The best Overwatch 2 Season 3 DPS Heroes, ranked

Not sure who to play when it comes to Overwatch 2 Season 3 DPS Heroes? You aren't alone. The damage category offers a number of different options and playstyles, all with varying levels of power. However, if you're looking to rise up in the ranks you'll need to be malleable. Like Play-Doh. And delicious.

Also like Play-Doh.

Lucky for you, Esports.gg is here with yet another Season 3 ranking of Heroes. Take a look below for the shorthand on who to pick when it comes to DPS.

This break down of the best Overwatch 2 Season 3 DPS 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 2023. 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 4.

Hitscan and burst damage remain king in Overwatch 2. At no point throughout the history of Overwatch has a point-and-click damage dealer never not been in the discussion as top DPS. This remains true in a 5 v. 5 world where pinpoint accuracy can turn a teamfight in an instant. All of these Heroes excel and defending themselves from all comers, in addition to being constant solo threats.

Sojourn remains at the top of the heap, even after multiple rounds of nerfs. Her ability to reposition, deal rapid-fire damage, and one-shot opponents is unmatched. She's Widowmaker with more health and a better kit. A threat to shield Tanks, aerial aces, and snipers; Sojourn is hands-down the best DPS Hero.

It's funny that Ashe was once considered low-tier. It wasn't until the Hero ban era of OWL and Overwatch 1 when players were forced to pick her over Cassidy and Soldier that players stopped and said "Wait, she's really good?"

Uh, duh.

Mid-range mastery, AOE damage, and able to fend off dive with rapid-fire shot speed. Ashe is a complete package and that's all before her literal sixth man in B.O.B. hits the field.

Many folks thought Cassidy was nothing without his flashbang stun. As it turns out, his Magnetic Grenade is even better while still making it a fair fight. Even with his recent damage drop-off nerf, Cassidy is an up-close threat that's never in poor taste. Better yet, he single-handedly puts dive Heroes such as Genji and Tracer down into lower tiers simply by existing.

What more is there to say about Soldier 76? Probably the most popular DPS Hero in the game, he's also one of the few--if not the only one--without any weaknesses. Reliable damage, a run button, a heal, and one of the best Ultimates in the game? All in one Hero? Sheesh.

Best situations: Pressure and aggression, countering snipers
Countered by: Another Sojourn; D.VA
Pairs well with: Murphy, down.

Best situations: Mid-range pressure, punishing grouped-up enemies
Countered by: Wrecking Ball, Ana
Pairs well with: Ana, Wrecking Ball, Mei

Best situations: Dive counter, shield break, Pharah counter
Countered by: Being an idiot who tries to flank
Pairs well with: Kiriko

Best situations: Aerial counter, mid-range
Countered by: Also being an idiot who tries to flank
Pairs well with: Ana, Kiriko, Sigma

Minus user error, some Heroes will never not be a good pick. However, in the case of this tier it's the user who turns good characters into amazing ones, able to turn a game around single-handedly. Specialists playing Tracer, Widowmaker, Bastion, and Reaper all have the potential for breaking a game if not dealt with immediately.

A good Tracer is annoying, but a great Tracer is oppressive. Able to attack and retreat while self-sufficiently staying alive via knowing all the health pack locations. Talented Tracer play can immobilize a team in an instant.

The same goes for Widowmaker, perhaps the Hero who gained the most from the switch to 5 v. 5. No longer under constant threat from an off-tank, a good Widow player left unchecked is almost always a guaranteed loss. Clicking heads is easier than ever, it appears.

What a turnaround for Bastion, huh? Once seen as either a meme pick or a sign of throwing, the beep-boopy boi is now a close-range canon of destruction. His left-click features zero damage drop-off or accuracy loss. The redesigned Turret Mode is both more fair than it used to be and far more dangerous. However, it's his new grenade that's the real star of Bastion's kit. Don't sleep on it.

Reaper is never really "bad." With movement abilities, self-healing, and perhaps the most dangerous Ultimate in the game, he'll always be in the discussion. However, a patient and methodical Reaper player can quite literally kill a team all on his own. Last season in Overwatch League the commentary teams would talk about how a Reaper pick in and of itself was hard to deal with, simply from the act of him being on the field. This is equally true down in the silver and gold ranks.

Best situations: Backline pressure, dive
Countered by: Cassidy, Ashe, Brig
Pairs well with: Wrecking Ball, Doomfist

Best situations: Countering Hitscan, aerial foes, and anyone not behind a shield
Countered by: Another Widow, Sojourn, Reaper
Pairs well with: Being left alone

Best situations: Shield break, up-close brawls
Countered by: Sigma, Sombra, D.VA, Genji
Pairs well with: Reinhardt, Ana, Kiriko

Best situations: Isolated targets, Winston, Junker Queen
Countered by: Ana, Baptiste
Pairs well with: Ana, Zenyatta Orbs

The Heroes at this tier all have their place in the meta. Not quite situational picks but also not as strong as those above, the B-tier Heroes are all still viable. How much--or how little--one gets out of each Hero will depend on the player, map knowledge, and situational awareness.

Essentially: If you see one of these Heroes, they're either very good or very bad.

Pharah has lost some luster in such a hitscan-heavy meta, and yet she still flies somewhat free. A good Pharah has the ability to almost never expose herself to open fire, all while still dealing damage. Nothing is more frustrating than your team letting a Pharah attack uncontested and without a counter-pick, all the while your Junkrat player refuses to switch. A Pharah left alone is a game, lost.

Genji is annoying. That's the point, right? he hops around and pokes the team until he gets Dragon Blade. And even if you see it coming a mile away, that moment when he hits Q is still an "all hands on deck" situation.

The resident ice queen of Overwatch isn't quite what she used to be, and still Mei is effective. In many ways the removal of her slow effect has created more and better Mei players. If anything, that slow was a crutch too many people relied on. But some things never change: Ice Wall is amazing, Blizzard is incredible, and her right-click is a constant threat.

Echo is a bit like an aerial Tracer, though with a higher skill cap. A good Echo knows exactly when to capitalize on a hurt or seperated team. Her beam ability is still one of the most devastating in the game, and that's all before she turns into your Tank and mushes you to bits.

Torb is fun. Sure, he's not always the best pick. But that doesn't take away from the fact that he's frustrating to go up against when he is on the board. His Turret is still one of the best anti-dive, anti-aerial counters available. Meanwhile, Molten Core can turn a team fight around in an instant. Now, when are we getting an IKEA collab for Torb in-game?

Junkrat isn't good. He also is very good. And once over, he's also just annoying. All of these things can be true and are what makes Junkrat such an effective tool. Pun intended. A good Junkrat can frustrate and make an enemy team paranoid about when he's going to drop that RIP Tire. A bad one is a liability who refuses to switch EVEN THOUGH THERE'S A PHARAH KILLING THE ENTIRE TEAM. *cough*.

Best situations: A lack of hitscan; open maps such as Illios
Countered by: Hitscan, a good Ana, Ramattra
Pairs well with: Mercy, Ana, Zenyatta

Best situations: Dive, countering Bastion
Countered by: Ana, Brig, Mei, Symmetra,
Pairs well with: Ana, Winston

Best situations: Supporting dive tanks, brawls
Countered by: Bad wall placement
Pairs well with: Doomfist, Junker Queen

Best situations: Shield break, diving squishier backlines
Countered by: Hitscan, Ramattra
Pairs well with: Mercy, Zenyatta

Best situations: Sombra, dive, and aerial counter
Countered by: Enemy killing his Turret
Pairs well with: Mei, Reinhardt

Best situations: Countering dive--especially Wrecking Ball
Countered by: Pharah, good hitscan players; good taste
Pairs well with: Feast your eyes upon this hand-curated assortment of tasteful pyrotechnic delights, with which I intend to entertain you this evening. Or possibly morning... What time is it?

The Heroes left to go over all fall into the category of "all or nothing." Meaning that the player controlling them is either amazing, or throwing. This is to say that you're dealing with a specialist and specific situations where these three excel. Because of that--and if they are good--your team will need to dogpile them immediately or face the consequences.

Sombra got the nerf hammer harder than others in the last few seasons. Initially seen as an unstoppable force in the switch to Overwatch 2, she now sits as a niche, but hard-counter pick. As any main of Wrecking Ball or Doomfist knows, a halfway awake Sombra is a one way ticket to switching Heroes. And maybe Orisa is on that list now too?

A playgroup of friends often refer to being randomly headshot out of nowhere as "being Hanzo'ed." Even when it's not necessarily a Hanzo player on the other end. However, it's especially true with a good Hanzo player that it is either pure luck or the work of the devil. A great Hanzo player almost always looks like they're cheating. On the flip-side, a bad Hanzo player looks like they aren't even playing the same video game.

Symmetra remains an ever-powerful force in Overwatch 2, but only in specific situations. The prime pick to counter any shield tank, her strength lessened as those same shield tanks lost power. However, left to her own devices Symmetra is still a burden and constant threat.

Best situations: Countering tanks, but especially Wrecking Ball
Countered by: Torb Turret; Your team turning around
Pairs well with: Kiriko, Sigma, Orisa, Mei

Best situations: Shield break, sniper fights
Countered by: Being reported for cheating
Pairs well with: Reinhardt, Mercy

Best situations: Shield break, dive counter
Countered by: Burst damage, her toys being destroyed
Pairs well with: Sigma, so you can teleport him up to the statue on King's Row

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