Overwatch 2 tier list ranking and best Heroes explained

Stumped as for which Hero is best? Our Overwatch 2 tier list can help you make sense of the sequel’s massive shake-up to the game’s formula.

For one, it’s now shifted to a 5v5 format, with only one Tank on the battlefield at any given time. On top of that, three new heroes have joined the game at launch – and play has also shifted from crowd controls and stuns to the act of killing players.

It’s a pretty enormous overhaul of what came before, basically, so it’s understandable if you are a little lost on what’s doing well and what is not in Overwatch 2 – once you have unlocked all Heroes first, of course.

That’s where we can help with our ranking of the best Heroes in Overwatch 2 – as we have spent a lot of time working out who is currently ruling the battlefield.

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Overwatch 2 tier list ranking

We’ve ranked every hero in Overwatch 2 in one place so you can get a sense of the meta at a quick glance.

These listings are based on a couple of factors – such as how good a hero is at their job, the height of their potential, while also taking into consideration how easy it can be to make a character work for the average player.

Overwatch 2 is still finding its legs as it’s very early days for the game. There are a lot of heroes, changes, maps, and philosophies to get your head around, but to give you a quick sentiment: high mobility heroes are currently running rampant.

Overwatch 2 tier list ranking (Heroes ranked by tier, last updated October 7th, 2022)

Overwatch 2 Hero ranking in alphabetical order

How we settled on our Overwatch 2 tier list ranking at launch

Overwatch 2 is just setting out with its first footsteps (albeit with some connection-related stumbles), which means that everything is still currently in flux and being figured out. Expect the meta to be fairly volatile throughout the first season as the player base adjusts to 5v5, new maps and three new heroes being added.

That being said, we’ve pooled several resources to make up this list. Firstly, through a testing phase and launch, we’ve played around 40 hours of Overwatch 2 and have been seeing what’s been doing well. On top of that, we were privy to pick-up games between high-ranking players and have been keeping an eye out on what’s been dominating in those games. We’ve also spoken to some of these players about their experiences.

On top of that, though the current patch is not live in the Overwatch League, we’ve also been watching professional teams play all year with Overwatch 2 and are able to get inclinations with what teams have been playing.

We’ve also considered tier lists from Overwatch content creators like Flats and Your Overwatch. All of this has given us a broad understanding of where the meta is at launch. That being said, expect it to move fast as people learn the game better.

Who are the best Heroes in Overwatch 2?

Who exactly makes up our ‘best’ tier in Overwatch 2 at launch? Right now, it’s clear that a certain playstyle is doing very well – Dive.

This is a classic Overwatch strategy that is all about speed and getting kills fast. In a well-executed dive, several highly mobile heroes will execute a coordinated jump on one or two enemies to eliminate backlines quickly.

Right now, several of the best heroes are all dive superstars. Genji is thriving in a world with fewer crowd control abilities, and he has immense lethality with a boatload of maneuverability to boot.

Newcomer Kiriko makes an excellent partner for Genji, as she can move between the main team and a flank with him easily with her Swift Step teleport. She can take support from multiple fronts throughout a fight and her Protection Suzu, which grants invincibility for a little less than a second, can be an amazing tool to save diving heroes who have committed too far.

Winston makes a great Tank to pair as part of the dive mentality, as he always has. He’s also thriving with less crowd control and Kiriko has a better time keeping up with him to heal him than other Supports, which has always been a danger when playing Winston.

Lucio can be another decent addition to a dive composition, however, he is also pretty good in most any compositions.

Speed is king right now, and his speed boost helps a lot, but he’s also able to sustain himself and displace the enemy team, while also getting kills in the right hands which make him very valuable in a 5 v 5 environment.

Similar to Lucio, D.VA can also work on a dive (though, generally you’d want to stick with Winston in a coordinated team), but she is more versatile. D.VA is just generally strong right now and is a great all-rounder pick if you don’t have a team who are going to execute a coordinated dive.

If you want a very strong option that will plug in and work in most situations, D.VA is a great option at her current power.

Best Tank Heroes in Overwatch 2

Tanks have seen a big change with the launch of Overwatch 2, with one being removed from the battlefield, meaning that just one player is now responsible for all the duties. Luckily then, most have been souped up significantly to handle that. And there are a lot of great options at the time.

Right now, high mobility, and especially those that can dive on targets are the best Tank options in the game generally. In particular, Winston is the king in that role.

Thanks to the viability of heroes like Genji, Kiriko, Lucio, and Sombra, dive competitions are very good right now. Winston can jump into enemy back lines and, if his team is coordinated, expect help from a flanking Damage dealer, but also importantly can be saved by Kiriko diving in with him.

Too often in Overwatch 1, Winston would dive in and find himself disconnected from his healers, but Kiriko mitigates that a lot.

Elsewhere, D.VA is also very, strong. She is a great all-around pick that is feeling very viable and versatile. She can dive in a similar way to Winston (though not quite as well), but can also defend her team with her three seconds of Defense Matrix.

She can be defensive and aggressive from one moment to the next. If you want a tank that will slot into most competitions and at least provide some value, D.VA is a great pick.

Sigma is a great choice too if you are looking for a more traditional, stationary tanking experience. He hasn’t received too many changes in the move to Overwatch 2, but his kit remains very strong, especially as a solo tank.

He can absorb a lot of damage and has the potential to be the highest-damage tank. If you’re not one for diving in, Sigma should be your go-to.

If you want to just play selfishly and try to secure kills and be an exceptionally hard hero to kill, Roadhog is a bit of a sleeper pick too.

Best Damage Heroes in Overwatch 2

Right now, as stated with the tanks, dive heroes are strong and no one is enjoying the move to Overwatch 2 more than Genji.

He hasn’t had any huge rework or changes, but with Blizzard’s philosophy of removing a lot of the stuns and crowd-control effects, there is a lot less that gets in the way of Genji, who can now dash in and get lots of executions and massive Dragon Blades, as long as you know what you are doing.

Sombra is an excellent partner to Genji as both can get into the enemy back line and feast upon weaker health targets fairly easily. They are both made better too with the addition of Kiriko who is an amazing support to pair with them as she can easily join flanks by teleporting to the heroes if they need a hand.

For those who want something a little simpler though, Soldier 76 is a very versatile pick that will slot into most competitions with no trouble. With the loss of a second tank, there are fewer shields and abilities protecting teams, which means sightlines are more open.

This is where some ranged Damage heroes will thrive. Sojourn is a great alternative if she is more your speed, and to a slightly lesser degree, Ashe is also an excellent pick if you can keep sufficient distance between you and diving heroes.

Best Support Heroes in Overwatch 2

Currently, Kiriko is the best healer in the game. She’s just excellent. She has a great combination of abilities, a lot of healing, and can appear almost anywhere in an instant. Currently, the play has flankers running around the back of teams, and Kiriko hunting with them to support.

Due to her ability to teleport, she can both dive in to help teammates or dive out if a situation gets too spicy. On top of that, her ultimate is very strong and has some wild interactions with other heroes.

Elsewhere Lucio is also excellent. He fits into a lot of compositions, and his speed boost is always useful, especially with mobility such an important factor of the meta. Add on top of that, his Sound Barrier is still an excellent ultimate to counter powerful enemy ultimates.

Ana and Zenyatta are excellent as well, and in a void, could well be S-Tier themselves. Ana’s Biotic Grenade and Zenyatta’s Discord Orbs are powerful utility tools. The only real issue with these two is that they are juicy targets for diving heroes, which again, are very strong right now. However, with some care from the teammates to look out for them, they are very powerful options.

Generally, Supports currently feel very good across the board, and any ranked lower are generally still very good, so if you have a strong preference for another, our advice is to go with what you know.

Remember, for new players, you need to unlock Heroes in Overwatch 2 before you can start using them – but hopefully the recommendations above give you options as you go.

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