Summary
Blizzard brought a lot of changes toOverwatch 2, some of which involved tweaking hero abilities and roles. The biggest change fans have been reacting to is the switch to 5v5 combat and single tank role queue. This means that double shield team fights are done, leaving one shield per team and more room for DPS and Support heroes to get shots in.
This change makes the game much faster, with movement abilities and speed buffs making huge differences on the battlefield.Overwatch 2players may have noticed that certain heroes are more difficult to pilot in this new environment. That’s not to say that these heroes are bad picks, just that they may require more adjustments than others to succeed in 5v5.
Updated June 14, 2025, by Jake Fillery:Overwatch 2 has over 40 heroes, and deciding which one to use in a fight could mean the difference between defeat and victory. Whether players enjoy a good bout of competitive or casual play, every hero has a purpose in Overwatch 2, and each pick will be judged by a team that wants to come out on top. As such, some of the hardest heroes to learn in Overwatch 2 have an additional pressure based on the team composition how they stack against other heroes, and the necessary learning curve required to play them.
23Reinhardt
Save The Team With Barrier Field
On paper, Reinhardt seems pretty simple. He’s a large tank with a Rocket Hammer for swinging into enemies, and a Barrier Field for keeping himself and his allies shielded from damage. However, Reinhardt is a tank on which the entire team must rely. Reinhardt can’t just jump in and start swinging madly into the enemy team, and his skill gauge must go deeper than that to keep himself and his team alive.
What makes Reinhardt a hard hero to play is the fact that his team is going to rely on him for his shielding capabilities, and his damage output with the hammer is so close-range, and not nearly as effective as high-firing weapons, that entering a fight might spell doom for him and even a team wipe, unless they are effective at swinging, moving around, and using Fire Strikes.
22Illari
Create Bursts Of Healing & Cause Damage From Above
The newestOverwatch 2character to grace the game is Illari, a character that remains a vessel for the powers of the sun. As a support character, Illari can be difficult to master, especially since she is a brand new character toOverwatch 2that many are still trying to figure out.
Illari is armed with a Solar Rifle, that to many, might seem slow, and lacking the punch that other heroes have. However, as a support player, those who wield the Solar Rifle and Illari as their hero of choice should know that they should not be directly involved in the fight, and they should be dedicated to ensuring their team is healed, which is also hard to learn with a lack of assistance from the team.
21Sombra
Get Behind Enemies & Hack Their Abilities
Sombrahas some new tweaks inOverwatch 2, she deals more damage to hacked opponents, and Hack’s cooldown is much shorter; however, it no longer gets reduced for health pack hacks. Health packs also remain hacked for 30 seconds now, instead of the former 60. Sombra can also remain in stealth mode while hacking, though she is visible for the entire cast time.
Sombra’s difficulty comes from her positioning; she can get caught in fire fairly easily when trying to nail down a target to hack. The lack of a second shield makes her more vulnerable as well, and players will need to really master her stealth to make effective use of Sombra.
20Junkrat
An Explosive Expert Who Relies On Physics
Junkrat is a master of explosions and a demolition expert who may or may not have blown off his own leg in a curious case of a homemade explosion. Despite his obvious unhinged personality, Junkrat is a great pick for controlling certain situations as a damage character. Armed with his grenade launcher and his concussion mine, Junkrat can deal some pretty nasty damage.
However, Junkrat is a rare character inOverwatch 2, as he features geometry-based weaponry. Players can’t just use a sniper rifle with Junkrat, as they will need to pinpoint where to fire so that their weapons bounce and hit their desired target. This can leave some players simply spamming their weapon, rather than aiming for accurate shots that will make them the best Junkrat player inOverwatch 2.
19Cassidy
Great Accuracy Is Essential To Fast Damage
The man behind the hatgot some reworks inOverwatch 2, including a new Magnetic Grenade that replaces his Flashbang. This grenade sticks to enemies before exploding for huge damage, and Fan The Hammer also got buffed with a fire rate increase.
Cassidy doesn’t have much survivability beyond his Combat Roll, and he is often better off trying to outgun his opponent than retreating for better positioning. Cassidy is great for taking down flanking enemies, but damage heroes with long-range can catch Cassidy off guard.
18Zarya
Keep Allies Alive With Shields & Provide Strong Damage
As a celebrated athlete, Zarya shows that she is more than capable with the protection of her friends, family, and country with her Particle Cannon. Zarya is another great tank choice forOverwatch 2players to pick, but it may take some time to master just how her abilities work, and how they can be used to assist both her damage and her team’s composition.
Zarya has two barriers, one that she can use on herself, and another she can place on her teammate. These barriers are brief, but they are essential to making sure she puts out damage. Players will have to master her specific mechanics if they are to survive and thrive as a Zarya main.
17Mauga
Close Range Firepower
The newest tank to graceOverwatch 2, Mauga came in hot and fiery but has since cooled. The tank had the capabilities of being an even more fierce Orisa, but he exists in a pretty average spot, albeit with the touch of a learning curve. Armed with dual miniguns and two hearts, Mauga requires a level of knowledge to play him, especially since he’s a new addition.
Mauga’s abilities rely on taking damage and dealing damage in order to keep him alive, but when outnumbered by enemies, he isn’t going to last. Players will need to work fast on their headshots, as well as think fast on how to escape if they need their team in order to stay alive as Mauga.
16D.Va
Absorb Damage & Create Fast Flanking
Another tank character to graceOverwatchplayers is D.Va. She is not easy to control, but she’s certainly one worthy of mastering thanks to one of her abilities, which negates and eats damage, including other heroes’ ultimate abilities.
D.Va players need to know their positioning, as they can be a quick target to destroy, especially when D.Va is out of her mech and easy to eliminate. However, her own ultimate is a great backup and can be used to nuke unsuspecting opponents.
15Wrecking Ball
Get Behind Enemies For Effective Distractions
Wrecking Ball has had his Roll knockback buffed by a solid 36%, which means skilled players can launch enemies greater distances when speeding through the map. Map knowledge is key for Hammond, as his movement is wasted if he gets sent flying in the wrong direction or off the map entirely.
Building momentum can be tricky for new Wrecking Ball players, as speed is key for getting those huge initial knockbacks. Wrecking Ball’s kit is very versatile and great for zoning enemies into difficult positions; it just takes a good amount of practice to see results. Knocking enemies off themap is quite an achievement, and it makes Wrecking Ball all the more special.
14Sojourn
Use The Railgun For Hard-Hitting Damage
Speed is key when it comes to Sojourn, one of the leaders of Overwatch’s strike team. Sojourn is back and stronger than ever with the newly formed version of her team, as she is desperate that the team does not make the mistakes of the past. To help her, players will be armed with her Railgun, and her power slide to assist them in making some fast plays.
Some players might find Sojourn’s speed hard to master, as her ability to power slide and jump high in the air might disorientate some. Her railgun is also cause for concern for some players, as those who wield it need to be accurate to ensure their opponents are sent to their graves. Sojourn benefits from quick thinking, fast movement, and high accuracy.
