The launch of Overwatch 2 introduced significant changes to tanks. With the shift from 6v6 to 5v5 matches, teams now rely on a single tank player instead of two. This lone tank must lead engagements, create space, and anchor the team through offense and defense. It‘s a demanding but impactful role that can carry games when played well.
So which tank hero is best suited for this vital role in Overwatch 2? This definitive guide provides an in-depth look at all 10 tanks based on the current meta in competitive play.
Main Tanks vs. Off-Tanks
First, it‘s important to understand the differences between main and off-tank roles:
- Main Tanks: Heroes like Reinhardt and Winston specialize in initiating fights. They lead the charge with strong barrier shields and crowd control abilities, creating space for their damage teammates to secure frags. Main tanks dictate the engagement pace and push onto objectives.
- Off-Tanks: Heroes like Zarya and D.Va fill secondary tank duties like peeling, flexing between lanes, and enabling main tank engages. Off-tanks have defensive utility and damage potential, disrupting enemies that attack the backline. They also ready for follow-up crowd control on their main tank‘s abilities.
In 5v5, teams typically want a main tank player for direction, though some comps utilize off-tanks in the solo role if played aggressively. Below is the tier list of all tanks in Overwatch 2 based on current meta viability:
S-Tier: Reinhardt, Winston
A-Tier: D.Va, Zarya, Sigma
B-Tier: Junker Queen, Orisa
C-Tier: Roadhog, Wrecking Ball
Reinhardt
The steadfast crusader remains one of the strongest main tanks in Overwatch 2. His barrier shield provides excellent protection while pushing chokes, with 2000 health that regenerates when not taking damage. Reinhardt‘s Rocket Hammer deals 75 damage per swing, quickly building ultimate charge from close-range brawls. Fire Strike dishes out 100 splash damage on a 6-second cooldown, enabling ranged poke and ultimate build-up. And Earthshatter is a potentially fight-winning ultimate, stunning entire teams for 4 seconds if timed correctly.
Weighed down by 250 armor atop his 300 health pool, Reinhardt excels at pushing through chokepoints and leading the frontal assault. Cleaving down targets with his hammer while his damage teammates secure kills behind the safety of his shield. Just watch out for knockbacks, stuns, and snares – Reinhardt has no mobility options. Overall, a top tier pick, especially with Lucio‘s crossing speed boosts.
Winston
Winston thrives at initiating fights and creating chaotic brawls the enemy isn‘t prepared for. His Jump Pack provides tremendous mobility, with an 8-second cooldown for jet-propelled leaps across the map. Tesla Cannon hits multiple targets at once with 60 DPS lightning, allowing Winston to dive deep into the backline. The weapon doesn‘t deal high damage, but the cleave adds up fast. Primal Rage turns Winston into a rampaging juggernaut, knocking away and heavily damaging enemies for its 8-second duration.
With a large health pool and armor, Winston functions well as an off-tank that can harass snipers and supports. Jump Pack lets him quickly engage, secure kills on isolated squishies, and then escape once the target‘s team responds. Winston has a relatively high skill ceiling though, requiring quick decision making to maximize his engagements and escape tools. But in the hands of a capable player, he‘s A-tier.
D.Va
D.Va is one of the most flexible tanks, equipped with strong offensive capabilities despite her defensive label as an off-tank. Her dual Fusion Cannons put out high DPS at close range, while Defense Matrix provides 1.5 seconds of damage negation on a short 8-second cooldown. When charged up and timed well, D.Va can completely shut down certain ultimates like Zarya‘s Graviton Surge. Her Boosters grant high mobility for 1 second dashes every 5 seconds – chasing down prey or escaping danger.
With 150 armor and 300 health, a high pool for an off-tank, D.Va can contest high ground and isolated damage heroes with ease. And even if her mech dies, D.Va ejects with the ability to still contribute mid-range damage before calling a fresh mech after a few seconds. On top of versatile tools, D.Va‘s Self-Destruct ultimate builds very quickly, providing strong zone control pressure.
Win Rates For Top Tanks in Competitive Play
| Hero | Win Rate % |
|---|---|
| Reinhardt | 51% |
| Winston | 49% |
| D.Va | 48% |
Based on hero usage rates tracked by leading Overwatch 2 stats sites, Reinhardt and Winston currently dominate the main tank role in most elos. D.Va rivals Zarya for top off-tank. This aligns with assessments from Overwatch League analysts and top 500 players evaluating the ranked meta.
Zarya
Zarya has supreme carry potential in the hands of a skilled player. Her Particle Cannon gains energy whenever Zarya or her barriers absorb damage, increasing the cannon‘s damage substantially when charged over 50+ energy. With two charges of Particle Barrier ready every 8 seconds, Zarya can regularly bubble herself or an ally to block attacks while powering up her beam.
Once charged, Zarya‘s Particle Cannon melts enemies, especially paired with the 50% damage boost from Projected Barrier. Graviton Surge is arguably the best tank ultimate, clumping enemies together for a devastating team wipe combo. Teamplay and communication is key though – without follow up on the graviton, its impact is limited.
Zarya has a high skill ceiling to track cooldowns, barrier targets appropriately, and maintain high energy. But in the right hands, she can hard carry teams through damage and disruption. Her 225 health pool leaves Zarya vulnerable to burst if caught out alone. So stick with the main tank and keep melting with your laser beam!
Sigma
An unconventional tank, Sigma provides unmatched ranged poke damage and area denial. His Hyperspheres deal high burst projectile damage, while Accretion rocks smash targets at range every 7 seconds. With Experimental Barrier, Sigma has a regenerating 1500 health shield on 10 second downtime to block angles. And Kinetic Grasp absorbs enemy fire to fortify Sigma‘s 200 health/200 shield pool.
When opportunities arise, use Accretion followed by a close Hyper Sphere volley and Kinetic Grasp to burn targets down. Sigma‘s real power lies in his Gravitic Flux ultimate, lifting multiple enemies up before slamming them down for 50% of their max health. Coordinate this combo for a devastating team fight initation.
Sigma excels at ranged shield dancing, clearing high ground, and locking down chokepoints. Not quite suitable as a main tank, he works well alongside a Reinhardt or Winston that can draw most of the enemy team‘s attention. Flexible and deadly in the right hands, Sigma sees strong win rates at higher competitive ranks in particular.
Junker Queen
The melee-range tank Junker Queen brings consistent close-range damage with her Scattergun, wound-applying Jagged Blade, and dive potential on Commanding Shout. She sustains well through teamfights with self-healing from Carnage passive and Commanding Shout‘s overheal. Up close Junker Queen dominates, but she struggles at range without gap closers outside her ultimate Rampage, which charges forward executing low health enemies.
Strong against flankers like Tracer and Genji, Junker Queen wants to play aggressively and chase down kills. She‘s vulnerable to being kited though and has a large hitbox for damage to poke down. With no barrier tools either, team play is essential – let Reinhardt or Orisa initiate before diving their backline yourself. Solid for rushdown compositions rather than methodical attack approaches.
Map-Based Tank Choices
Certain tanks shine on specific Overwatch 2 maps or mode types. For example:
- Winston thrives on Control maps with closely contested objectives he can repeatedly dive onto.
- Reinhardt and Orisa prevail on Escort maps like Route 66 where payloads progress through tight chokes and corners, easily protected by their barriers.
- On vast Hybrid maps like Junkertown, Roadhog and Wrecking Ball can capitalize on flank routes to disrupt backlines.
Consider your whole team comp and win conditions when picking tanks. And don‘t auto-pilot the same hero every match – flex picks based on the map and counter the enemy as needed.
New Player Tank Tips
For those just getting into Overwatch 2 tank roles, keep these tips in mind:
- Walk forward with your barrier up, creating space so damage teammates can step into openings easier.
- Track opponent abilities blowing up your barriers or stunning you. Call for help so a support can cleanse or your team collapse.
- Mind the objectives! Coordinate pushes with your team rather than chasing useless kills.
- Learn proper ultimate tracking so you know when to block enemy win conditions with shields.
Mastering tanks happens through experience – both reviewing your gameplay mistakes and expanding your hero pool over time. Stay positive, focus on improvement, and enable your teammates whenever possible.
Final Tier List
To recap, here is the conclusive Overwatch 2 tank tier list for competitive play in 2023:
S-Tier: Reinhardt, Winston
A-Tier: D.Va, Zarya, Sigma
B-Tier: Junker Queen, Orisa
C-Tier: Roadhog, Wrecking Ball
Focus on the S and A-tier heroes to maximize your tank impact under the current meta. But don‘t be afraid to put in games on different characters too – especially when just starting out. Learn their playstyle nuances while contributing to victories. With intense 5v5 competition over objectives, the tank role has never been more important or potentially satisfying!
