Overwatch 2 Season 9 midseason hero tier list: TANK!

Spring is here and that means it's collaboration time, baby. It also means that it's time for yet another Overwatch 2 hero tier list! For the past few seasons, we've had three separate lists for tanks, DPS, and support. For our Overwatch 2 Season 9 midseason hero tier list we'll be doing one singular, overall list while still breaking it down by class category.

Bookmark this page and follow along with our Overwatch 2 season 9 midseason hero tier list for the rest of the season.

This breakdown is based on a few metrics. This includes an overall decision on what Hero is the best in any overall situation, as well as what best fits in the meta as of March 2024. While everyone may not agree on these choices, it should at least help players make their own decisions on what works best in the current metagame.

This list will be updated upon the release of Season 10.

An Editor's note on Mauga: Okay, look. We know that Mauga is kind of at the top of the ash heap right now in regards to the meta. His most recent change once again made him a lot harder to deal with. As such, some would say we're in the 'Mauga Meta' right now. However, I am not so convinced of either his effectiveness, nor that this will last. I would not be shocked to see a hotfix in the next week or so to curb his power. So, if you're looking at this list and saying "where Mauga?" just consider him number 11.

While ranking every Overwatch Hero into an overall tier list is a challenge, it isn't impossible. Here are the ten Heroes that will most affect the game's meta in the coming season--or so we think. Keep in mind, this is the biggest shakeup in the game's history, thanks to the massive gameplay changes this season. We'll talk through the various below.

1 - Dva
The mecha queen from Seoul feels pretty bullet proof right now. A health increase, a projectile size increase, and a radius expansion of her Ultimate, Dva is just plain good. Tanks this season will be defined by their ability to mitigate damage and use mobility to chase opponents while keeping safe. And, frankly, Dva is the best of them all.

2 - Kiriko
Her cleanse remains top-tier, while Kitsune Rush is still the ultimate offensive tide-turner. Oh, and did we mention her projectiles are now bigger too? I don't think she needed that, but we'll take it.

3 - Sigma
The best shield tank in the Overwatch Hero tier list, Sigma can pressure teams while providing the constant threat of his Graviton Ultimate. His ability to poke while holding position and keeping that new 20 percent healing debuff at bay wins him a lot of points in the usefulness department.

4 - Zenyatta
Zen has 275 health and has never felt like more of a threat. Not only can he now survive dive threats without immediately dying, but his orbs are bigger than ever. Let's not forget that Discord Orb is probably one of the best abilities in the game now. Zen's your boi if you want an offensive support choice with an answer to everything.

5 - Tracer
You know who gets the most value out of this projectile size increase? Tracer. This is purely anecdotal, but after playing for about five hours on the opening day of the patch, my own Tracer accuracy percentage was well above 50 percent. While she still is in danger of a one-hit kill from the likes of Hanzo, her harassing tools are just more efficient now.

6 - Orisa
Orisa is never bad, especially as the game's resident defensive powerhouse. However, that ability to be a wall to stand tall changes along with the meta. As it stands, she's kind of the only tank that can plant their feet in the ground and hold a position without

7 - Lucio
Lucio is the most annoying hero in the game, and that alone earns him a spot on the list. A great Lucio elevates above the tag of "just a healer" and provides real support for his team. There's a real "go, fetch!" mentality with having a good Lucio on your squad that helps make their lack of strong healing go down smoother. Also, I hate him.

8 - Sombra
Sombra is one of those heroes whose usefulness comes and goes based on what is good in the overall meta. In this case, she's particularly strong against all tanks at the moment--not just the likes of Doom or Ball. However, her combination of DPS healing reduction passive plus burst potential makes Sombra a constant threat. Also, like Lucio, she's just annoying.

9 - Wrecking Ball
Now that the Overwatch 2 midseason is here, I can confirm that Ball's return to usefulness wasn't a fluke. As it turns out, having a tank that can suddenly jump to around 1300 health with one button press is pretty dang effective. The worst thing a tank can do right now is die, so our very own "fat Tracer" fits the bill as the best dive tank going. Also, that Ein skin rocks socks.

10 - Moira

I've been down on Moira in these rankings for the last few seasons. However, a combination of a meta shift and movement abilities being more useful than ever has shot her up the ranks. It's also important to remember that, as the popularity of heroes such as Tracer and Genji goes up, so does Moira's usefulness. She's about as close to a hard counter as you'll come for many heroes, all while still turning out great healing numbers.

What a difference a single season makes, huh? The top tier tanks in the Overwatch 2 Season 9 midseason tier list are defined by two metrics. First, durability. Can they stand in the lane? Do they have the ability to easily get away from danger? Can they create space for themselves and others? Secondly, can they help their team secure kills? Do they place enemies in a position to be finished off?

The S tier check all of those boxes. Each tank at this level is able to stay safe, create conditions to score coordinated elims, and use their Ultimate to, essentially, stop a team fight in its tracks. If you're surprised by the sudden drop of Orisa to a whole lower tier, it's due to these things. While still a defensive powerhouse, Orisa is more vulnerable than ever thanks to the healing reduction debuff from DPS heroes.

At the B tier, we have a few heroes who have failed to find usefulness in past metas but are now eating well. Roadhog's damage reduction buff finally puts him in a good place to succeed--as long as you hit hooks. Meanwhile, Doomfist is fantastic at holding positions and being aggressive off of enemy mistakes. Ramattra serves a similar purpose, while also being able to plant his feet.

Some may be surprised to see Reinhardt at the bottom of this list, alone. Well... Rein is just terrible right now, gang. His shield serves zero purpose other than a brief distraction. That, combined with the healing reduction passive from DPS just makes him a big 'ole target. Even with an increase of damage for his basic attack, Rein just doesn't excel at anything particular.

Like tank Heroes, we grade DPS on metrics of success. This includes two things: Can they secure kills and can they pressure enemies with the new healing reduction debuff? Tracer and Sombra sit at the top currently for their ability to quickly burn down targets while staying safe. If you're on a coordinated team then they're just fantastic picks.

Oh, and let's not forget about new Pharah. She's good! The Overwatch 2 Season 9 midseason tier list changes are great and she's fun to play, but Barrage is still, perhaps one of the worst Ultimates in the game. Meanwhile, the middle of the pack represents heroes that still find use in specific situations. For instance, Echo is one of the best Dva counters, while Reaper is still a brutal shieldbuster.

And bringing up the rear is Junkrat, who can no longer one shot anyone on the roster except for Tracer. His projectile size increase feels good, but he just doesn't fill a need outside of a good Ultimate. It feels high time he gets a full rework.

If we're being honest, none of the Supports are 'bad'. They're all good boys and girls! However, the top tier of Supports are able to control the game and dictate the pace. And in a new world of higher HP and healing debuffs, a good Support hero needs to be able to autonomously survive.

The projectile size increase is especially a boon to Zenyatta, while also making him a massive threat due to his Discord Orb. With more HP than in the past he's no longer as big of a dive target as before.

The two Support heroes suffering the most at the moment feel like Illari and Lifeweaver. Time will tell if the midseason buffs to the latter improves his stock. However, Lifeweaver feels like he underperforms when all game conditions are equal for each Support.

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