Want to know who the best Overwatch 2 DPS heroes are? It’s no secret that some of the heroes in Overwatch 2 have received an overhaul, gaining new passive abilities and – in some cases – switching roles entirely. Then there are the new damage-dealing heroes to consider, like Sojourn, as well as how they fare in the current meta.
When it comes to picking the best Overwatch 2 DPS heroes, Blizzard’s sequel has given fans of the popular FPS game the opportunity to try out this revamped roster of Overwatch 2 characters. There are 17 DPS heroes to choose from, and we’ve spent hours deep in the trenches of the multiplayer game to find out how they all stack up against each other.
The best Overwatch 2 DPS heroes are:
- Genji
- Sombra
- Sojourn
- Soldier: 76
- Tracer
- Pharah
- Ashe
- Cassidy
- Echo
- Hanzo
- Widowmaker
- Mei
- Reaper
- Symmetra
- Bastion
- Junkrat
- Torbjorn
Genji
The general removal of stun or CC abilities in Overwatch 2 makes Genji an even stronger pick than before. Now, the ninja can use his Dragonblade ability without suddenly being stopped in his tracks. This change also makes Genji’s incredible mobility that much better, allowing him to flank opponents without much fear.
When timed correctly, Genji’s Deflect can get him out of any sticky situations he might find himself in. The Damage role passive, which buffs movement speed and reload speed after every kill, has been particularly important for this hyper-mobile hero, who can now continually feed his Dash ability and keep the eliminations rolling.
Sombra
Sombra’s redesign makes her a worthy competitor as one of the top DPS heroes in Overwatch 2, especially when it comes to how much damage she can cause in team vs team scenarios. In Overwatch 2, Sombra’s passive ability deals 40% additional damage to hacked opponents. This can be crucial in team clashes as you can hand-pick which enemy hero you want your team to eliminate. With just one tank per game, Sombra is the key that can unlock the enemy’s frontline.
Sombra’s Hack on health packs and enemies has also been buffed – now the ability doesn’t break her invisibility. This has large ramifications for Sombra as she can stay hidden throughout most of the game, giving her plenty of time to set up her disruption abilities. Sombra can break down barriers for just a second, but that’s enough time to cause some real damage with a coordinated team.
Sojourn
Welcome to the new best hitscan hero. Sojourn also feels a bit like Soldier: 76 2.0, so if that sounds appealing to you then make her your next hero pick. Her gameplay loop is all about dishing out constant damage, charging up her alt-fire and then unleashing a super powerful railgun shot – great for wiping an enemy backline support or damage hero off the board. Her movement-slowing disruptor ability makes landing those railgun shots much easier, she’s got decent movement, and her Ult is just… faster railgun shots. What’s not to love? Check out our Overwatch 2 Sojourn abilities primer if you’re looking to maximise her potential.
Soldier: 76
The grizzled veteran has taken a bit of a knock over the seasons, but he’s still a great option for beginners, and his agility and healing abilities make him exceptionally versatile. However, you’ll find that soloing targets takes far too long, and it’s more difficult to go lone wolf unless you’re targeting the squishiest opponents in the backline.
Tracer
She’s very hard to rank as her skill ceiling is effectively through the roof. Hundreds of hours of perfect aim tracking and a mastery of her time manipulation and movement can make her strong all the way into the highest Overwatch 2 ranks, but if you’re new to the game her recently nerfed DPS can make her very unforgiving and less capable of actually securing eliminations.
Pharah
She’s stronger than she was in beta, with some very powerful knockback potential and a little more damage output. Good pilots will be able to avoid enough damage to make her useful, but if that’s not you then she’s little more than a poke threat, and not a big one at that.
Ashe
Ashe is a solid DPS hero in the right hands. Semi-auto shots still demand consistent aim, but if you’ve been visiting the practice range a lot then you can deliver some real hurt as Ashe. Her Ult is much more powerful in the smaller team fights of Overwatch 2, too, which is a nice indirect buff.
Cassidy
The Magnetic Grenade is a mighty replacement for the flashbang, and if your aim is good then Cassidy can do some serious hit-scan damage, but he’s outshined at long-range, his Ult is expensive and not particularly powerful, and he can easily be picked off. Cassidy did receive an upgrade in Season 3 to improve his damage range, massively improving his viability in strong team compositions.
Echo
Very hard to play because it means you have to be good at pretty much every other hero in the game. However, provided you can land her hitscan beam and slow-moving projectiles, and master her cloning Ult, Echo can effectively flip a match on its head. Plus, she’s great on Overwatch 2 maps with lots of high-up platforms thanks to her Glade movement passive.
Hanzo
He’s not been nerfed too much since the first game so he’s still viable for good aimers.
Widowmaker
If you’re having an off day then steer well clear of Widowmaker. She can still one-shot some heroes, and so in that regard, it’s hard to argue she’s bad, but if you’re not able to land those shots reliably then the rest of her kit won’t dig you out of trouble.
Mei
Her DPS is high and she does have some useful abilities, but she’s at her most effective against slow-moving tanks like Reinhardt and Junker Queen, who are both rarer sights on the battlefields of Overwatch 2.
Reaper
Reaper is, perhaps fittingly, the feast or famine representative of the Overwatch 2 Damage role. Flank effectively, grab the first kill, and the Damage passive snowballs nicely to make you an effective wrecking ball. He’s also one of the very few viable tank killers in Overwatch 2, and that can win some games.
Symmetra
She’s really struggling in Overwatch 2 with less CC ability and much less forgiving damage breaks. The beam is still super powerful and works well with the Damage passive buff, but it’s not enough to justify picking her unless you’re very confident in your abilities.
Bastion
If you measure heroes purely by their DPS potential then Bastion ought to be pretty high on your list, however, a massive hitbox, slow movement, and lack of versatility mean he’s close to the bottom of our rankings.
Junkrat
Like Bastion, Junkrat has a lot of potential wrapped up in his moveset, but his abilities are very difficult to use effectively. He’s incredibly difficult to use in 1v1s and with the prevalence of the dive meta, you can’t expect to find too many tight clusters of enemy heroes.
Torbjorn
His turret is a nuisance and he can put some proper damage in, but poking away from range just isn’t that effective in Overwatch 2.
And there you have it, the best Overwatch 2 DPS heroes, ranked. Damage is a tricky role to play though, so it’s worth noting that if you’re keen on playing a different role, we’ve also got guides to the best Overwatch 2 tanks and the best support heroes too, or our overall Overwatch 2 tier list if you’re still not sure who to main. It might help you find some games a bit quicker, too.