Who are the most popular Overwatch heroes in every role?

Overwatch player data reveals which heroes have been the most popular in each role over the month of August.

With the arrival of role queue, it’s arguably more important than ever to be aware of which heroes you’re likely to face in your opposing position, and which your teammates in different roles are most likely to play.

Thanks to tracking from overbuff, here’s a look at the most popular heroes in each role. Lists are given based on PC Competitive play, but differences in Console priorities are noted where relevant.

Damage

At the top of the Damage charts is McCree, who sits comfortably between reliable hitscan damage and a high skill ceiling with consistent headshots to appeal to a broad range of players and compositions.

Unsurprisingly, he’s followed fairly closely by the Shimada brothers, Genji and Hanzo, as well as Widowmaker, while Ashe fills in the final spot of the top five.

1. McCree
2. Genji
3. Hanzo
4. Widowmaker
5. Ashe

While there are definitely some differences on console – Genji’s priority drops a bit, and Reaper’s goes up significantly – many of the same names appear at the top of the priority lists.

Tank

Perhaps a little unsurprisingly given the rise in Bunker-style compositions of late, the tank role is topped by Orisa and Roadhog, who synergize well for the infamous Halt-Hook combo.

Unfortunately, it’s a rough time for fans of Overwatch’s favorite scientist, as Winston doesn’t crack the top five. Dive compositions, of which Winston was historically the centrepiece, haven’t been nearly as prevalent this year, and now he has competition as a mobile tank from Wrecking Ball too.

Sigma isn’t included due to having only been released on August 13, so he’s not been available for the full month.

1. Orisa
2. Roadhog
3. Reinhardt
4. Wrecking Ball
5. D.Va

On console things look largely the same, although the positions of D.Va and Wrecking Ball are switched.

Support

The support role is perhaps a little surprisingly dominated by Ana, who is also the most-picked hero in any role by some margin.

The support sniper has a versatile and exciting kit with a lot of skill expression, but can sometimes struggle to match the sheer healing output of some supports, especially those that can pump out AOE heals given the prevalence of GOATS-style or bunker compositions recently.

Nevertheless, it seems the satisfaction of a clutch sleep dart and the more engaging playstyle of Ana’s Biotic Rifle make her a more appealing prospect than the other supports.

1. Ana
2. Moira
3. Mercy
4. Zenyatta
5. Lúcio

This role sees the biggest change on console compared to PC due to the priority of Ana, who drops down in play rate significantly without the use of a keyboard and mouse.