower-ranked characters, you can make your Damage hero work for you.

Symmetra and Torbjorn's kits are still holdovers from the days of Attack and Defense roles in the original Overwatch, meaning they aren't effective unless you play defense. Widowmaker and Hanzo, meanwhile, require good sniping skills to fully utilize, making it hard to master their kits. Junkrat, meanwhile, just pales in comparison to other Damage heroes.

Tracer, Cassidy, and Echo lead the pack with their well-balanced kits. Tracer hasn't changed much since the franchise's first days, meaning she is still a speedy and annoying presence to counter (and a great asset to your team). Cassidy's name may have changed, but his High Noon Ult still clears the battlefield. Lastly, Echo has enough variety in her abilities to prove a deadly and efficient Damage hero.

Overwatch 2 s, Ranked

Best s For Season 12

Most teams are made or broken by their s. It's a 's job to keep their Tank alive and provide extra cover to their Damage players. A good can make up for a bad Tank, but no amount of expert play from the Tank or the Damage heroes can fix bad heals and poor play. With Season 12 of Overwatch 2 adding a new to the roster, the rankings have shifted quite a bit.

I'll it, I may be biased against Lifeweaver, considering how often teammates who play him have ruined my strategy as Tank or Damage. Yet, while his pull can save your life, it proves more frustrating and disorienting than anything else. It's much better to get healed in the midst of action than to let the enemy team get the lead because you're no longer on the point. Mercy and Zenyatta him in C Tier due to their limited focus.

Ana is a shockingly good in the current meta, ed in S Tier by Lucio and Kiriko. Lucio offers so much maneuverability and widespread that he can quickly dive in to wild teammates and catch fallen ones up to the action. Meanwhile, Kiriko's teleportation, combined with a solid attack and excellent Ult, shows why Blizzard loves her so much. All three s can slide into a common team comp and strategy, making them the best of their role in Overwatch 2.