Overwatch Competitive Season 30 meta: Best heroes for each role in ranked

Overwatch’s 30th competitive season is underway, and a few heroes in each role are ready to make big impacts on the ranked meta.

As of September 2, the brand-new season of ranked is officially underway. This means that fans of the game, some active and some less active, will be circling back to the game to get their placements done for Damage, Tank, and Support roles. Players will have the usual two months to complete these placements and lock in their season-high SR ranking in whatever roles they choose to play.

This season of ranked is beginning on Patch 1.63, which was released on live servers on August 11. Despite this patch’s almost month-long live time without adjustments, the ranked meta has begun to shift lately, as players are beginning to make adjustments based on the patch notes. To best stay sharp and on top of your ranked play, here are some heroes that should prove most viable at each rank, beginning with Damage (DPS).

Best Damage Heroes in Overwatch Season 30

Hanzo

Right now, so much of the meta for Damage characters is centered around two things: mobility and poke. If a character can successfully evade a Winston dive, or get around a double-shield composition, then there is a good chance they are at least somewhat viable in the current meta. And what better example of mobility and poke than the bow-wielding Shimada brother, Hanzo.

Hanzo has been at least an option in the Overwatch meta since all the way back when his Scatter Arrow was replaced with Storm Arrow, an ability that can absolutely burn down a shield. But, in the sort of meta the game is entering into currently, his kit is especially useful. Make use of Hanzo in DPS duels and capitalize on his wall climb ability to take off-angles and keep pressure on enemy supports and tank players.

Soldier: 76

Locking the legs has perhaps never felt as good as it does now. Soldier: 76 received a buff/nerf in the most recent patch, moving up to 20 damage from 19 on his rifle at the cost of 40 to 35 health per second on his Stim Beacon. This comes as a net positive for Soldier players who’ve recently benefitted from his altered shooting style. Now, without any bloom from firing for longer periods of time, skilled aimers will be pumping out large amounts of damage with speedy 76.

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Not only that, but Soldier is arguably the most solid counter pick to a lot of the heroes that have taken hold in lower ELOs, particularly Echo and Pharah. In seasons past, McCree was often that pick, however, the soon-to-be-renamed cowboy has fallen behind a bit to 76. The cowboy still offers a bit more flank protection, but in a meta where poke is more important than dive, Soldier: 76 is one of the best hitscan options on the table.

Best Tank Heroes in Overwatch Season 30

D.Va

Right now, if you’re not playing double-shield and you’re getting dove, a D.Va is the best answer among tanks. Her ability to peel and eat damage has been unparalleled since launch and, frankly, her kit remains one of the most powerful in the game. There are so many maps and situations where a good D.Va player can help lead a team to victory, so if there’s ever a question of which Tank you should learn to master, D.Va should always be in that conversation. She’s as close as it gets to meta proof.

Also, similar to Soldier, D.Va is one of the best counters to high-flying, pesky DPS characters like Pharah and Echo that have been powerful options in the meta for some time now. Overwatch is an ever-evolving game of rock, paper, scissors, after all.

Orisa

The beauty of Orisa is in her mechanic simplicity. This makes some players find her boring to play and repetitive, while others see the value in utilizing her powerful and downright oppressive kit to win team fights and dominate games.

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Right now, Orisa is a key part of the meta because of the strength in, you guessed it, poke damage. While it was mentioned previously that mobility is the other side of the coin in the current meta, Orisa makes up for her slow movement with her hardiness and DPS output. Orisa players have the ability to out-damage just about any Tank at long range, especially when paired with a solid Damage hero like Hanzo or Soldier: 76. This damage output, paired with some great crowd control and survivability-focused abilities, make Orisa a strong pick at Tank in Season 30.

Best Support Heroes in Overwatch Season 30

Mercy

Playing a Support in Overwatch right now is, well, tricky to say the least. Between diving DPS and shields getting shattered, there’s a lot to juggle. But, this is where mobility comes into play, not only to help support agile Damage heroes but also to survive the other team’s counter-picks. This is where Mercy remains dominant.

Mercy has been a meta staple throughout this entire patch. Anytime Pharah is flying high in the skies, there’s usually a Mercy player not far behind. And now, the same can be said for Soldier: 76, who is often pocketed to counter the very thing just mentioned. Mercy allows for so much flexibility in how a team can operate and who she can enable. Because of this, and her uncanny ability to escape tough situations, Mercy currently stands to be one of the best Support heroes in Overwatch.

Ana

So, on the one hand, players can select a Support hero that will enable them to best succeed. But, on the other hand, they can also pick a Support simply as a counter-pick. This is where Ana comes into play.

While Mercy can better escape a Doomfist and can better boost a Pharah or Echo, Ana can shut down just about every off-meta pick in the game. So, if you see a Roadhog or Zenyatta pop up for the enemy team, don’t be afraid to make the switch over. This has always been one of Ana’s strong suits, and Season 30 will prove to be no different.