The Overwatch 2 DPS tier list is settling into its meta and we’ve spent significant time with each of the seventeen DPS heroes, getting a pretty good handle on what is good, and what isn’t. The Damage role is the flashiest and most popular, and with one less tank on the field, they/re empowered to make more plays and have a bigger impact than they ever had in Overwatch 2’s predecessor. Most Overwatch 2 characters and roles have changed a fair amount so there's a lot to take in.
We’ve taken the stance of coming at this Overwatch 2 DPS tier list from the point of view of an average player, so while Top 500 and Overwatch League pros may rate heroes a little different, they play a much more coordinated, shot-called style that isn’t feasible for most players. What works at those levels isn’t going to be what you can climb through Bronze and Diamond reliably with. If do you want to ascend past those ranks, we’ve compiled a list of the Overwatch 2 damage characters we think are the easiest to do it with. To help you and your friends coordinate, we've also got the an Overwatch 2 tank tier list and an Overwatch 2 Support Tier List to help you get a feel for the other options on the playing field.
The best DPS heroes to play as in Overwatch 2
- S: Sojourn, Genji,
- A: Sombra, Ashe, Soldier 76, Tracer, Reaper
- B: Echo, Widowmaker, Hanzo, Cassidy, Pharah, Mei
- C: Bastion, Junkrat, Torbjorn
- D: Symmetra
In terms of what is generally doing great right now in the Damage role are high-mobility Overweatch 2 heroes, like with Tanks and Supports. D.VA and Winston are excellent tanks right now, and Lucio and Kiriko are moving and zooming around the battlefield. That’s why characters like Genji, Sombra, and Tracer are running rings around players.
However, that’s only one-half of it. With one less tank on the field, there's much less getting in the way of Damage dealers and their prey. Because of that, ranged heroes are excelling, as they can output enormous damage from general safety. Sojourn is running riot right now, and is one of the most powerful heroes in the game, while Ashe, Soldier, and Widowmaker are all very strong choices too.
As ever in Overwatch 2 though, use tier lists as general suggestions, rather than gospel. If you're great with Junkrat and seeing success, you should stick to what is working for you. That said, if you’re feeling a little lost with what to play, we’re here to provide some suggestions.
Sojourn
Sojourn is the newest DPS and she is doing exceptionally well. She can one-tap enemies after charging her railgun shot, which is very easy to do. Add her exceptionally good movement on top, and she can be the biggest force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. She’s one of the best heroes in the game right now and is even a strong candidate for a nerf or two.
Genji
Genji is enjoying time in the spotlight currently, as he's come flying out the gates. He's benefitting massively from the reduction of crowd control abilities. Dive compositions are generally strong right now, so flanking heroes are doing great, and Genji is enjoying it the most. With no stuns, the cyborg-ninja has very little getting in the way of tearing through weaker targets.
Sombra
Sombra has seen a rework in Overwatch 2, meaning she can stay invisible while hacking and is more of a silent assassin, rather than a disabler she was previously. She's now a menace to backlines everywhere, so if you want to be the reason Zenyattas and Anas stay up at night, Sombra is for you. She's an excellent flanker right now, and her hack brings some extra utility, being able to interrupt abilities on top of everything. If she has to teleport out, she can go absent from fights, but if you know what you're doing, Sombra has a lot of potential right now.
Ashe
As with Sojourn, Ashe is benefiting greatly from the loss of one shield. With less in the way, there is less obstructing her shots, making her a menace if she’s accurate. She can take over games if she finds the right angles, and BOB remains a great ultimate. Few heroes can do as much work as Ashe can, and while she's susceptible to dives, her coach gun and team can usually bail her out.
Soldier 76
Soldier 76, or Legs more colloquially, is enjoying clearer sightlines along with all of the other hitscan characters in the game. His ability to run makes him excellent for getting around and as established, movement is king right now. His Ultimate generally has an easier time finding value too, though shields and D.VA can still absorb a lot. That said, Soldier feels like a strong all-around pick that can do damage and allows you be a little more self-sufficient.
Tracer
Some people out there think that because Tracer had a slight damage nerf, she isn’t that good anymore. Those people are wrong. In a fast-flowing meta like we have now, she can be a menace to supports and backlines everywhere. She functions very similarly to Sombra, but has a little more in-fight sustain, and generally more damage.
Reaper
Reaper is a bit of a sleeper pick right now and can be utilized as a battering ram for your team. While her can’t keep up with the pace of most of the best compositions, he doesn’t have to. With only one tank on the enemy team and a buff to his shotgun spread, he can shred through the enemy’s key player, with the added nicety of being able to get out of situations if you’ve committed too hard.
Echo
Echo, as ever, is a finicky character and she is a harder, more technical character to get your head around especially if you are new or returning to Overwatch. She suffers somewhat from the abundance of hitscan, though if you can utilize her exceptional time-to-kill, movement, and ultimate, you will become the carry for your game.
Widowmaker
Widowmaker is dependent on quite a few factors, the most important being, can you click on heads? Like other hitscans, Widowmaker can take over the battlefield with one less tank on the field, however, she's a juicy dive target. If the enemy team is running heroes that can get at her like Winston, Sombra, and Genji, she can be caught out very easily with no way to defend herself.
Hanzo
Hanzo is just generally in a decent place right now. If you need burst damage from range, he can do great, and also with one less tank around, there’s a much bigger chance of a stray arrow finding a head. That said, he’s fairly stationary, and he can’t fight at as safe a distance as someone like Widowmaker, meaning that the quick heroes that are doing great right now can usually get at him, making him have to hit very difficult shots under pressure.
Cassidy
Cassidy is perhaps the least inspiring ranged hitscan character (excluding Bastion), but that doesn’t mean he can’t do great. He has to get in the thick of things a little more than say Ashe and can’t get away like Soldier, but he's a menace if you’re proficient at getting headshots. His new sticky grenade is also a great way to kill an enemy who you’ve headshot, meaning he can win a one-on-one very quickly.
Pharah
Pharah is often like making a bet against the enemy team. If you're feeling confident that they don’t have a great ranged hitscan player and you're right, you'll run amok as the enemy team desperately flails to counter you. However, if they do, you’re going to be sent back to the respawn room quickly. She both benefits and is hurt by the loss of a second tank, as there is much less getting in the way of her spam fire, but also, ranged characters, as established, are thriving.
Mei
Mei has lost her ability to freeze opponents with her left click, but in turn, gained a big damage buff to her spray. This makes it work almost like a flamethrower now, and if the enemy team is bunched up, you can output a monstrous amount of damage. Her ability to use icicles to the enemy heads to wipe them out remains strong and her ultimate is great for securing a couple of kills. Her biggest issue right now is a meta one, as enemies are generally more spread out and moving quickly, she’s not a great match-up against what’s very good right now.
Bastion
Bastion has seen a rework in Overwatch 2, making him a more active character than what came previously. You can now move around in his turret form on a timer and he has a fun grenade he can use to burst players or use as a movement tool. That said, Bastion’s new ultimate (now it’s fixed) is one of the worst DPS ultimates in the game, and with so much mobility, he needs an entire team to protect him if he’s going to live long enough to output the massive damage he’s capable of.
Junkrat
There's a playstyle to Junkrat that can work. If you love to use your Concussion Mines to fly through the sky and reposition constantly, he can work and be an absolute menace against the enemy team. That said, it’s a very risky play, and you can easily put yourself in too much danger. With tanks like Zarya and D.VA doing well, his damage can be eaten or worse, used against him in the form of a charged Zarya. If you’re a Junkrat one-trick who knows all the moves, go for it, but generally, he feels risky against what's currently powerful.
Torbjorn
Look, Torbjorn can do great, especially in lower levels. If the enemy team doesn’t have a tank that can mitigate his Turret damage, it will constantly be plinking away at the enemy’s health. His Ultimate is great for area denial too. That said, with fewer bodies in the way, it’s generally fairly easy for a ranged character to nullify his turret and he’s generally fairly uninspiring when he’s without it.
Symmetra
No beating around the bush, Symmetra feels a little lost in Overwatch 2. With fewer shields around, she struggles to charge her beam as quickly, and with no Assault maps in the rotation anymore, she struggles to build the defensive setups she excels at. She can sometimes find purchase on Control maps, but she feels like probably the worst hero in the game right now - even outside of the DPS role.
