Highlights
- Roadhog's reworked kit in Overwatch 2 has improved his viability as a tank, resulting in a shake-up of the tank meta.
- The change to 5v5 gameplay in Overwatch 2 has impacted the utility of off-tanks, leading to potential decreased usage for some tanks.
- Support heroes like Ana and Illari dominate the current tank meta, making tanks that can effectively manage or pick off these heroes more valuable. Sigma, Orisa, and D.Va remain at the top of the tank meta due to their versatile kits and ability to create space for their team.
Roadhog mains in Overwatch 2 are getting accustomed to the hero's reworked kit following its introduction in an update earlier this month, and the changes seem to have had an effect on Roadhog's viability as a tank. Before this rework, Roadhog was not one of the better tanks in Overwatch 2, but the adjustments made to this hero during Season 7 have improved his standing among the game's other tank characters. As a result, the tank meta in Overwatch 2 has seen a shake-up since Roadhog's rework went live, revealing which heroes are in need of a buff and which remain top-tier threats.
Tanks in Overwatch 2 have been in a tough spot since the change to 5v5 from the original game reduced the number of tanks per team to only one. Before Overwatch 2, teams featured two tanks, one serving as the main tank and the other as the off-tank, fulfilling different roles within the team. Now that teams in Overwatch 2 only include one tank, some of the former off-tanks have seen their utility drop, and with the introduction of Mauga as a new tank coming next season, there's a good chance that a few of Overwatch 2's tanks will see even less use.
Why Overwatch 2 is So Miserable For Tanks Right Now
While the state of the roles in Overwatch 2 has been highly controversial for some time, there's no doubt that playing Tank can be disheartening.
Overwatch 2's Tank Meta After the Roadhog Rework
Part of Roadhog's problem prior to his rework was that he didn't fit into Overwatch 2's 5v5 gameplay as well as other tanks, given that he was an off-tank in the previous game. This new kit gives Roadhog better survivability thanks to the changes made to his Take a Breather ability that gives it a gauge like D.Va's Defense Matrix, and the introduction of the Pig Pen skill helps finish off enemies who might survive a Chain Hook/Scrap Gun blast combo.
Roadhog's New Kit
Ability | Type | Effect Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
Scrap Gun | Primary Weapon | Shotgun (Projectile) | Fires 4 scrap projectiles in a small spread and 16 smaller projectiles in a larger spread. |
Take a Breather | Ability | Healing | Hold alt-fire to heal 200 health per second with a 40% damage reduction. The resource gauge will deplete while active and recharge when not in use. |
Chain Hook | Ability | Projectile | Hurl the Chain Hook at a target, pulling them towards Roadhog and inflicting a -50% movement speed penalty on the target. |
Pig Pen | Ability | Arcing Projectile, Area of Effect | Launch a trap that slows and damages nearby enemies for 60 initial and 30 per second periodic. |
Whole Hog | Ultimate Ability | Shotgun (hitscan) | Damage and knock back enemies in front of you for 7.5 seconds. |
While these changes have had a pretty noticeable improvement in Roadhog's viability as a tank, he still remains a mid-tier pick, while some fellow tanks have become less useful as a result. The current Overwatch 2 meta revolves around powerful support heroes like Ana and Illari, meaning tanks that can't effectively manage or pick off these supports will be less effective than ones that can. As a result, heroes like Wrecking Ball, Winston, and Zarya are at the lower end of the tank meta since they lack components that can give them the utility to create space for their team while also pressuring opposing supports.
Conversely, heroes like Sigma, Orisa, and D.Va remain at the top of the tank meta with their ability to capitalize on a variety of useful skills that give them great utility. Sigma's Experimental Barrier can help shield the team's back line while he puts pressure on the enemy using his Hyperspheres and Accretion to damage supports, meaning he has a full kit of tools that make him the perfect front-line hero. Orisa and D.Va both have similar kits in the sense that they can both bully enemy heroes thanks to skills that put them at close range while also having skills for damage mitigation that can help keep them alive in brawls.
