What We’ve Learned About Overwatch 2

Overwatch 2 launched on October 4, 2022, and it has breathed new life into Blizzard’s popular hero shooter franchise. While you could make the case that not much has changed since the original game, the game is played with some key differences. 

The developers made many changes to the tanks, most notably reducing the total number from 2 to 1 per team. Each role has new passive abilities. Additionally, there are new maps, game modes, and heroes too!

When Overwatch 2 first came out, I shared my predictions about which heroes would add the most value to their team. I was right about some characters, but others have been surprisingly strong in the first two months since release.

If you want to rank up fast in Overwatch 2, try some of these overpowered heroes with insane carry potential! 

Best DPS Heroes Right Now in Overwatch 2

DPS stands for Damage Per Second, but it’s not just about pumping out serious damage in Overwatch 2. Some are good at finishing off low-health enemies, others excel at breaking shields, and there’s even a set of heroes that primarily bother the enemy backlines. It’s no wonder why the DPS queue is the longest in the game! 

Sojourn

Sojourn turned out to be the best character in Overwatch 2. Since launch, she has dominated the DPS queue with great mobility, one-shot kill potential, and significant damage that can be maintained throughout a match.

You should focus on consistently building up your Railgun charge to a minimum of 50. The alt-fire on this weapon has increased damage based on the gun’s charge, up to 130 damage for body shots. If you can land a headshot, you can immediately eliminate 200-HP heroes. 

It’s important to remember that the charge on the weapon will start to decay if you haven’t dealt any damage for 8 seconds. You can build charge by shooting enemy barriers, so feed on the opposing Reinhardts and Winstons to keep the Railgun charged.

Lastly, Sojourn’s Disruptor Shot is a great way to finish off low-health enemies. Throw it at a choke point or in contained rooms to deal significant damage to the enemy team.

Genji

Genji has been as dominant as I initially expected when the game was first released. Aside from Tracer, he is the quintessential dive character in Overwatch 2. Dive means he is excellent at quickly closing the gap on enemies and taking them out quickly.

Genji is one of the best heroes for taking out the enemy’s supports. He has the advantage over low-mobility support, like Zenyatta or Ana.

As Genji, you want to spam the alternate fire to build up your ultimate as quickly as possible. Dragon Blade is notorious for getting multiple kills at once, but you only need to take out 1-2 enemies to win a team fight with Genji’s ult. Pairing the ult with Ana’s nano and you just might be collecting team kills.

Sombra

This hacker received a significant rework heading into Overwatch 2. The biggest change is that hacked enemies receive additional damage from Sombra! This change gave her a discord orb to throw on people and quickly melt squishy characters.

Blizzard heard the community’s feedback and swiftly implemented a nerf. The change reduced hacked damage and enemy ability lockout duration, but Sombra remains incredibly powerful.

While she can go invisible using Stealth, she’ll be detected by the opposing team if any enemies are within 2 meters of her. Make sure to keep a safe distance as you are patrolling the backlines! You should also make use of the new ping system to ensure your plays maximize in value.

Best Tank in Overwatch 2

Tanks are supposed to take space and make space for their team in Overwatch 2. This means controlling areas of the map to allow your team to operate. Tanks also got a major rework in Overwatch 2, and there’s one clear winner right now!

Zarya

Zarya is unstoppable in this current iteration of Overwatch 2, and many people complain that she is a broken hero. Now that she can apply both barriers to herself, she can play more aggressively than in the first Overwatch game. The game rewards this aggressive playstyle with ridiculous damage output and high kill potential.

Since shields are less common, Zarya’s Graviton Surge gets even more value in Overwatch 2. Try targeting opposing supports to guarantee your squad wins that team fight.

It’s also important to moderate your bubble usage based on the enemy team comp. If the opposing tank is a Roadhog, you should save at least one bubble for your teammates when Hog has the Hook cooldown available. 

Best Supports Right Now in Overwatch 2

I said this in my original post, and it’s worth repeating here – support heroes in Overwatch 2 are more than just healers! It’s your job to increase the overall survivability of your team. This is achieved through healing and status effects like a speed boost.

Lucio

The misconception about Lucio is that he should just heal people. His healing output is reasonably low when compared to other support characters. Instead, you can maximize Lucio’s team value by giving them a speed boost!

The best way to keep your team alive is by minimizing the damage they take. In Overwatch 2, you can achieve this by speed-boosting your team behind cover. Waiting behind cover negates enemy ults like D. Va bomb and Hanzo Dragonstrike fairly easily.

You can also use speed boost as an engagement tool by enabling your team to rush the opposing squad in a deathball formation. Try to communicate when you are amping up your speed boost so your team knows when to engage.

Separately, Lucio is a surprisingly good duelist for a support. Wall riding makes him tough to hit, and he has solid potential for removing enemy snipers hiding in the back lines. 

Kiriko

Kiriko is even more potent than I expected her to be. Her kit does so many things:

• Grants her insane mobility – she can climb walls AND teleport
• A speed boost via her ultimate – this increase movement speed and attack speed, while reducing your team’s cooldowns
• The ability to cleanse adverse status effects – you can use this to save a friend who gets hooked by Roadhog, remove the anti-heals from Ana grenades, and give a bit of burst healing to your squad

In the current meta of Overwatch 2, which has dive characters running rampant, mobility is vital. Kiriko can quickly teleport out of danger, as long as a teammate is in range, or use Swift Step to teleport to a friendly hero caught out of position.

Landing her Kunai is tricky, so line your cursor at head level to maximize your damage potential. Since Kiriko has so many things going on with her kit, it comes down to managing her cooldowns well and optimizing your positioning. 

Overwatch 2 Predictions

Zarya, Genji, and Sombra have all been hit by the nerf hammer since Overwatch 2 was released. My prediction is that Sojourn will be next. If the developers tone down her damage output, she will go from a must-pick to a solid DPS choice.

We also have a new tank on the way, so I’m sure this will shake up the meta a bit. His kit looks perfect for a brawl comp, so I could see Brig, Moira, and Reaper becoming more widespread if Ramattra turns out to be OP.

Here’s a quick recap of the strongest heroes in Overwatch 2 right now:

• DPS – Sojourn + Genji + Sombra
• Tank – Zarya
• Support – Lucio + Kiriko

Who do you think are the strongest picks in Overwatch 2 right now? Join the conversation in the comments section below!

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.