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Choosing a tank in a first-person shooter is not a normal occurrence and could be confusing for players new to the Overwatch franchise. While the role of tanks in Overwatch and Overwatch 2 are a bit different from the role of a tank in a traditional role-playing game, it's still an out-of-the-ordinary concept for this type of game.
Beginners will have a choice of four different tanks when they first open the game, all of which have unique playstyles. If players are interested in playing a tank in Overwatch 2, they must know the benefits and drawbacks of each tank and how they can mitigate damage for the party.
Reinhardt Has the Strongest Team Shield
Mechanically, Reinhardt is the easiest tank to play as a beginner. He's got a hammer and a strong shield, though both can't be used at the same time. His two regular abilities are Charge and Fire Strike. When the Charge ability is aimed at an opponent, he charges forward to slam them into a wall. Fire Strike shoots a fiery projectile at an opponent. Reinhardt's ultimate ability, Earthshatter, knocks down all enemies in front of him.
The only way for Reinhardt to avoid being quickly eliminated by the opposing team is to stay near the healers. This is true of all tanks, but it can be especially tempting for Reinhardt players to charge into the fight with his Charge ability. Reinhardt's shield lasts through a decent amount of damage, but it should be saved for moments when there are multiple enemies firing at the team. His ultimate should be used when there are as many enemies right in front of him as possible, especially after an enemy just used their ultimate. This ability will only work with enemies that are on the ground, so it will do nothing against enemies like Pharah who mostly fly.
Zarya Has the Best Individual Shield Ability in Overwatch 2
Zarya is a different type of tank than Reinhardt -- her shield ability is a one-teammate-at-a-time targeted cast. She can also place the same shield on herself for her other ability, but there is no large shield like that of other tanks. Her particle cannon offers both a short-range and long-range damaging effect, the long-range requiring far more accuracy than the short-range cannon. However, the short-range one offers continuous damage rather than a burst. Her ultimate, Graviton Surge, pulls all nearby enemies into a single spot that they can't get out of for a short period of time.
Zarya's gameplay is highly based on teamwork. Since her shield is for one teammate at a time, it's best that players wait to deploy that shield until teammates are specifically targeted by enemies. She requires good reflexes to play efficiently, as well as good communication with the team. Her ultimate ability, Graviton Surge, doesn't do any damage to enemies, but it's useful to coordinate with other teammates' ultimate abilities. Ultimates like Soldier 76's Tactical Visor, Pharah's Rocket Barrage, or Cassidy's Deadeye are great pairings because they require a line of sight of enemies to maximize damage. Zarya can pull them all together to hopefully earn a Team Kill.
Winston Is Fast, Mobile & Has a Dome-Shaped Team Shield
Winston is a gorilla, so he's a fast-moving tank with gorilla-like abilities. His two main abilities are a dome-shaped shield (though it doesn't last very long) and Jump Pack, a gorilla-style leap into the air that damages enemies he lands on. His weapon shoots an electric-style beam toward enemies, and this doesn't require much accuracy. Or, he can shoot a ball of energy at an opponent, though this requires more accuracy, similar to Zarya's weapon but with different power sources. Winston's ultimate ability, Primal Rage, gives him increased health for the duration the ultimate lasts, and he leaps around and punches opponents.
Playing as Winston can be difficult, especially with how little damage his shield mitigates. It's useful for momentary encounters where a shield is needed, but it shouldn't be used until there's a specific reason -- unlike than Reinhardt's shield, which can block damage for a longer period of time. Winston doesn't have the damage mitigation other tanks have, so players must focus on mobility rather than acting specifically as a barrier between opponents and allies. His Jump Pack ability has a short cooldown and must be used often, as Winston does far better in battle avoiding damage than he does absorbing.
Orisa's Javelin Has Multiples Uses
Orisa was given a major re-work in Overwatch 2, and it changed her playstyle entirely. Orisa has a heat-based automatic weapon to deal damage to enemies outside of her primary abilities. She has an energy javelin that she can shoot at enemies, pinning them to a wall if the enemy is in front of one. She can also quickly spin it in a circle to block attacks and projectiles. And if Orisa moves forward into enemies while spinning the javelin, they will be knocked back and the abilities they were using are interrupted. Fortify, Orisa's other ability, gains her health and damage mitigation. Orisa's ultimate, Terra Surge, pulls enemies to a single spot and, at the player's chosen moment, releases a surge of damage.
The javelin alone makes Orisa more of an aggressive tank than she used to be, so players must utilize the javelin abilities to push into the enemy team. Her ultimate is useful when other teammates have their ultimates available, just like Zarya. However, Orisa's ultimate actually does damage to opponents rather than just pulling them in. Fortify should be used when Orisa needs to mitigate damage in the middle of a fight and her Javelin Spin is on cooldown. The Energy Javelin ability is a great counter to Reinhardt's Charge if the situation presents itself.