Getting into Overwatch 2 for the first time can be overwhelming, as there are 38 heroes with unique abilities and distinct playstyles. If you’re trying to decide which one to play first, we’re here to help you get started. These are the best Overwatch 2 heroes for beginners by category: DPS, support, and tank.
The heroes on this list all have fairly simple abilities, aren’t very mechanically intense, and have diverse playstyles. Even if you rarely play FPS games, you should do perfectly fine playing most of these heroes.
Best DPS heroes for beginners
Soldier: 76
When it comes to damage heroes, Soldier: 76 is a really good starting point. This character encapsulates the FPS experience and is suitable for both experienced shooter players and those who are completely new to the genre.
His rifle has manageable recoil you will eventually learn to control, and that’s the only thing you need to learn to master as Soldier: 76. You can pair his regular shots with Helix Rockets that deal a good chunk of damage and give you a window to reset your aim. You don’t have to worry about aim when you use his ultimate, though, because Tactical Visor gives you auto-aim. Make sure the enemy is in your line of sight and press the fire button—it’s that simple.
The best part about Soldier: 76 is how self-sufficient he is. His sprint makes him more mobile than most heroes, so you can flank or get out of sticky situations with a higher chance of survival. On top of this, his Biotic Field will give you more survivability regardless of what your support players are doing.
Bastion
For more mayhem and bullets, my favorite pick is Bastion. He’s a walking artillery. He has an accurate primary weapon along with a tactical grenade, but most of his damage will come from the Reconfigure ability that transforms you into a tank armed with a powerful minigun. All that’s left to do is spam bullets like there’s no tomorrow.
Bastion’s minigun shreds almost any enemy encounter, including healthy tanks, and it helps that he gets increased damage reduction when transformed. The only word of advice I can give you is to try out his ultimate in the practice range first to get the hang of its controls.
In the current meta, Bastion annihilates his enemies and will likely be remembered as the bane of Overwatch 2 meta in 2023, along with Orisa. Even if he gets nerfed, he’ll still be an easy and fun hero to play.
Reaper
Reaper isn’t a good choice for every match because you need to be very close to your enemies to deal damage with his shotguns. Still, this hero is very rewarding to play if you position yourself correctly and take advantage of his kit.
To put it simply, you have to get close to your opponents, either by flanking them or with Reaper’s Shadow Step ability, then blast them in the face. Reaper’s passive, The Reaping, will keep you alive while dealing damage, but if the situation gets too heated, use Wraith Form to escape. The same approach works for his ultimate; just make sure your enemies are distracted, or they’ll kill you as soon as you activate it.
Torbjorn
Not everything has to be about flanking. Torbjorn offers one of the safest playstyles for a damage character. As a Torbjorn, your kit is mostly about territory control. Turret and Molten Core are perfect for slowing down enemies’ attacks, and remember you can repair your Turret with Torbjorn’s Forge Hammer, but don’t focus on that too much.
Torbjorn’s gun shoots with projectiles, so it can be difficult to be precise with it. It’s best paired with his Overload ability to increase your fire rate so you can chip away your opponents’ health while the rest of your team finishes them off. Up close, you can use Torbjorn’s alt-fire mode that deals more damage at close range.
Best support heroes for beginners
Moira
One of the easiest supports to pick up and learn in Overwatch 2 is Moira. Her abilities barely require aiming, and she can also deal a good amount of damage while keeping her team alive. Just make sure you are actually healing your team when playing her—please.
All of Moira’s abilities either heal or deal damage (except for Fade, which is purely for movement). This includes her normal attack, Biotic orb, and ultimate. The important aspect of Moira is that her normal healing has a fuel bar that is replenished by dealing damage. This means you will often be on the front lines with your teammates, balancing damage-dealing and healing.
Mercy
Mercy is an iconic support character in Overwatch 2. She doesn’t have any offensive capabilities apart from her pistol, but this means Mercy is the easiest way to play Overwatch 2 as a support.
As a guardian angel, you should stick close to your tanks and DPS heroes who are contesting objectives. It’s easy to get picked off, which is why you should actively use Guardian Angel with Angelic Descent. Fly between allies, keeping them and yourself healthy.
Finally, remember that you can both heal and empower your teammates. Find a good balance between the two, and you’ll be just fine.
Baptiste
For a more offensive support, I recommend Baptiste, who can be one of the best supports to play once you get used to him. Baptiste is like Soldier: 76 but with more focus on healing. All of his abilities are focused on healing and survivability, so make sure to use them in heated engagements and your team will thank you. On the offensive side, he has a burst rifle that pairs well with his Amplification Matrix, allowing you and your teammates to deal significantly increased damage.
And don’t be like me and forget the existence of Exo Boots—hold crouch, and you will jump higher. It isn’t a game-breaker but can save you in certain situations.
Best tank heroes for beginners
Orisa
Many will hate you for picking Orisa, but why should you care? If you are just starting out in Overwatch 2, she’s an easy and powerful tank to pick up. She has 400 base health that increases with the Fortify ability. Pair that with the Javelin Spin to block projectiles and a decent healer, you’ll be almost unkillable.
You’re not just a block of steel tanking damage; you can provide decent crowd control through the Energy Javelin and Orisa’s ultimate, Terra Surge. Both put the enemy team right where you want them. All her abilities have fairly low cooldowns, so you can use them regularly and charge your way to victory.
D.Va
D.Va is almost as straightforward as Orisa but requires you to be more careful with your engagements. You aren’t unkillable, and sometimes it’s easy to forget that.
Despite being a tank, D.Va doesn’t have damage reduction capabilities apart from her Defense Matrix. You need to be quick, get up close, deal damage or tank incoming projectiles, and ideally avoid getting killed, making way for the rest of the team.
Her ultimate is a nuke that can obliterate opponents when used at the right time. If the enemy is grouped up at the objective and focused on your team, maybe it’s time to blow them all up.
Reinhardt
The final hero you should try in Overwatch 2 as a beginner is Reinhardt, a solid pick at any point, including competitive. When I think about tanks, Reinhardt is the first one to come to mind because he’s what tanks are all about: Shields and close combat.
There isn’t much to learn about him, either. Use your shield to protect your team, push through to the objective, and smash everyone with Rocket Hammer and Earthshatter. Once you feel comfortable enough, try more advanced tech, like pushing your enemies off a cliff with Charge (but try not to throw yourself off, too). It takes a bit of time, but you’ll get there eventually.
