Overwatch 2 brought a new game mode and Kiriko to its roster last fall, as well as many other adjustments to characters. But the biggest change was undoubtedly the deletion of the off-tank role.
Now, there is only one tank to protect their team from getting endlessly pushed back, and some players still struggle to adjust to that change.
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In a Reddit thread, countless former tank players explained how they got pushed away from the role due to Overwatch 2‘s changes.
They complain of having less “freedom and synergy” since one tank role was deleted, being forced to keep track of too many things at once.
When tanks make a mistake, they are more easily eliminated from the battlefield, and their absence will undermine more allies since there won’t be any other chunky character to hold an area. This challenge already existed in Overwatch, but has been reinforced by those changes.
“I feel personally there’s far too much pressure on me to perform well and make zero mistakes, which just isn’t realistic as a mere semi-competitive player,” explains the top comment. “I feel I’ve got a decent grasp on the cycles and pace of 5v5 and the meta—but it just isn’t fun or enjoyable anymore for me.”
The meta shift has accelerated games, since tanks cannot control an area as well now. It has its upsides and downsides, favoring certain picks and playstyles over others. Many tanks have the freedom of playing more aggressively, but shield tanks (basically all former main tank picks) are in a weird place in Overwatch 2.
Shields cannot hold enemy fire for very long, and when they’re down, tanks are getting more focused by the enemy team since they’re the only chunky characters in the team.
It makes double healing more important for them, but also makes it harder to survive when opponents have a stronger fire power. Even with two supports, it’s almost impossible to top off a tank who’s being hunted down by the whole enemy team.
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For this reason, many tank players have confessed swapping their role in Overwatch 2. On the other side, some DPS players have started to play tanks due to this playstyle change that added dynamism to the role. They can take aggressive picks, such as Doomfist or Roadhog, and focus on pushing with their teammates rather than holding a point and defending their backline.
Ramattra is an example of this playstyle shift: His shield is placed in a fixed position, which allows him to be more mobile, in combination with his Nemesis form that grants him a movement speed buff. Mobility is one of his strongest assets, and also why the hero has a decent place in the current meta.
This discussion also proves the tank role is still being figured out by players, and changes quickly depending on other factors, such as balancing adjustments and new releases.
