Overwatch 2 has a sizable roster of damage heroes, sitting at 17 unique playable characters. Each hero has their strengths and weaknesses, and each of them can be countered by a good player and the right character. But that doesn’t stop some damage heroes from being better than others. The new 5v5 meta in Overwatch 2 has made damage heroes more important than ever, so it’s crucial that you pick Overwatch 2’s best DPS heroes for the job.
S Tier – Who Are The Best Overwatch 2 DPS Heroes?
Overwatch 2’s Best DPS: Genji
Overwatch 2 is all about the dive right now, and Genji is one of the best heroes to dive with. If you’re unfamiliar, ‘dive’ is a team composition that focuses on literally diving into enemy teams and focusing on one hero to eliminate first. This is a really popular way to compose your team right now, and in this respect, there’s no better damage hero than Genji.
Genji’s ability to climb walls and his Swift Strike make him a perfect choice if you want to get behind enemy lines. In addition, his hyper-mobility and close combat will give him the edge in taking out specific enemy heroes. His Deflect ability will also be extremely handy if you’re left vulnerable while in a fight.
Genji’s most lethal ability right now is easily his Ultimate. Dragonblade was already a dangerous Ultimate in Overwatch, capable of earning triple kills. In Overwatch 2, every damage hero also has the Role: Damage passive, granting a burst of movement speed for every elimination. This leads to a snowball effect with Genji. Once he receives one elimination with Dragonblade, it’ll make him more lethal and evasive.
Sombra – Overwatch 2 Best DPS
Sombra is another excellent hero to dive with. The difference here is that Sombra doesn’t even need the rest of her team. Sombra, a deadly hacker, can become invisible, sneak past enemies and focus on any target she chooses. Her increased damage in Overwatch 2 means she’s more than capable of solo-killing most enemies. Any support character, and most damage heroes, can be eliminated within one clip of her machine pistol.
Even if Sombra cannot finish her target, her hacking ability will leave them vulnerable to a future takedown. Hacking an enemy will mean they cannot use their abilities for a short time, so an enemy Reinhardt won’t be able to shield his team for a few seconds. Hacked enemies can also be seen through walls by your entire team, making that foe a target for everyone.
Sojourn
Sojourn might now be as sneaky or mobile as our two other S-tier heroes, but a Sojourn in the right hands can be the most dangerous opponent. Sojourn’s automatic railgun is already a menacing weapon with its long-range and high rate of fire. But this railgun also charges up to 100-points of energy that can be discharged into a single, powerful shot. The railgun’s secondary fire allows Sojourn to one-hit kill many heroes in the game if she lands a critical hit. If you’re faced with a hyper-accurate Sojourn, your chances of survival are slim.
Sojourn’s Ultimate, Overclock, turns her into a beast. This Ultimate auto-charges the railgun, allowing her to unleash brutal shots quickly. With her multi-use railgun, Sojourn is essentially a mix between Soldier: 76 and a sniper capable of instant kills. Unfortunately, she is definitely a prime candidate for nerfs in the coming season.
A Tier – Overwatch 2 Best DPS Heroes
Tracer
Tracer is another brilliant dive hero. Her blinks allow Tracer to get behind enemies undetected, leaving them vulnerable to incoming damage. Tracer can also disappear with Recall, leaving her enemies disorientated and scrambling to find her. Tracer is a little similar to Sombra as she’s able to engage with enemies before swiftly disappearing. Tracer’s Pulse Bomb is another excellent Ultimate for a dive composition, as she can easily stick it onto an enemy support, leave the area, and guarantee 1-2 eliminations.
Ashe
Ashe pretty much replaces every precision hero in the roster, thanks to her high rate of fire. Most damage and support heroes will die within one or two headshots, so why would you pick Widowmaker or Hanzo? Ashe’s higher rate of fire and dynamite make her a better all-rounder, capable of dealing with enemies up close and far away. Not to mention Ashe’s Ultimate, B.O.B. Having an extra friend on the battlefield is more alluring in a 5v5 context, making B.O.B. one of Overwatch 2’s best Ultimates.
Soldier: 76
Soldier: 76 might be outclassed by Sojourn, but he’s still an A-tier hero in his own way. Firstly, he’s a great hero for first-time players since his moveset will be familiar to any shooter fans. Secondly, his toolkit makes him a self-sufficient character, which is more crucial in a 5v5 match. His ability to heal himself is more valuable now than ever, and the Soldier is still capable of dealing massive damage in any context.
Overwatch 2’s Best DPS: B Tier
Symmetra
Placing Symmetra at the top of B-tier might be controversial, but it’s true. The only reason she isn’t in A-tier is that Winston easily counters Symmetra. Otherwise, Symmetra is in a surprisingly good position right now. Symmetra’s strength mainly comes from how good she is against an enemy Genji or D.Va – who are both very popular. Her sneaky Sentry Turrets slow down evasive characters that thrive from diving, leaving them vulnerable to more damage. Symmetra’s increasingly powerful primary fire is also a great counter to Genji and D.Va’s defensive moves, as beams pass right through Deflect and Defense Matrix.
Cassidy
Ashe has somewhat outshined Cassidy, but he’s still a capable hero in the right hands. An accurate shooter can finish enemy heroes with ease, and his Ultimate is still able to deliver triple kills. The lack of barriers in the meta is also a boon for Cassidy since headshots are more readily available. The only things holding Cassidy back are his lack of mobility and Ashe’s popularity.
Junkrat
Junkrat will always be a solid pick, thanks to his grenade launcher being a unique weapon in Overwatch. If the enemy team is congregating around an objective, you can be sure that Junkrat’s area-of-effect damage will scatter them. In a defensive context, Junkrat can block chokepoints with his grenades, mines, and traps. Junkrat isn’t an ideal damage hero for every scenario, but he excels when needed.
Reaper
We’ve come a long way from Reaper ripping up the meta, but he’s still a significant threat in the right hands. His restorative abilities make him very difficult to kill in 1v1 fights, and Reaper can take out most foes in a couple of shots at close range. The problem is that Reaper will struggle to get close to enemies in most contexts. However, if he manages to activate his Ultimate in the middle of an enemy, it’s a guaranteed multi-kill.
Echo
Echo has the potential to be a super useful D.P.S. hero, but the prevalence of Sojourn, Ashe, and D.Va makes it challenging to play as Echo effectively. If Mercy were in a better position in the meta, Echo would also be more appealing, since they’re both aerial heroes. Regardless, Echo is still a solid pick. Her Focusing Beam ability allows her to eliminate weakened enemies quickly, and her Ultimate can turn the tide of a team skirmish. She also has some of the best skins in Overwatch 2, though that’s not relevant here.
C Tier – Overwatch 2 DPS Heroes
Widowmaker/Hanzo
Widowmaker and Hanzo fulfill the same role as Overwatch 2’s premier snipers. Both can be crucial to matches in the right hands since they’re both capable of one-shot kills. However, both are too easily countered by a D.Va or a Sombra, who are both very strong right now. Furthermore, as snipers, neither of them are too effective at close range, which is critical when contesting objectives.
Mei
Mei is a little too niche to place higher than C-tier in Overwatch 2. She still excels in slowing down the enemy team and isolating individual targets, but she doesn’t do enough damage to keep up with other DPS heroes. Additionally, Mei’s Ultimate isn’t as lethal as it used to be. In a 6v6 context, Mei could be a great hero to slow down enemies for follow-up damage. However, in Overwatch 2, Mei is the one filling up a crucial damage slot; she just doesn’t deal enough damage in most cases.
Torbjorn
Torbjorn is extremely situational since his stationary turret won’t fare well in game modes with a moving objective. But if you’re playing defense, Torbjorn can still provide massive damage and even get a few Play of the Games. Torbjorn’s turret can be a major distraction for enemies, and its automatic aiming makes it a threat to evasive enemies like Genji or Tracer. Torbjorn’s Molten Core will also make it difficult for enemies to capture objectives, as you’re essentially creating a deadzone for any diving foes.
Pharah
There was a time during the original Overwatch when Mercy/Pharah were in every single match, and they were killing it, literally. That was back when Overwatch still had 6v6 games – two of your allies could be airborne, and you’d be fine. The prevalence of Ashe and Sojourn makes this duo less appealing due to their long-range capabilities. In addition, this duo doesn’t contribute much to a dive composition.
Bastion
Note: Bastion is temporarily unavailable due to a bug with his Ultimate Ability.
Bastion is a hero that gets less effective in more competitive settings. His bulky stature makes him an easy target, and his low mobility doesn’t fit into the dive meta in Overwatch 2. Bastion would be a great pick if the meta were more barrier-focused, but Reinhardt has lost some of his shine since the switch to 5v5. Bastion is still capable of dealing insane amounts of damage; he’s just a bit too slow for this season of Overwatch.
