Overwatch 2‘s Season 12 brought several exciting updates, including the 11th support hero, a new core game mode, and a Mythic Reaper skin. Interestingly, the introduction of Juno has ushered in a fast-paced meta to the game. Although many dominant characters from Season 11 are still prominent, Juno’s utility has shifted some power dynamics.
The midseason patch and overall Season 12 updates have helped to solidify Overwatch 2‘s current hero tier list. While a player’s individual skill and competitive rank still play a crucial role, nearly every hero feels viable right now. That said, certain heroes stand out as optimal picks depending on team composition and map strategies.
- Brigitte
- D.Va
- Juno
- Kiriko
- Sigma
- Sombra
- Tracer
- Winston
Season 12 of Overwatch 2 has propelled Juno, Brigitte, and D.Va to the forefront of the meta for various reasons. While D.Va’s status has sparked controversy, her dominance is partly thanks to Hyper Ring, which enhances her capability to function as a frontline tank while effectively peeling for allies or overwhelming a target. Notably, D.Va was an S-tier pick in the previous season, and Juno’s introduction has further enhanced her effectiveness.
Winston is the only other tank capable of matching D.Va, as he also perfectly embodies the essence of a 5v5 tank. However, he does not gain the same advantages from Juno’s Hyper Ring as D.Va does from her Boosters. Nonetheless, his Primal Rage, Barrier Projector, and Jump Pack are valuable abilities that greatly enhance his survivability. Alternatively, Sigma plays a similar role to Winston, though he’s often a better choice on maps with long sight lines, such as Circuit Royale or Havana.
In terms of damage, Tracer and Sombra have established themselves firmly in S-tier. Although Tracer’s damage was reduced from 6 to 5.5 in the August hotfix, she still benefits from speed boosts, charges her Pulse Bomb quickly, and can be difficult to pin down. Comparably, while Sombra’s Virus damage was reduced from 90 to 75 at the start of Season 12, her kit remains a threat to other squishy heroes. Additionally, her EMP can be game-changing, especially in Dive or Rush compositions.
Sombra changes are being targeted for an upcoming patch.
Brigitte and Juno currently form one of the strongest support duos due to their ability to peel for each other and effectively engage with or counter D.Va. Kiriko also pairs well with Juno, much like she does with Lucio. However, since Juno’s healing output is generally much higher than Lucio’s, Kiriko has more opportunities to go for a pick on the enemy team.
A-Tier – Alternative Options for S-Tier Characters
- Ana
- Ashe
- Baptiste
- Cassidy
- Lucio
- Mei
- Moira
- Ramattra
- Venture
- Zarya
While Overwatch 2‘s midseason patch introduced some hero variety, it didn’t significantly alter the meta that’s been developing since Season 12 launched in August. Moira has been bumped from B-tier to A due to her ultimate, Coalescence, being increased from 70 to 85 damage per second with a developer comment from Team 4 stating that her “ultimate didn’t feel threatening enough after the health adjustments.” On the other hand, though Ana and Baptiste haven’t received any changes recently, they remain very strong contenders.
Lucio is still an A-tier hero, especially after his primary fire damage was increased from 18 to 22. While Juno’s Hyper Ring offers similar utility, Lucio distinguishes himself with his speed boost, which isn’t restricted by a cooldown and is only removed if he switches to healing. Furthermore, his ultimate, Sound Barrier, remains highly effective for initiating team fights or providing defensive support.
Cassidy and Ashe stand out as the game’s most playable hitscan characters. However, Cassidy seems to have a competitive edge right now, largely due to his Flashbang damage being increased from 45 to 75, though Ashe fares better with damage fall-off. Mei and Venture are also performing well currently, albeit for different reasons, as their utility is invaluable for securing picks and enabling their teammates.
Since Juno’s release, Ramattra has been on the verge of becoming an S-tier tank, as she enables him to quickly annihilate enemy backlines while providing healing that Lucio may not be able to offer. Meanwhile, Zarya shines as one of the best counters to D.Va, thanks to her Particle Barrier and her increasing strength as she builds charge. Of course, her lack of mobility can make playing difficult on maps with extensive high ground such as Dorado or Watchpoint Gibraltar.
- Doomfist
- Echo
- Illari
- Junker Queen
- Mauga
- Orisa
- Pharah
- Reaper
- Reinhardt
- Sojourn
- Soldier: 76
- Torbjorn
B-tier houses the most characters, which may indicate an overall healthy state of the game. Doomfist, Reinhardt, Orisa, Mauga, and Junker Queen each possess unique abilities, yet they all have immense carrying potential when in the right hands. As such, these heroes are not classified as hard meta, but they also do not completely drop out of viability.
“B-tier houses the most characters, which may indicate an overall healthy state of the game.”
DPS heroes such as Echo and Pharah are still worthwhile selections, particularly due to their flight capability and immense damage output, but align best with Poke compositions which aren’t as common with D.Va and Winston on the field. Sojourn isn’t as weak as she was in Season 11’s hero tier list, because she has regained some of the power she had in the early seasons of Overwatch 2. However, her playstyle has shifted to be less aggressive, as she can no longer fully depend on a fully charged railgun.
Soldier: 76 finds himself in a similar position to Sojourn, since he’s capable of flanking or frontlining while also outputting a consistent amount of damage. Intriguingly, Reaper is performing better this season, as the game’s environment has shifted to favor Dive characters. Conversely, Illari’s damage nerfs haven’t helped in the context of Dive meta. She remains a solid choice for securing damage output or eliminations, but she struggles to heal teammates who are moving away from her pylon or out of her proximity.
“…the game’s environment has shifted to favor Dive characters.”
C-Tier – Niche Characters That Thrive in Certain Situations
- Bastion
- Genji
- Hanzo
- Junkrat
- Lifeweaver
- Mercy
- Roadhog
- Symmetra
- Widowmaker
The current C-tier DPS in Overwatch 2 aren’t weak, but excel in more specific situations, particularly when countering enemy compositions. Hanzo’s one-shot potential has returned, but without the global projectile size increases, players will need to be even more precise with his arrows. Genji still holds strong carry potential, though a recent bug fix to his wall-climbing has impacted his ledge-grabbing tech. Heroes like Widowmaker and Symmetra remain more map-dependent, thriving on long-ranged maps and close-quarters environments, respectively.
Junkrat is able to execute a one-shot combo once again; however, it cannot be achieved with a single shot.
Lifeweaver received significant buffs to his kit, boosting his damage with increased ammo and an auto-charge feature for healing. While he can be valuable for saving teammates and delivering strong healing output, Juno’s arrival has made him less viable. Mercy faces a similar challenge, as her Guardian Angel remains unchanged, while Juno’s vertical mobility and multiple movement abilities are making her a rising threat.
Despite Roadhog’s rework in Season 7, according to Blizzard, he is continuing to underperform. Originally designed as an off-tank for 6v6, he excelled as a flanker, but now he has trouble holding the frontline without becoming an ult battery for the enemy. Facing a skilled Ana on the opposing team only adds to his challenges, as it can negate the healing from his Take a Breather ability.
Regardless of being placed in the lowest tier, Wrecking Ball and Zenyatta can perform well depending on the map and a player’s skill level. However, with D.Va, Brigitte, and Juno dominating the meta, Zenyatta struggles to survive, as his strengths typically shine in Poke compositions. Wrecking Ball, while excellent at harassing the backline, isn’t the best choice for handling frontline damage like D.Va or Reinhardt might. If the enemy backline includes heroes like Juno and Brigitte, he faces an even tougher challenge in isolating them.
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