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This change makes the game much faster, with movement abilities and speed buffs making huge differences on the battlefield. Overwatch 2 players may have noticed that certain heroes are more difficult to pilot in this new environment. That’s not to say that these heroes are bad picks, just that they may require more adjustments than others to succeed in 5v5.
Updated January 21, 2023 by Jake Fillery: Competitive shooters like Overwatch tend to keep players engaged with a constantly updated roster of heroes. Overwatch has featured a steady stream of updates for years, and with Overwatch 2 out in full force, it’s no surprise that a constant update of new heroes, and balances to old ones, makes for an ever-changing meta.
What’s most notable about Overwatch 2 isn’t just the changing meta, but the fact that each hero is different, and Overwatch 2’s hardest characters are hard to ignore. The hardest Overwatch heroes require a lot of skill and adaptability, yet the hardest Overwatch 2 heroes will grant players unique power to their team and opponent.
15 Sombra
Sombra has some new tweaks in Overwatch 2, she deals more damage to hacked opponents, and Hack’s cooldown is much shorter; however, it no longer gets reduced for health pack hacks. Health packs also remain hacked for 30 seconds now, instead of the former 60. Sombra can also remain in stealth mode while hacking, though she is visible for the entire cast time.
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Sombra’s difficulty comes from her positioning; she can get caught in fire fairly easily when trying to nail down a target to hack. The lack of a second shield makes her more vulnerable as well, and players will need to really master her stealth to make effective use of Sombra.
14 Cassidy
The man behind the hat got some reworks in Overwatch 2, including a new Magnetic Grenade that replaces his Flashbang. This grenade sticks to enemies before exploding for huge damage, and Fan The Hammer also got buffed with a fire rate increase.
Cassidy doesn’t have much survivability beyond his Combat Roll, and he is often better off trying to outgun his opponent than retreating for better positioning. Cassidy is great for taking down flanking enemies, but damage heroes with long-range can catch Cassidy off guard.
13 D.Va
Another tank character to grace Overwatch players is D.Va. She is not easy to control, but she’s certainly one worthy of mastering thanks to one of her abilities, which negates and eats damage, including other heroes’ ultimate abilities.
D.Va players need to know their positioning, as they can be a quick target to destroy, especially when D.Va is out of her mech and easy to eliminate. However, her own ultimate is a great backup and can be used to nuke unsuspecting opponents.
12 Wrecking Ball
Wrecking Ball has had his Roll knockback buffed by a solid 36%, which means skilled players can launch enemies greater distances when speeding through the map. Map knowledge is key for Hammond, as his movement is wasted if he gets sent flying in the wrong direction or off the map entirely.
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Building momentum can be tricky for new Wrecking Ball players, as speed is key for getting those huge initial knockbacks. Wrecking Ball’s kit is very versatile and great for zoning enemies into difficult positions; it just takes a good amount of practice to see results. Knocking enemies off the map is quite an achievement, and it makes Wrecking Ball all the more special.
11 Pharah
The power of flight is gifted to those that play Pharah, but that doesn’t mean she’s an easy one to master. Some of the hardest characters to play in Overwatch are those that feature a risk system such as Pharah’s, as she cannot remain in the air indefinitely.
There’s a good reason that Pharah is one of the hardest Overwatch characters, and that’s her dependency on movability and counters. Pharah can be a real nuisance due to her constant evading, explosive damage, and flying, but mastering her balance of fuel and firepower is no easy task.
10 Genji
Genji has fantastic movement and damage potential from any range, which makes him a beast in Overwatch 2. New players may get stuck in dangerous spots if they aren’t constantly aware of game state and enemy positioning.
Genji is best at poking down opponents from a distance before diving in with his Swift Strike and Dragonblade. A poorly timed Swift Strike gets Genji killed more than anything else, and players should always beware of their Deflect cooldown before doing anything crazy.
9 Zenyatta
Zenyatta is a strong hybrid hero who can heal allies and deal out massive damage at the same time. Though, he remains one of the most vulnerable heroes in the game and is easy for the enemy team to take out.
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There are situations that definitely call for Zenyatta and others where it’s best to pick a different hero entirely. Skilled Zenyatta players know how to take advantage of game state and stay out of harm’s way. This support can easily top damage charts, but it’s largely dependent on whether the enemy has counter-picked or not.
8 Lucio
Lucio may be quick, with a feature of good tunes, healing, and damage, but he’s one of Overwatch 2’s hardest heroes for a reason. Lucio doesn’t have a lot of health and has a pretty small healing range for his team. Most importantly, his speed is hard to master, as Lucio will be dependent on wall riding to get to places fast, whether to contest or save his team.
Lucio is a high target due to his small size and lack of health, but mastering him sure is a reliable tactic for teams. Lucio is one of the best support characters in Overwatch2, and he’s a hard one to play due to his movability and targeting.
7 Ana
Ana is best at medium or long distances, staying behind her team and offering support and extra damage. Ana lacks mobility skills and has slower ground movement, so close-range combat is her biggest weakness.
New Ana players may find it difficult to keep her safe, as overextending is practically a death sentence. Ana can also put enemies to sleep with her Sleep Dart, though players want to ensure they are targeting the right enemies. Sleep Dart is great when Ana gets put in a tight spot or for dealing with an enemy hero on a rampage; it’s not particularly effective against tanks who can likely outlive the 3 seconds of sleep.
6 Echo
An often overlooked pick, Echo can be a devastating damage hero with great movement and arguably the most versatility in the game. Echo can copy an enemy hero, giving her access to many skills and ultimate abilities. The difficulty for the player is deciding which enemy to copy at each instance and how Echo’s Duplicate interacts with that hero specifically.
If the player Duplicates an enemy that doesn’t necessarily benefit the team, they can find themselves stuck for the duration of the skill. This is especially unfortunate when Duplicate is used on an enemy that the player has no prior experience with.
5 Baptiste
Being a supporting character in Overwatch 2 is no easy task, and Baptiste is a stellar reason why. Baptiste has a lot going for him, and many different ways for him to fight. Baptiste may have to balance healing and damage simultaneously, but it’s what makes him a very good support character.
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It’s a hard job to maximize DPS and healing at the same time, but something Baptiste players will be able to utilize the more they practice. One of his best abilities is not only his high jump but the fact that he can put up an area of effect where his team remains invulnerable.
4 Doomfist
Perhaps one of the, if not hardest characters in Overwatch to learn is Doomfist. This character plays almost like a homage to fighting games, as he will pair his moves and counters with combos to build both damage and armor for himself. Doomfist is hard to learn but pays off to those that know him well.
The advantage of trying to learn how to play Doomfist comes from the fact that he is a tank character in Overwatch2, meaning he has a lot of health. Doomfist needs to use his moves in succession to be an effective tank.
3 Sigma
Sigma is a strong choice for Overwatch 2 once the player masters tanking from a distance. Since Sigma projects his shield outward to cover frontline teammates, it can feel awkward drawing enemy focus at that distance. Sigma deals most of his damage at that medium distance, using his primary fire to disrupt groups of enemies or bouncing it off walls to hit them behind cover.
Timing Sigma’s ultimate requires strong team communication. Knocking the entire team into the air for a few seconds allows Sigma’s allies to capitalize and collect kills, so they need to be aware and nearby when he’s about to fire it off.
2 Widowmaker
Widowmaker is the best sniper hero in the game, dishing out massive amounts of damage from a distance. Widowmaker does her best work away from the objective, leaving her vulnerable to flanks behind her team. When scoped in, she loses her close-range vision, which makes her very vulnerable.
Another problem for Widowmaker can be another Widowmaker on the enemy team, leading to heated sniper battles that can force the player to swap heroes. Widowmaker’s grappling hook is often her only means of escape, though its long cast time can lead to additional damage.
1 Tracer
The face of Overwatch is still a fantastic pick in Overwatch 2, though her low base health still remains her biggest weakness. Tracer can be killed in one shot if hit by an accurate headshot, so mastery of her Blink and Recall abilities is extremely necessary for survival.
It can be tempting to just dash in as Tracer and shoot wildly, relying on Recall as an exit strategy. Though, without careful planning and coordination, this can get Tracer killed very fast. Tracer needs to be close to her enemies to deal efficient damage, so fighting a distracted enemy that’s strayed away from their team is ideal.
Overwatch 2 is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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