Best Overwatch 2 DPS tier list: Most popular characters for Season 12
Blizzard EntertainmentOverwatch 2‘s meta is constantly changing, and when it comes to the DPS line, there are a lot of Heroes to choose from. So we’ve put together the ultimate Overwatch 2 DPS tier list for Season 12.
Whether you’re a newbie, a casual player, or a seasoned veteran, this list is the ultimate guide to dominating the battlefield. So, let’s dive into our list of top-notch Overwatch 2 DPS heroes.
Based on the data available via Overbuff and how we’ve felt the meta play out, here is how different DPS heroes stack up to each other.
Overwatch 2 DPS tier list
| Tier | Heroes |
|---|---|
| S | Tracer, Sojourn |
| A | Pharah, Cassidy, Ashe, Sombra, Venture |
| B | Reaper, Soldier 76, Echo, Mei, Widowmaker, Genji, Bastion |
| C | Hanzo, Torbjorn, Symmetra |
| D | Junkrat |
Our tiers explained
Here’s a full explanation of what qualifies each character for their respective placement on the Overwatch 2 support tier list:
- S: The strongest DPS you can play right now and generally a good pick no matter the comp you are playing with or against.
- A: Very strong and is usually a good pick, however, is not always right for every single situation and can be easily countered.
- B: Although they are very good picks, they can be easily countered and can only work with specific comps.
- C: Can be useful in niche scenarios but can be easily countered by other heroes.
- D: Could be good in certain scenarios but is outclassed by other DPS.
How we’ve ranked our Overwatch 2 tier list
The way we’ve ranked our tier list is simple, this isn’t indicative of what the meta is in pro play or high ranks (although it’s certainly influenced by it), rather we’ve assembled it by how easy it will be for your average ranked player to climb with.
This is most obvious in our S and A tiers. Taking a look at Overbuff, it’s quite clear Tracer and Sojourn don’t hold the highest pick and win rate when compared to other heroes in A tier, but mastering both of them is essential to climbing the ranks, and they are generally safe picks.
BlizzardTracer is a good bet as a flex DPS since she’s consistently in the meta, and mastering her as you climb the ranks is essential. Sojourn is a good hitscan DPS for everybody as she has enough leeway in her movement abilities and can be dominant if you learn her. Plus she can translate well into other hitscans.
If you’re a fan of watching high-ranked streamers or pro Overwatch, you’ll find the meta is varied, and many teams will play a combination of S and A tier
You’ll find Ashe and Cassidy as two hitscans usually played at the top and have good pick and win rates as they can output tons of damage and have good mobility and abilities to survive dives. However, it may be quite tricky climbing if you’re an average player as they can require a lot of mechanical aim in comparison to Sojourn.
Pharah, Sombra, and Venture are all good flex DPS’ to climb and use as they should cover most comps and maps. Sombra is good for dives, Venture is great for brawl and rush comps, and Pharah is good for poke comps as the meta stands right now.
The three may not be soaring in the pick or win rate side, but they are great picks for the average player.
S Tier
Tracer
BlizzardTracer may not have gotten any changes in Season 12, but she still is a must-pick in many maps. An amazing hero to harass backlines with, essential to marking enemy Tracers from fights, and a fantastic dive hero – she’s a great pick for any composition.
Sojourn
BlizzardSojourn only got some balance changes in Season 12, but in reality, it was more of a buff and now she will charge her Railgun shots faster, meaning she is now way more lethal. Terrifying to go up against at all ranges, with the mobility to escape dives or peel for allies, and a fantastic ult to win fights or just to take space, Sojourn still remains at the top.
A Tier
Pharah
BlizzardPharah’s rise in recent seasons is a surprising one, and in Season 12 she still remains a great pick if you need a flex DPS. If you don’t have a hitscan marking her, Pharah will be a problem thanks to her high damage output and self-sustainability.
Cassidy
Blizzard EntertainmentIn a meta dominated by Tracer, it is reassuring that Cassidy is a surefire way to keep pesky Tracers off your backline, threatening them with your Flashbang. His Grenade may not be as oppressive as it once was, but it still remains a great counter to dive heroes, and in brawl match-ups, he also thrives.
Ashe
BlizzardWhen it comes to DPS’ to use in poke comps, Ashe is a solid pick. Under the right hands, she can easily be one of the most deadly hitscans, with the ability to hit dynamites in the enemy backline and apply the DPS passive. However, she is still quite vulnerable to dives, so be wary of pesky Tracers or diving Winstons.
Sombra
BlizzardSombra got some buffs in Season 12, and with it sees her stay as a great pick for DPS. Although not always the correct pick, if you’re up against a pesky Widow or Zenyatta – or maybe even Mauga – she should be your go-to hero.
Venture
BlizzardSeveral seasons into Venture’s arrival, they’ve become a must-pick when it comes to brawl compositions. Although they’re not as fast as other heroes, Venture truly shines when you’re fighting up close with enemies, easily drilling down enemies. However, when up against poke comps on certain maps, they struggle.
B Tier
Reaper
Blizzard EntertainmentReaper may not have gotten any buffs in Season 12, but that doesn’t stop him from being Overwatch’s premier tank buster. Although weak against certain comps and maps, especially poke-centric ones, he is still a go-to pick if you’re up against a brawl comp and need to shred an enemy down, and in Season 12’s brawl-y meta, he fits right in.
Soldier 76
Blizzard EntertainmentSoldier 76 is similar to Sojourn, playing as a front-to-back DPS who deals good levels of damage. With recent seasons, his shots are easy to hit and can easily mark pesky Pharahs and Mercys from the skies. However, when compared to Sojourn, he misses her one-shot lethality and mobility, which puts him down here.
Echo
BlizzardAlthough Echo is great at the high levels of play, to the majority of players she’s quite hard to pin down. her mobility is fantastic, and her damage is great, with a high-value ult as well in her copy. The problem with Echo is how hard she is to master, as in the hand of a great player she’s unstoppable, but with an unskilled user, she flounders. So she lands in B Tier just for that, but if you have an innate understanding of how she works, she may be closer to S Tier.
Mei
Blizzard EntertainmentMei’s usage is very situational. A great pick for rush and brawl-y comps, she can easily wall off tanks to get an easy pick off. But because of how situational and comp-specific her use case scenarios are, it can be quite hard to pull her off. Generally, Mei works best in close-quarters maps, but on long-sighted maps like Junkertown or Circuit Royale, she will flounder.
Widowmaker
Blizzard EntertainmentWidowmaker saw a resurgence in recent seasons, but now in Season 12, she is more of a pocket pick, only being viable on maps like Havana or Circuit Royale, but easily countered by a good dive and a Winston hunting for you. Not only that, she is very player-dependent, as it takes a lot of skill to become a good Widow player.
Genji
Blizzard EntertainmentGenji has always been in a weird spot. Never really being hard meta, however, is always a great dive pairing to a Tracer DPS pairing. Genji can be easily countered by a Brigette or Symmetra, but if you can overcome it, he can be a great DPS, especially if you can coordinate with your teammates properly. But in this brawl and poke meta we’re in right now, it can be quite tricky.
Bastion
Blizzard EntertainmentBastion is still an alright option in Season 12. He still dishes out insane amounts of burst damage, but the problem is that he’s not very versatile, only playing his best when pocketed by supports, which is not what you want in a DPS. However, against the right enemy comp and with the right supports, you can be unstoppable.
C Tier
Hanzo
Blizzard EntertainmentHanzo is in general terms just a weaker version of Widowmaker. He can still be oppressive in poke-centric maps, but why wouldn’t you just play Widow whose shots are more consistent to land? Although his one-shot potential has come back thanks to Season 12’s health changes to mobile heroes, it may not be enough to bring him up to the meta.
Torbjorn
BlizzardTorbjorn has always been a bit of a niche character in Overwatch 2. He’s still a good anti-dive character, however, now that we’re in more of a brawl and poke meta, it can be hard to find much value in Torb’s kit. But if you’re up against a pesky Tracer or Sombra, he can always serve as a good pocket pick.
Symmetra
Blizzard EntertainmentSymmetra will always be one of the oddballs in Overwatch 2. Her turrets are great if you need to bunker down on a point, especially in Control maps, but in pretty much every other mode it can be hard to pull her off. Her primary fire has quite a short range and her secondary is not exactly the most ideal poke damage. However, if you’re up against particularly pesky dive DPS’, she can be a great pick.
D tier
Junkrat
BlizzardTo most players, Junkrat is very weak. His projectiles require a lot of skill to aim with, and his one-shot potential may be somewhat back thanks to Season 12’s health nerfs to high mobility characters, the highly mechanical aspect of his kit makes it hard to recommend him. However, if you are an extremely dedicated one-trick, you can absolutely pull him off and be incredible at it, but for us laymen, he’s probably one of the worst heroes.