The first season of Overwatch 2 is drawing its close, and there is discourse surrounding one of the new tanks in the game and her current underperformance. One of the heroes introduced as Blizzard made the transition to Overwatch 2, Junker Queen isn't living up to her regal title.
Overwatch 2 was released on October 4, 2022, with the goal of breathing life back into a franchise that once showed so much promise. With a content infusion that included three new heroes, five new maps, a revamped art style, and a host of gameplay tweaks, both big and small, the verdict is still very much out on whether it will be enough to keep Overwatch relevant into the future. One of the biggest gameplay shifts was the decision to shave down teams from 6v6 matches to 5v5 in Overwatch 2, as the tank role, meant to soak damage and protect the more fragile members of the team, was reduced from two slots to one. Between the decision to only allow one tank per team, and the introduction of a brand-new tank with Junker Queen, the pressure was on for the shotgun-toting, axe-swinging hero to perform.
With Overwatch 2's first competitive season now in the books, fans have taken to Reddit to discuss the game's future. As pro players are emulated, tier lists are constructed, and games are won and lost on balance, one thing that has become abundantly clear is that Junker Queen needs a buff. Released with a bombastic cinematic and a novel design, players were hopeful they could hop into the shoes of their new main and lead their teams to victory. For now, however, Junker Queen's usage in Overwatch 2 seems relegated to countering low-mobility, uncoordinated team compositions.
The fan suggestions for viability were mostly sensible. Among the buffs Junker Queen could/should receive include: increases to healing from wounding enemies, an increase of damage or tightening of the spread from her shotgun, changing the anti-heal from her axe swing into a slowing effect, and speeding up her attack animations. A reversion of her nerfs from the Overwatch 2 beta was another suggestion. With her pick rate steadily declining since the release of Overwatch 2, it seems to be more a matter of which buffs Junker Queen will receive, as opposed to if she will get any attention with the season 2 patch.
Arriving on December 12, season 2 of Overwatch 2 comes with another new tank hero and a new escort map, and fans are hoping the new content represents a step in the right direction. What place Junker Queen will have in the meta going forward is still a mystery, but the safe bet is that she won't remain irrelevant for much longer.
Overwatch 2 is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
