Tank heroes are essential for an Overwatch team. If you're tired of being the Best Support or Best DPS on your team, Tank role may look appealing, at least until Overwatch 2 lowers this to one tank per team. However, before starting, you may question who's the best tank hero in Overwatch right now, but that's a tricky one to answer.
Like other classes, each Tank has unique strengths and weaknesses, sure, so this isn't an all-rounder situation. Many heroes are better equipped for certain maps, which changes your team strategy and Overwatch characters are frequently being updated, too. As such, we're basing this on which heroes have wider use and here's what you need to know about the Tank role.
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What Is A Tank Hero?
Tanks are generally your team's bullet sponges, the frontline fighters soaking up the heavier damage DPS and Support units couldn't withstand alone. They'll create space for the team and when it comes to breaking through fortified positions, the right tank hero can create openings to let you pass.
How Can I Be A Good Tank For My Team?
For starters, don't hide at the back. Yes, taking damage is an understandable cause for concern but ultimately, that's your role to take centre stage. Trust in your Support to keep you alive, lay down shields for additional cover if possible, coordinate with your DPS to exploit any openings and charge through those chokepoints.
Who Are The Best Tank Characters?
8 - Sigma
Sigma's got the potential for both offensive and defensive play. Unlike most tanks, he's better used at range thanks to his Accretion and Hyperspheres, and issues a floating barrier you can move back and forth. His Ult, Gravitic Flux, is a good disruptor too, throwing enemies into the air and slamming them back down to remove 50% of their max HP. However, lengthy cooldowns mean most moves require careful planning, making him difficult to master.
7 - Zarya
Zarya's biggest problem is that alongside lower health/no armour, she can't protect multiple allies at once like other Tanks, meaning she's better as a secondary pick. Considering Overwatch 2's 5v5 teams impacts tanks, that's gonna be a future problem. However, she can project barriers onto a single ally, letting you both survive heavy damage, improve her firepower and deal significant damage.
6 - Winston
As far as tanks go, Winston's one of the most mobile, being able to jump long distances. His Tesla Cannon can't be blocked by barriers either, making him a menace to heroes with low health and his own bubble-shaped barrier will offer the quick cover your team needs. He's a good pick for new starters but what lets him down is the Cannon's lower damage output and short-range attack, while his barrier is easily destroyed.
5 -Wrecking Ball
Wrecking Ball's simply not meant for the frontlines. He's only got an Adaptive Shield for protection, which suffers from a long cooldown and short duration, but he's better used as a disruptor. Using his Piledriver ability, he can slam onto the ground below, launching enemies upwards. Furthermore, his Ult, Minefield, can force enemies to scatter by deploying a wide field of proximity mines.
4 - D.Va
D.Va's flight makes her another highly mobile . Able to block incoming projectiles through her defense matrix and protect allies, she deal reasonable damage with her Micro Missiles and Fusion Cannons, though they aren't as strong as they once were. If her mech gets destroyed, D.Va's significantly weakened and only has a basic blaster, but it doesn't take long to call a new mech with her secondary Ult. As for her main Ult, the Mech's self-destruct is great to scatter crowds, potentially wiping out multiple enemies.
3 - Roadhog
While he boasts high health, Roadhog's main strength comes from picking off individual, weaker enemies. Using his Chain Hook, Roadhog can grab targets from 20m away and immediately blast them with his Scrap Gun. Crucially, he can heal back 300HP with Take a Breather, meaning he's not reliant on supports keeping him alive. However, his biggest issue is that he lacks any real ability to protect his teammates directly, with no barriers or other shielding available.
2 - Orisa
Frankly, you won't find a more versatile tank than Orisa. Like Reinhardt, she can deploy a Protective Barrier but this one can be placed anywhere to better defend allies, letting her freely attack. Fortify negates headshot damage and crowd control effects, like Graviton Surge, Earthshatter, or a Reinhardt charge. Finally, Halt! can drag enemies out of cover, pulling them towards her or into a trap, while her Ult, Supercharger, increases allies damage output by 50%. She doesn't have strong health/armour, but there's a solid moveset within.
1 - Reinhardt
When it comes to Tanks, it's difficult to beat Reinhardt. Ignoring Symmetra's Photon Barrier (due to it being an Ult), Reinhardt easily has the strongest at 1600HP, easily beating Sigma and Winston's at 700HP each. His charge is lethal, inflicting 300 damage if he pins anyone to a wall and lets you break through enemy formations with ease, while his Ult, Earthshatter, knocks multiple enemies to the floor. He's sturdy, has high health and a powerful barrier covering wide range, leaving his short-ranged attacks as the only major drawback.