Overwatch 2: The Best Tanks in Season 2, And How to Counter Them

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Overwatch 2: The Best Tanks in Season 2, And How to Counter Them

We go through the top-performing Overwatch 2 Tank heroes in Season 2.


The developers of Blizzard's massively popular 5v5 shooter promised big hero changes coming into the second season, and they delivered.

A list of various buffs and controversial downgrades were introduced in Overwatch's latest patch notes. Among them was a hero that truly needed a serious power-up, one that many say went a bit overboard. Be that the case, a new tank meta has dropped, leading many to be frustrated with the hyper-mobile “raid bosses” flying all over the map.

With so many curious newcomers entering the “Thunderdome” of unpredictable balance changes that is Overwatch, awareness of the best heroes — and who counters them — is paramount to winning your games.

So let's look at the heaviest hitters in Season 2, discuss their biggest strengths and the counter-picks that capitalize on their biggest weaknesses.

ow2 doomfist1

Doomfist

Relying solely on brute force, Doomfist's infamous gauntlet can push multiple enemies away, absorb damage to augment his own and relocate easily with his Seismic Slam. This hero can be an absolute powerhouse for those who want to learn the ropes. Unfortunately, “DF” can be a pain to face as well.

The Successor's Season 2 changes have made Talon's de facto leader nigh unbeatable, shooting him to the top of our list.

If you ever find yourself facing up against a cracked-up Doomfist, keep calm. There are ways to shut Doomfist players down if you pack the right abilities.

  • Mei is a brilliant counter due to high survivability as a brawler and her Endothermic Blaster's slowing effect
    • Block Doomfist's Rocket Punch with Ice Wall, and shoot icicles when he tries to back off
  • Symmetra deploys 3 mini-turrets that lasers onto enemies, damaging as well as slowing them down
  • Torbjorn relies on his trusty turret to suppress enemies from afar with hitscan damage
    • Locking onto a mid-air Doomfist can spell death for the off-tank hero
    • Overload gives you a buff of health whenever you get dived

ow2 roadhog2

Roadhog

Roadhog has seen much more play in this current meta due to his survivability. Boasting the most health amongst Overwatch's tanks, this 550lb. wastelander's self-healing ability gives fully-charged Sojourns a run for their money.

Capable of one-shotting multiple heroes in the game, this dangerous Junker relies on his self-sustain while dishing out often-fatal chain hook combos. On top of that, utilizing hardcover and minding your flanks makes Roadhog players extremely hard to kill. Special conditions in ranked competitive mode can even turn the one-man apocalypse into a flanker.

Roadhog's destructive capability is only offset by slow movement speed and inaccurate shots from mid-range. Take advantage of Take a Breather's cooldown to strike back from a distance. A dependable hitscan DPS player can melt his HP bar faster than you can say “Junkertown”.

Best Counters

  • Cassidy ‘s shots can deal impressive damage from afar, letting you avoid his Chain Hook's range
    • Using Fan the Hammer at close range can force Roadhog players to pop their self-heal, giving you enough time to get away
  • Reaper is an absolute tank-shredder if you take them by surprise, and Roadhog isn't an exception
  • Mei can pop Cryo-Freeze if she gets hooked
    • Overwatch's expert ecologist can use Ice Wall to block Roadhog's hooks, and help teammates retreat
  • Ana ‘s Biotic Grenade removes an enemy's ability to receive healing.
    • Use Sleep Dart to escape an flanking Roadhog

ow2 sigma1

Sigma

After suffering an experiment gone wrong, Sigma now holds dangerous control over gravitic powers once thought theoretical.

Wielding his two Hyperspheres, talon's astrophysicist can confidently lead his team past chokepoints with the help of his auto-regenerating barrier and his Kinetic Grasp. With enough energy, Sigma can unleash his full might and command gravity itself. He may have a few screws loose, but you know what they say about great geniuses.

Like most tanks, his kit doesn't do any favors for his mobility, and like gravity, his Hypersphere's ricochet is hard to control. Use crowd control whenever you can to interrupt him from getting the full benefits of his skills.

Best Counters

  • Genji‘s mobility makes his burst damage near impossible to stop for Sigma
  • Reinhardt can tank Sigma's Hypersphere damage while counter-attacking with his hammer
  • Reaper ‘s flanking damage potential against tanks is huge, and Sigma can't do much in a close-range 1v1

ow2 dva2

D.Va

Korea's celebrity mech pilot makes our list for her omnidirectional flight capabilities, lethal burst damage and a highly devastating ultimate ability. She's also canonically the best professional esports player in the world.

Being able to juggle multiple mecha abilities at once certainly makes D.Va a fun, easy pick for beginners. Without having to worry about reloading, you can just let those machine guns loose while blasting your target of choice with Micro Missiles. On top of that, when firefights get too hot, Defense Matrix eats up most projectiles to up your team's APM.

Despite her strengths, her hitbox is sizeable enough to make landing your shots easy.

Best Counters

  • Sombra's hack can momentarily disable her systems and make her a vulnerable target for your teammates to get to work
  • Roadhog‘s Chain Hook combo can prevent her retreat and melt her mecha's HP quicker
    • exhaust D.Va's defense matrix with Roadhog's Scrap Gun
  • Zarya can protect allies and herself with her bubbles. D.va's rapid burst fire hitting her barriers increases Zarya's main weapon damage
    • Zarya's Particle Cannon beam cannot be blocked by Defense Matrix
  • Junkrat ‘s grenade spam can whittle down any tank's HP very efficiently
    • His Steel Trap can keep her in place when she dives into your backline

ow2 hammond1

Wrecking Ball

Overwatch's hyper-mobile tank swings around the battleground and slams down on your backline when you least expect it. With his Adaptive Shield giving him more HP to work with, Hammond can become an extremely irritating combatant (at best) if he isn't quickly dealt with.

Disruptor tanks have found a new place in the current meta. Being an offense-oriented hero, Wrecking Ball can shoot, slam, shove, stall and save teamfights when he deploys his Minefield ultimate. It takes a lot of practice to get a handle on the hyperintelligent hamster's skills, but his mobility remains extremely fun to play around with.

Best Counters

  • Sombra ‘s hack is enough to kill a Wrecking Ball's momentum.
    • Sombra deals 25% more damage to hacked targets
  • Zenyatta ‘s Orb of Discord makes the enemy take +25% more damage from all sources of damage
  • Reaper deals the most damage up close, and can disengage with Wraith Form
  • Bastion can rip any tank apart with a few seconds in Sentry mode
  • Pharah ‘s advantage lies in the fact that she's almost impossible for Hammond to reach
    • Fly above the fray to ping Wrecking Ball's flanking spots

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Overwatch 2: The Best Tanks in Season 2, And How to Counter Them
Paul Goño
Paul started writing for ESTNN in 2022, the same year he beat his first Souls game. An avid fan of RPGs, his all-time favorites include Baldur's Gate 3, Assassin’s Creed and Kingdom Hearts 2. Besides being a professional nerd, he still struggles to get over the broken PS2 memory card that stored years of his save files.