Choosing a main hero in Overwatch 2 is a pivotal decision that can significantly shape your gaming experience. With a diverse roster offering unique abilities and playstyles, finding a hero that resonates with your strengths and preferences can be challenging but incredibly rewarding. 

Whether you’re new to shooters, coming from a classic FPS background, or transitioning from other hero shooters, this guide will help you make an informed choice by breaking down hero roles, playstyles, and how your gaming background can influence your decision.

Understanding Overwatch 2 Hero Roles

Overwatch 2 organizes heroes into three main roles, each with a distinct function that impacts how you engage with teammates and opponents:

• Tank: Tanks are the frontline, with large health pools and abilities designed to soak up damage and create opportunities for teammates. They focus on protecting allies and controlling space.
• Damage (DPS): DPS heroes specialize in eliminating enemies with high-impact abilities and potent damage output. They often operate with agility, dealing consistent damage and picking off vulnerable targets.
• Support: Support heroes are healers and utility providers. They keep allies alive, boost their capabilities, and ensure the team can endure lengthy battles, making them essential for sustained success.

Choosing the right role depends on how you like to impact the game, so it’s worth exploring each type before committing to a hero.

Aligning Heroes with Your Gaming Background

Your previous gaming experiences can provide valuable insights into which Overwatch 2 heroes might suit you best. Here are some suggestions based on common backgrounds:

Transitioning from Other Hero Shooters (e.g., Valorant, Apex Legends)

Hero shooters like Valorant and Apex Legends share some similarities with Overwatch 2, such as unique characters with distinct abilities. If you’re used to the strategic, team-based dynamics of these games, certain Overwatch heroes can feel like a natural fit.

• Damage Role:
  • Soldier: 76 and Cassidy are ideal for players coming from hero shooters with a focus on shooting mechanics. Both heroes offer straightforward gunplay with minimal frills, allowing you to focus on aiming and positioning.
  • Echo and Genji bring additional mobility and versatility, but they are more complex than the former two picks. Echo’s ability to duplicate enemy abilities and Genji’s agility can give you a more strategic edge in the right hands. Try these out if you don’t mind not contributing to the battle for many hours of gameplay and then slowly ramping up to having good impact when you learn the nuances of each hero.
• Support Role:
  • Baptiste offers flexibility with healing and offense, appealing to those who enjoy a dual-role hero. His Immortality Field and Regenerative Burst make him a powerful, versatile option for hero shooter veterans.
  • Lucio, with his speed boosts and area-based healing, provides a unique way to control the pace of gameplay, ideal for players who enjoy mobility. You likely won’t be wall-riding much, but you can get value out of this hero by just existing and firing primary fire toward the enemies.

New to Shooter Games

If you’re entirely new to shooter games, choosing a hero with straightforward mechanics can ease your entry into Overwatch 2. Look for heroes that emphasize teamwork without requiring pinpoint accuracy.

• Support Role:
  • Mercy offers a simple, approachable healing method that locks onto allies, letting you focus on awareness and positioning rather than precise aim. Her mobility, combined with her Resurrect ability, makes her an accessible hero with room to grow. You’ll rarely ever have to focus on firing your pistol, and her beam is auto-aim, so this is great if you are just learning FPS mechanics.
  • Moira is also forgiving for new players, offering both healing and damage with her biotic grasp. Her Fade ability lets her escape quickly, helping you get used to map navigation while supporting your team. Just remember to bounce your healing/damage orbs off walls to maximize their value!
• Tank Role:
  • Reinhardt allows for a melee-based approach, eliminating the need for exact accuracy. His shield provides excellent protection for allies, and his straightforward abilities let you focus on positioning and game sense.
  • Winston is another beginner-friendly Tank. His jump pack ability provides quick mobility, and his primary weapon, the Tesla Cannon, doesn’t require precise aim. The main thing to realize is that you can’t just jump into the middle of the enemy team without getting punished. The best Winstons have a combination of patience and good timing.

Coming from Traditional War Shooters (e.g., Call of Duty)

For players accustomed to military-style shooters with realistic gunplay, Overwatch 2 has heroes that offer familiar shooting mechanics with a few twists:

• Damage Role:
  • Soldier: 76 offers a classic FPS experience with his automatic rifle and sprint ability, making him one of the best choices for Call of Duty veterans. His Tactical Visor Ultimate offers auto-aim, which is ideal for securing kills. Soldier’s rifle will also feel very similar to a typical weapon in your favorite traditional war shooters.
  • Sojourn is another good option, combining classic FPS mechanics with powerful railgun shots and quick movement, letting you maximize offensive power. Try to to work on trigger discipline once the Railgun is charged so you can appropriately line up your headshots.
• Tank Role:
  • Orissa is a literal tank with armor, damage mitigation, and a nice bit of mid-range firepower. Since you never have to reload, you can pump out high damage numbers and keep up consistent pressure on the enemy team. 
  • Roadhog is an ideal choice for those who enjoy durability and close-range combat. His Chain Hook lets you grab opponents from a distance, and his powerful shotgun is satisfying for players who are used to impactful weaponry.

Categorizing Overwatch Heroes by Playstyle Preferences

Each hero in Overwatch 2 has a playstyle that can appeal to different types of gamers. Here’s how to pick a hero based on the playstyle you most enjoy:

Mobility and Flanking

If you enjoy agile movement and thrive on sneaking up on opponents, Overwatch 2 has several heroes that reward creative positioning and precision timing. They’re generally tougher to pick up, but usually have higher carry potential.

• Tracer: With Blink for quick repositioning and Recall to backtrack, Tracer is perfect for those who like zipping around and harassing the backline.
• Genji: His double jump and Swift Strike dash make him a deadly force in the hands of players who enjoy diving into the fray, eliminating vulnerable targets before retreating.

Defensive and Area Control

For players who prefer holding down an area and setting up defenses, heroes with area-denial capabilities are a natural choice.

• Bastion: Transforms into a stationary turret, delivering serious damage in a specific area. Bastion is ideal for players who prefer a defensive style, holding choke points.
• Torbjörn: Known for his deployable turret, Torbjörn excels at area control and forcing opponents to change their positioning. His molten core ability also denies zones by creating damage-filled areas.

Support and Healing

If you enjoy taking on a supportive role and keeping your team in the fight, there are several heroes suited for healing and enhancing teammates.

• Ana: A sniper healer who can heal allies and disable enemies from afar, offering tactical depth for players who enjoy strategic positioning. 
• Lucio: Offers area-based healing and speed boosts, adding mobility to the team and making him great for players who enjoy amplifying team movement.

Most Straightforward Heroes for Beginners

Starting with heroes that have simpler mechanics can ease the learning curve, allowing you to grasp Overwatch’s basics without being overwhelmed by complex abilities.

• Soldier: 76: His automatic rifle and self-healing ability mimic a classic FPS setup, making him an ideal hero for FPS beginners and veterans alike.
• Reinhardt: With his large shield and melee attacks, Reinhardt is easy to understand but highly effective at protecting teammates and engaging opponents.
• Mercy: Mercy’s lock-on healing and low-complexity movement make her one of the most beginner-friendly heroes, letting players focus on positioning.

Heroes to Approach with Caution as a Beginner

Some heroes in Overwatch 2 have intricate mechanics or demand precise timing, making them less suited for new players.

• Genji: Genji’s agile movements and close-range playstyle demand high skill and precise aim, making him a challenging pick for beginners.
• Sombra: Her stealth mechanics and hacking abilities require strong map awareness and team coordination, which can be difficult for new players.
• Zenyatta: Balances offense and healing, but his low health and mobility require advanced positioning skills to avoid being an easy target.

Advanced Tips for Selecting Your Main Hero

Here are some additional strategies to refine your hero selection process:

1. Experiment with Different Heroes: Dive into different heroes across roles to feel their abilities and find which ones resonate most with your play style. Try Quick Play or Practice Range for experimentation without the stakes of Competitive Mode.
2. Evaluate Your Strengths: Reflect on whether you excel in accuracy, strategy, or support. If you have strong aim, focus on Damage heroes; if you prefer strategy, consider Tanks or Support heroes.
3. Consider Team Composition: Overwatch 2 is highly team-oriented. Think about your team’s needs when choosing a hero. If your team lacks damage or healing, filling those gaps can make a big difference.
4. Watch Hero Guides and Gameplay: Watching tutorials or professional players can help you understand the nuances of each hero’s abilities and inspire you to develop skills and tactics that complement your strengths.
5. Adjust Based on Your Team’s Needs: Flexibility is key in Overwatch. It’s often helpful to master at least two heroes in each role so you can adjust based on what your team requires, especially in Competitive Mode.

Staying Flexible as You Grow in Skill

The hero you start with may not be the one you stick with as you improve in Overwatch 2. As you develop a deeper understanding of game mechanics and find new preferences, your main hero might evolve. Overwatch 2 offers a diverse hero pool, so don’t hesitate to branch out and revisit different heroes as you become more comfortable with the game.

Selecting a main hero in Overwatch 2 is about finding a character that complements your strengths, playstyle, and gaming background. By experimenting across roles, assessing your personal skills, and adapting to team dynamics, you’ll find a hero that not only improves your performance but also enhances your enjoyment of the game. 

Overwatch 2’s variety ensures there’s a perfect hero for everyone—so dive in, explore, and discover your perfect fit on the battlefield!

By Fred

Fred has been gaming since his dad brought home a recycled PC from work and installed Hugo's House of Horrors as a toddler. He continues to play games almost daily across PC, console and mobile and may have a slightly addictive personality.