Four Overwatch tanks to keep an eye on

October is still a long way off, but until we have access to Overwatch 2, we’re taking a look at four specific tanks to keep an eye out for when the game launches. From D.Va to Roadhog, we took a closer look at the four.

Blizzard announced that the game will be free-to-play, meaning anyone can install and play it. Instead of charging money to play, the game will offer optional things like battle pass and skins for purchase. Of course, players won’t get any in-game benefits from using the cosmetics, since these items only change the hero’s appearance.

Before we have a chance to explore new maps and features of Overwatch 2, let’s take a closer look at heroes. More specifically, this article will focus on giving you more information about the Overwatch tanks to keep an eye on. Because many novice players underestimate the power of tanks in Overwatch, this guide might be very useful.

D.Va

The first tank that many people will focus on when playing Overwatch 2 is D.Va. Anyone with any experience of the original Overwatch knows that she was one of the strongest and most recognizable heroes in the game. D.Va deals almost as much damage as a DPS and is more tankable than some heroes with shields. In addition, the hero is mobile and can escape from many tricky situations.

Judging by the changes D.Va will go through in Overwatch 2, the hero will likely continue being the go-to choice for many players. People expected her damage to be nerfed, but until now, Blizzard hasn’t changed it. However, the developers reduced the range of the Fusion Cannons from 4 to 3.5, which should have a negligible effect on D.Va’s overall DPS.

Aside from this nerf, D.Va has received two other changes. The hero now has 450 base HP and 200 armor instead of 600 HP and 300 armor. Therefore, the total HP is 650, making her even more tankable. Finally, D.Va’s movement speed while shooting has been reduced from 50% to 40%. This should make her more mobile, which is good news for all mains.

It remains to be seen if D.Va will fit into the same combos that were popular in Overwatch. As it stands, she’s going to be one of the best tanks in the game.

Orisa

Similar to D.Va, Orisa is also a popular choice when it comes to Overwatch tanks. Often used as a team’s main tank, Orisa can take a lot of damage and give her teammates a fantastic damage boost. Unfortunately, that will no longer be possible in Overwatch 2 because she is one of the heroes that received a lot of changes. Instead of shield and halt, Orisa now focuses on the spear, which deals a lot of damage.

She’s definitely more aggressive than before because the new skills allow her to deal more damage. As a result, Orisa’s role should be different than in Overwatch, and it wouldn’t be surprising if people chose to use her as a second tank.

Reinhardt

While there are many legendary tanks in Overwatch, few come close to Reinhardt when it comes to popularity. This hero worked in almost every scenario, which explains why so many people kept using him. Aside from having many fans among casual gamers, Reinhardt has also been a popular pick for some of the top Overwatch teams in the world. It looks like the hero will also play an important role in Overwatch 2. While there will be a few changes, his role should remain the same as he is one of the best main tanks in the game. 

Speaking of changes, Reinhardt has a few new things players should be aware of. The first is his Steadfast Passive, which is no longer in play due to OW 2 adding this ability to every tank in the game. Reinhardt also has more armor and base HP because his HP is now 350 while his armor is 300 instead of 200. However, this has its price, because his barrier field has only 1200 HP. Even more annoying is that the regeneration rate has dropped to 144 HP per second. These changes mean that players playing Reinhardt will need to be more careful when using their shields.

Reinhardt’s charge steering turn rate has also been increased by 50% and is now cancelable. This ability also has a CD of 8 seconds instead of 10, but its damage has dropped from 300 to 225. The Fire Strike ability now has two charges and does 90 damage.

Roadhog

Roadhog wasn’t as popular as some players would like him to be. While he did a lot of damage, the lack of shields and his massive hit area made him easy prey for any top-tier DPS player. As a result, the hero rarely had a chance to show off his potential in the pro meta. 

Even though Overwatch 2 didn’t give the hero any shields, the game will try to make him a viable choice by offering a few new things. The first relates to Breather Healing, which will now heal for 350 instead of 300. The second change is definitely more interesting because it affects The Whole Hog Ultimate. This ability must be triggered manually and can no longer be cancelled by being stunned. In addition, Hog can also use other abilities while he has an active Ultimate. Whether that’s enough to make Roadhog a viable option remains to be seen. Things are looking good for him on paper though.

Header: Blizzard Entertainment