Are you looking to gain a competitive edge in the Overwatch 2 meta? Our guide to the best characters in Overwatch 2 has got you covered! With over 35 heroes to choose from, diving into Blizzard's hero shooter can be overwhelming, especially if you don't know which heroes work best.

Some characters are better than others, as you'll notice certain heroes dominate the professional Overwatch 2 esports sphere. With this simple tier list and guide, we will take you through the best characters in Overwatch 2 class, so you can start dominating your ranked games!

Damage

The DPS heroes in Overwatch 2 have definitely received the most love, with 17 different characters to choose from. DPS heroes are arguably the most crucial role, as they make the difference between steamrolling the enemy team or getting spawn camped through a whole match.

Each hero has their strengths and weaknesses, so it's vital you choose the best hero to counter the enemy team and emerge victorious.

Tracer

Tracer has been a constant pick throughout Overwatch 2's competitive lifecycle. While she has an incredibly high skill ceiling, she is a great DPS hero to harass the enemy team and pick off their Support heroes. When combined with an Ultimate ability that groups enemies, her Pulse Bomb can be devastating.

Cassidy

Cassidy has recently seen a rework to his Magnetic Grenade in Season 5, meaning it now hinders enemies it sticks to, so they cannot use any abilities or escape safely. If timed right, the Magnetic Grenade can stun any Ultimate ability and disrupt enemy gameplans.

His ability to reliably deal burst damage from a distance and his new Magnetic Grenade make him an S-tier DPS hero that can slot into any team composition.

Junkrat

On maps with tight corridors and confined spaces, Junkrat is the perfect pick. He has a two-hit combo that can wipe out squishier targets with a well-timed Concussion Mine and a primary attack grenade.

Nicknamed "Spamrat" by the community, Junkrat suits players who aren't confident with their aim and can easily shred down the enemy Tank. His Ultimate, Rip-Tire, can also easily claim or clear objectives in Overtime to clutch the win.

Reaper

In a similar way to Junkrat, Reaper is a Tank buster through and through. His Hellfire Shotguns will shred through anything and anyone standings in his path.

Using Shadow Step and Wraith Form, he can slip behind the enemy and flank them from behind, and rain the fires of hell upon them. His Ultimate Death Blossom is best used from above to catch the enemy unaware and get an easy team wipe.

Sombra

With her Hack ability, Sombra can be a crucial character to destroying the enemy team from the inside. She can disable their abilities, get intel on opponent's Health and the status of their Ultimate, all through the click of the button.

A carefully coordinated EMP disables enemy shields, making it an amazing and versatile Ultimate. It can send the enemy straight back to spawn when coupled with any other damaging Ultimate ability, like Reaper's Death Blossom, D.Va's Self Destruct, Soldier: 76's Tactical Visor, just to name a few!

Sojourn

Every team needs a reliable DPS and Sojourn is the best hero to dish out consistent damage. Despite a round of nerfs, she is still an incredible DPS with an all-rounded solid kit. Her primary fire, although projectile, can deal lethal damage from afar and works to charge up energy for her alternate fire.

Where she truly shines is through her secondary fire, which can almost one-shot any other squishier heroes on the roster. She can use her Power Slide to secure the high ground, and rain burst damage from above, especially with her Ultimate Overclock charged and ready to go.

Support

Support heroes are the lifeline and soul of the team - without them, the team would crumble. Only nine support heroes are currently in the game, following the introduction of Lifeweaver to the roster. While every Support hero has strengths and weaknesses, some work better than others.

DPS Moira was once a meme in the community, with her ability to lock onto squishier targets at close range with Kinetic Grasp and beat most heroes in a 1v1 fight with her self-healing passive. To excel at the Support role, check out our dedicated Support guide!

Lucio

Lucio is an easy character to learn by hard to master. While playing Lucio may not feel super impactful, his passive healing and movement speed boost make him an asset for any team in most situations. His secondary fire is instrumental on maps where environmental factors play a role, as he can easily boop enemies off the map.

Ana

If players fancy the challenge of sniping but as a support hero, look no further than Ana. Her Biotic Rifle allows her to provide ample healing from afar, either unscoped or with more accuracy through using the scope.

The best part of her kit is Ana's Nano Boost Ultimate, which can save an ally for near death and boost their damage, and her Biotic Grenade which has a dual purpose of amping ally healing while preventing the enemy team from getting heals. She has a high skill ceiling but well worth playing, and is seen on most pro teams.

Kiriko

Kiriko stands out among the Support heroes with a formidable kit. Her healing output is impressive as she excels in keeping her team alive. Her Protection Suzu provides temporary invincibility while cleansing crowd control abilities and other adverse effects hindering her team.

If that isn't enough, she has incredible burst damage capabilities with her secondary fire, able to one-tap headshot enemies from a distance. With a capable DPS and her Ultimate Kitsune Rush to increase shooting speed, Kiriko can quickly decimate the enemy team under a rain of bullets.

Baptiste

If you're looking for a jack of all trades in the Support class, look no further than Baptiste! His Biotic Launcher can deal damage and heal simultaneously! In the right hands, his primary fire can be deadly with consistent aim - remember to heal.

His healing abilities make him one of the best supports on the roster, alongside his Immortality Field, which can be game-changing when used in the right situations.

Tank

Overwatch 2 features 11 Tank heroes, with the Tank category seeing the most changes following Overwatch 2's release. The below tier list will discuss the four best Tanks currently in Overwatch 2's meta.

An honorable mention includes D.Va. She is a strong all-rounder Tank that can dish out hefty damage while protecting the rest of her team. Check out our D.Va guide for more information on how to play her!

Ramattra

Ever since his launch in Season 2, Ramattra has been a solid pick. He is the first tempo Tank to grace the world of Overwatch 2 and is incredibly versatile. Ramattra's Nemesis Form allows him and his allies to push aggressively during a team fight, giving him extra armor and a melee attack that ignores shields.

Where Ramattra shines is through his deadly Ultimate ability, Annihilation. When popped during team fights, Annihilation is deadly. Ramattar creates a deadly swarming aura, slowing enemy movement speed when caught within it, ticking away their health. The duration of this Ultimate ability is extended longer while damaging enemies, meaning he is essentially unstoppable until the enemy team either dies or escapes.

Orisa

Orisa received a complete rework coming into Overwatch 2, transforming from a defensive mild Tank into an offensive killing machine and literal war horse. She can use her Energy Javelin and Javelin Spin abilities to disrupt enemy abilities and push them around.

She is an incredibly hard hero to counter due to Fortify and Terra Surge making her invincible for a short period. The only real way to defeat Orisa is to pummel all of your team's damage into her but be careful; her damage output is also incredibly high for a Tank.

Wrecking Ball

Wrecking Ball has recently received significant buffs to his kit, making him a more viable pick in the meta. His main strengths are his massive health pool and incredible mobility, making him virtually impossible for the enemy to pin down. Wrecking Ball works best when coupled with other dive heroes that can support his pushes and any support hero that can heal him from afar, like Kiriko and Ana.

His movement speed is his greatest strength, leaving other heroes like Reinhardt and Roadhog in the dust - literally! His Ultimate ability, Minefield, now gains charge faster, making it a great way to cover objectives and bottleneck enemies. With his crowd-control abilities and knock-ups, Wrecking Ball can be a formidable foe in the right hands.

Final Thoughts

Take into account that the Overwatch 2 meta changes with every new patch. There are no strict rules on which heroes can and cannot be played in games, so play who you are most comfortable with. Remember that Overwatch 2 gives players the flexibility to change heroes multiple times during a match, so if your team composition isn't working, you can always switch.

Chances are you'll always be better off playing a character you know inside and out rather than testing the waters with a meta hero outside your comfort zone. GL HF in your future games, and remember to check out our crosshairs guide!

If you want more Overwatch 2 news, save Rivalry as your number 1 trusted esports site. We have a guide to unlocking all heroes, Overwatch 2 system requirements, maps, and a Mercy gameplay guide!