Overwatch 2: Tank Tier List

Picking the best Overwatch 2 tanks is tougher than ever now that the FPS game altered the role defenders play. In a game that now prioritizes speed and damage over defense, the quality of a tank depends on what they bring to the field aside from absorbing hits.

In this guide, we'll take you through the best tank picks for your play style.

Overwatch 2 tank tier – All tanks ranked

Note. As with any character ranking, these picks are subjective and may change depending on your skill level and approach. For example, Winston may be S-rank for players who want a more active tank, but the worst choice for someone who prefers defending. Bear that in mind when deciding which hero is right for you, and experiment with them all to see what you like best.

S-tier tanks

Winston

Winston epitomizes the tank’s new role in Overwatch 2. Rather than being a damage sponge and strong defender, a good tank disrupts the enemy team, assists your DPS characters by engaging or defeating troublesome enemies, or both, ideally. And Winston can do both, thanks to his powerful jump pack ability. This skill sees Winston launch himself forward and come down with a mighty slam.

The idea is damaging an enemy with it, but even if you miss, you can use it to get behind the enemy’s formation and take out their ranged attackers or healers.

Sigma

Sigma is one of the most well-rounded tanks, though he may take some getting used to. His main attack is slow, but hits hard and explodes on impact, dealing even more damage. Sigma can also create a shield with his Experimental Barrier ability creates a shield and sends it forward, where it keeps blocking until it dissipates, which takes a few seconds.

That makes it an ideal counter for Widowmaker and even Roadhog, especially on maps with narrow passageways. Finally is Sigma’s Accretion ability, which flings rocks at enemies and stuns them briefly, the perfect way to disrupt a pesky attacker or enemy tank.

D.Va

D.Va is the least tanky of the tanks in a traditional sense, but she’s unparalleled when it comes to attracting the enemy’s attention. D.Va fights in a mech suit that uses a blaster with infinite ammo and has a rocket launcher ability blessed with a short cooldown timer. She can also generate a shield that blocks and reflects projectiles, though while it, too, has a short cooldown timer, you have to wait a few seconds after the cooldown for it to actually recharge.

If an enemy destroys the mech, D.Va ejects herself and can fight on foot, albeit with drastically reduced health and defenses. She isn’t the best for actually defending the party, but she can pester the opposing team and draw their fire while the rest of your allies move in.

A-tier tanks

Orisa

Orisa is a DPS and tank hybrid who has an impressive suite of ranged attacks, but won’t do your party any favors on the defensive front. Orisa uses a fusion rifle that can fire continuously for five seconds before having to reload.

Fortify reduces incoming damage and extends how long you can use her rifle without reloading, so using Orisa to storm enemy formations and damage weaker opponents is always a solid plan. Her alternate weapon is strong, but requires precise aiming and has a longer cooldown timer. She has no way to shield the party, but she can certainly draw fire and give your opponents a headache.

Roadhog

Roadhog’s hook makes him a monster on the battlefield and the bane of your opponents’ well-planned strategies. It latches onto an enemy character and pulls them to Roadhog’s position, where he can unleash a powerful blast or two to finish them off. The hook has impressive range as well, so Roadhog can use it to pick off enemy healers or separate a DPS from the rest of the pack.

Take a Breather heals 350 HP and has a short cooldown timer, so Roadhog can take care of himself. The main downside is that his weapon only has a handful of rounds and reloads slowly.

Wrecking Ball

Wrecking Ball is a unique tank who excels at causing chaos, though one important part of his setup requires practice to use effectively. Wrecking Ball uses a set of rapid-fire cannons that work fairly well at close range, but the main draw is the ball itself.

Wrecking Ball can roll around the battlefield and automatically reload his cannons, popping up behind enemy lines to do some damage or drawing their attention away from your party. He can also use a grappling hook to anchor himself and swing the ball into enemies or crash down on them, but aiming the hook and his movement just right is rather tricky.

Zarya

Zarya is an excellent middle-of-the-road tank with strong offense abilities and skills that help keep her and the party safe. Her particle cannon packs quite the punch, or you can use more ammo to lob a ball of exploding energy at distant foes instead.

Zarya’s ability lets her generate a shield for herself or a nearby ally, but there’s a catch. The ability shares two charges between both shield types, so if you provide a shield for two allies, Zarya has to wait before generating a self-shield.

B-tier tanks

Reinhardt

Reinhardt can disrupt the enemy’s formation and cause a bit of chaos, but his biggest asset is his shield. Reinhardt can generate a shield that absorbs over 1,000 points of damage and is the perfect tank if your team needs to press forward or hold a position.

His other abilities include a slow hammer attack and a skill that flings two concentrated flame blasts, though making contact with these moves isn’t always easy. Reinhardt has no means of sustaining himself aside from the shield either, so you definitely need to pair him with a healer.

Junker Queen

The new hero Junker Queen is more of a heavy DPS than a tank and a rather difficult one to use effectively at that. Her combat knife ability wounds enemies, draining their HP and restoring her own, and her shotgun is strong, but nondescript.

Junker Queen can use Commanding Shout to give herself and nearby allies a health and speed boost, though the skill’s range means you have to be right near an ally for it to take effect. Junker Queen’s melee skill also needs close contact to work. She’s not bad. She’s just not as good as other heroes.

Doomfist

Doomfist has some appealing qualities, but in a world where Winston exists, it’s hard to recommend him over Winston. Doomfist’s primary attack fires four bolts of energy, while his other abilities include a slam attack – just like Winston’s, but with shorter range – and a charged punch that covers a substantial area.

The punch is mighty, but enemies can easily slip away from it before the hit lands, making it a tricky one to get right. Doomfist also has a fortify ability but considering it only lasts for two seconds and has a cooldown timer of eight, it’s not the best defensive skill around.