Best Overwatch 2 heroes for beginners: DPS, Tank & Support

If you’re a newcomer to Overwatch 2, you might be struggling to find a character to introduce you to the game. So we have compiled a list of the best Overwatch 2 heroes you can pick as a beginner.

Overwatch 2 is here, and Blizzard’s colorful shooter’s nature as a free-to-play title means there are plenty of players taking their first steps into the franchise.

Much like its predecessor, Overwatch 2 has a huge choice of characters to pick from, each with their own abilities, weapons, and playstyles to learn. While veterans have had years to master each hero, you’ll want to pick one to hit the ground running.

If you’re just starting out, it’s important to find a hero to help you learn the ropes in each role before you move on to more complicated characters. Here are the best Overwatch 2 heroes for beginners in every category ahead of the game’s second season.

Contents

• Best Overwatch 2 DPS heroes for beginners
• Best Overwatch 2 Support heroes for beginners
• Best Overwatch 2 Tank heroes for beginners

Best Overwatch 2 DPS heroes for beginners

If you’re coming into Overwatch from another FPS like Call of Duty or Rainbow Six Siege, then the DPS role will be the most familiar to you. These characters are all about picking off opponents to thin the herd and secure objectives.

There’s plenty of variety in the DPS role, from close-range brutes to precise snipers, but there are two characters that are a perfect entry point to Overwatch 2.

Soldier 76

When you first boot up Overwatch 2, you’ll be dropped into a tutorial that forces you to play as Soldier 76. There’s a reason for this, as he’s the hero that feels the most natural to use.

His Heavy Pulse Rifle is an easy-to-use primary that can quickly lay waste to enemy health bars, while Helix Rockets can do big damage to get you out of a pinch. He also comes with a Biotic Field that restores the health of you and your team.

He may not be the most flashy character in Overwatch 2, but he’s extremely well-balanced and very competitive in those early matches.

Widowmaker

Getting up close and personal can be a little overwhelming at first, so Widowmaker is ideal for those looking to hang back and pick off foes from afar. Her sniper is deadly, especially when landing headshots consistently, and can one-bang characters with smaller health bars.

You’ll want to make use of the Grappling Hook to get into a good vantage point overlooking the objective. From here, you can deal hefty damage without having to rely on twitch reflexes to score the eliminations.

Just be sure to watch out for enemy Widowmakers with the same idea, or someone like Tracer who can flank easily.

Best Overwatch 2 Support heroes for beginners

Overwatch 2 isn’t all about kills, and a team can quickly get steamrolled without a pair of effective Support characters. These crucial characters offer valuable healing to the rest of the squad, as well as other bonuses like extra movement speed or damage.

Support is also a solid place to start for beginners who don’t want the pressure of eliminating enemies, so here are the best heroes to use.

Lucio

Lucio is a perfect beginner character in Overwatch, partly because his abilities are fun and simple to master, but also because he helps teach you the fundamentals of the role. Sticking together as a team is vital to success, and this eccentric character really hammers the idea home.

While many of Overwatch 2’s Support heroes require players to actively target who to heal and when, the healing song that Lucio cranks out affects all allies within a certain area automatically. Then, with a quick change of tune, he buffs movement speed to help you and your fallen teammates get back into the action quickly.

Smart use of Amp It Up or the Sound Barrier Ultimate can be clutch in close matches, so be sure to learn Lucio for a simple but effective Support hero for beginners.

Mercy

It can be hard for new players to adapt to a Support role because of their lack of attacking options, but Mercy strikes a nice balance between the two. Her Caduceus Staff can quickly heal an ally or give them a buff to their damage output to score you assists.

Both have decent range too, so it makes sense to hang back safely and pull the strings from there. She can also resurrect a dead teammate, ideal for making sure you always have enough numbers to defend a target.

Then, she can switch to a pistol and go on the offensive if need be, so you’re not totally helpless if separated. Oh, and she can fly with her Ultimate, what’s not to like?

Best Overwatch 2 Tank heroes for beginners

Tank is arguably the toughest role in any Overwatch 2 match, as there’s only one per team and there are a lot of expectations on them to do the heavy lifting. These hulking goliaths live on the front lines, soaking up damage and creating space for the DPS characters to work.

It’s also extremely satisfying once you learn how to play the part effectively, so check out the best Overwatch 2 tanks for beginners.

Reinhardt

Although Tanks have a larger health bar, they also attract more fire from enemies because the opposing team will try and take them off the playing field as quickly as possible.

Reinhardt is the ideal choice for newcomers, as his Barrier Field will keep you safe as you hunt down opponents. It also provides valuable cover for the rest of the squad, so you can move towards objectives as one.

Once you’ve got players in your sights Reinhardt is perfectly poised to hand out big melee damage with his Rocket Hammer or flatten them with Charge.

Roadhog

If the melee route isn’t cutting it for you, Roadhog is also fairly simple to use once you figure out how to play to his strengths. His Scrap Gun is utterly devasting at close-range, and using it in tandem with the Chain Hook is a powerful combo that can delete an enemy in the blink of an eye.

The Take a Breather ability is also welcoming to beginners, offering a nice health boost at the expense of some damage to bail you out of tough situations if you overcommit yourself.

Such a short-range hero may not suit everyone, but if you know when to hold off and when to push, Roadhog is great for racking up plenty of kills early in your Overwatch 2 career.

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