Want to know the abilities of all the Overwatch 2 characters? The sequel to Blizzard’s hero-based FPS game features a mixture of returning characters and new faces.
Three launch heroes join a packed cast to create a roster of 35 Overwatch 2 characters. The new seasonal content structure of Overwatch 2 hopefully means much more frequent hero drops, so expect this roster to balloon in the coming months. The roadmap reveals that there’s a new tank hero arriving with Season 2 on December 6, plus new heroes throughout 2023, although we’re not sure how consistent these seasonal content drops will be or if they’ll all contain a new hero.
Unlike the first game, where all heroes were available to all players, you now have to unlock future Overwatch 2 heroes from the game’s seasonal battle pass. The characters are on the free track, starting with the new support character Kiriko who appears at rank 55 of the Season 1 pass.
We’ve arranged this list so that all of the heroes are presented in alphabetical order. However, if you’re looking for a quick rundown by role, we have guides on the best Overwatch 2 DPS, the best Overwatch 2 support, and the best Overwatch 2 tank, which could save you some research.
Here are all of the Overwatch 2 characters:
- Ana
- Ashe
- Baptiste
- Bastion
- Brigitte
- Cassidy
- D.Va
- Doomfist
- Echo
- Genji
- Hanzo
- Junker Queen
- Junkrat
- Kiriko
- Lucio
- Mei
- Mercy
- Moira
- Orisa
- Pharah
- Reaper
- Reinhardt
- Roadhog
- Sigma
- Sojourn
- Soldier: 76
- Sombra
- Symmetra
- Torbjorn
- Tracer
- Widowmaker
- Winston
- Wrecking Ball
- Zarya
- Zenyatta
Ana
- Role: Support
- Biotic rifle
A sniper rifle with shots that heal teammates and damage enemies. You can scope in by holding the right mouse button. - Sleep Dart
Fires a dart that stuns the enemy for a few seconds. - Biotic Grenade
A throwable grenade that heals teammates and increases how much healing they can receive, while applying the opposite effect on enemies caught in its area of effect. - Nano Boost
Supercharges an ally so they deal more damage and take less damage
Ashe
- Role: DPS
- The Viper
A semi-auto rifle that can deliver power shots when scoping in. - Coach Gun
A quick-fire, sawn-off shotgun blast that deals lots of damage and knocks Ashe back. - Dynamite
A throwable explosive with a short delay. It can be shot for faster detonation. - B.O.B.
A robot that can be spawned into the battlefield. He sprints forward knocking enemies into the sky and then shoots them with his wrist-mounted guns.
Baptiste
- Role: Support
- Biotic Launcher
The primary weapon is a burst-fire assault rifle that deals moderate damage, alt-fire is a healing grenade launcher. - Regenerative Burst
Heals yourself and nearby allies for an instant burst of health, followed by a slow heal-over-time effect. The instant heal effect is doubled if the target is below half health. - Immortality Field
A throwable device that spawns a bubble, shielding any teammates inside from death. The device can be destroyed. - Amplification Matrix
A shield that’s projected a couple of metres in front of Baptiste, buffing the healing and damaging effects of any ally projectiles that pass through it. - Exo Boots
A charged leap that can be used to access vantage points. Hold crouch to charge.
Bastion
- Role: DPS
- Configuration: Assault
In this setup, Bastion is a slow-moving tank-like hero with a devastating Gatling gun. - Configuration: Recon
A more agile walker-like stance with an accurate rifle. - A-36 Tactical Grenade
A ‘nade that can be bounced off walls or explodes on impact with enemies or the floor. - Configuration: Artillery
A stationary artillery configuration that lets you select three locations to bombard.
Brigitte
- Role: Support
- Rocket Flail
A mace for bashing skulls. - Repair Pack
Throw it at an ally to heal them for a short spell. - Whip Shot
Knock an enemy back with an extended flail attack. - Barrier Shield
Hold the right mouse button to deploy an energy barrier with lots of health. - Shield Bash
When using the Barrier Shield you can charge forward to damage and knock enemies back. - Rally
Buffs movement speed and health for all nearby allies. - Inspire
This is a passive AoE healing effect that’s triggered whenever you deal damage to enemies.
Cassidy
- Role: DPS
- Peacekeeper
A high-damage revolver. - Combat Roll
Get an instant reload and avoid incoming fire with a directional roll. - Magnetic Grenade
A short-range grenade that magnetises towards the nearest enemy and explodes, dealing extra damage if it sticks to them first. - Deadeye
Enter a sharpshooter mode where you lock onto every enemy in sight before unloading a volley of lethal, highly accurate shots.
D.Va
- Role: Tank
- Fusion Cannons
Primary damage dealers, work like full-auto shotguns. - Light Gun
When out of the mech, D.Va’s primary is an automatic pistol. - Boosters
Jet through the air in the direction you’re facing. - Defense Matrix
Block incoming fire. - Micro Missiles
Fire a small volley of mini rockets. - Self-Destruct
Eject from the mech as it hurtles forward, exploding after a short delay. - Call Mech
Survive out of the mech for long enough and you can spawn in a replacement. - Eject
Escape from the Mech if it takes too much damage and continue fighting on foot.
Doomfist
- Role: Tank
- Hand Cannon
A short-range primary weapon with shotgun-like spread. Reloads automatically. - Rocket Punch
Charge power punch that launches you forward and knocks the target back. Extra damage if you knock an enemy into a wall. - Seismic Slam
Jump up and then smash back into the ground, dealing AoE damage. - Power Block
A small energy shield that blocks damage and converts it into charge for your Rocket Punch. - Meteor Strike
Leap through the air and then aim the reticule to decide where you land, before striking the targeted area and dealing massive damage.
Echo
- Role: DPS
- Tri-Shot
Fires three projectiles in a triangular arrangement. - Sticky Bombs
A small barrage of sticky bombs detonates after a short fuse. - Flight
A quick, forward-facing burst of flight followed by a short duration in which you can fly freely. - Focusing Beam
A beam of very high damage that does even more damage to targets who are low on health. - Duplicate
Copy a targeted enemy to bolster your ranks. Stops the enemy from switching Overwatch 2 characters until you’re done. - Glide
Instead of jumping and falling, Echo and glide after jumping.
Genji
- Role: DPS
- Shuriken
A precise burst of three shurikens with your left mouse button, or an arced horizontal throw if you use the right mouse button. - Deflect
Send incoming projectiles back at the enemy, blocking melee and projectile damage too. - Swift Strike
A fast dash attack in which you strike an enemy with your sword. Any elimination you get as Genji resets this dash. - Dragonblade
Buffs Genji’s sword attack so you deal more damage, can dash further, and strike more often. - Cyber-Agility
Wall-climb and double-jump.
Hanzo
- Role: DPS
- Storm Bow
A bow and arrow. Can be charged for a more damaging shot. - Storm Arrows
A volley of five arrows that deal less damage. - Sonic Arrow
Shoot an arrow that detects any nearby enemies for a short duration. - Lunge
Double-jump. - Dragonstrike
Fires a Dragon Spirit forward, dealing massive damage to any enemy it passes through. - Wall Climb
Exactly that. Jump towards a wall and Hanzon will start scrambling up it.
Junker Queen
- Role: Tank
- Scattergun
Pump-action shotgun for close-range fights. - Jagged Blade
Throw this knife to deal damage, then use the skill again to pull it back to you, tugging any stuck enemy along with it. Inflicts a wounding effect on enemies, which deals damage over time. - Commanding Shout
Gain temporary health and movement speed buffs for you and any nearby teammates. - Carnage
Wound all enemies in front of you. - Rampage
Charge forward, wounding enemies. This deals damage over time and prevents them from healing. - Adrenaline Rush
Convert wound damage into self-heals.
Junkrat
- Role: DPS
- Frag Launcher
Fire bouncing grenades at enemies. - Concussion Mine
A mine that detonates, knocking enemies back a great distance. - Steel Trap
A bear trap prevents anyone caught inside it from moving until it breaks. - Rip-Tire
Turn into a spinning tire of death, drive into the enemy ranks, and detonate for huge damage. - Total Mayhem
Drop a cluster of bombs upon being eliminated, and take no damage from your own explosives.
Kiriko
- Role: Support
- Healing Ofuda
Throw healing Ofuda papers out, which can home in on targeted allies and deliver HP. - Kunai
Throwing knives that deal extra critical damage. - Swift Step
Teleport to an ally. - Protection Suzu
Throw a charm that makes allies temporarily invulnerable and removes most negative effects. - Kitsune Rush
Sends a spirit fox forward. Any allies who follow in its wake gain huge buffs to movement speed, attack speed, and shortening cooldowns.
Lucio
- Role: Support
- Sonic Amplifier
Fire a short-range projectile that deals low damage on impact. - Soundwave
Alt-fire for the Sonic Amplifier. Shoots a blast of sonic energy that knocks enemies back a considerable distance. - Crossfade
Choose between an area of effect heal and a speed boost for you and your nearby allies. - Amp It Up
Buffs the effect of Crossfade. - Sound Barrier
A temporary shot of extra health for nearby allies. - Wall Ride
A passive movement ability that allows you to glide around walls at great speeds.
Mei
- Role: DPS
- Endothermic Blaster
Short-range hose of frost damage that slows enemy movement. The alt-fire launches a long-range icicle that deals high damage. - Cryo-Freeze
Freeze yourself in a block of healing ice, granting invulnerability for as long as the ice block is active. - Ice Wall
Erect a wall of ice to block enemy movement and line of sight. Each pillar of the ice wall can be destroyed. - Blizzard
Send out a drone that freezes enemies in a wide area of effect.
Mercy
- Role: Support
- Caduceus Staff
Hold the left mouse button to shoot a healing ray at a targeted ally. - Caduceus Blaster
A low-damage, full-auto pistol. - Guardian Angel
Launches mercy towards an ally. While flying towards the ally Mercy can accelerate the leap by jumping, or leap further upwards by crouching. - Resurrect
Revive a fallen comrade. - Angelic Descent
Stay high above the battlefield with a very slow descent speed. - Valkyrie
Full flight control for a short duration, with enhanced abilities.
Moira
- Role: Support
- Biotic Grasp
Hold to channel a heal to all allies in front of you. This consumes Moira’s biotic energy resource. The alt-fire turns the channel into a damage-dealing one, which also regenerates your biotic energy. - Biotic Orb
Shoot a bouncing orb of biotic energy that either heals allies or hurts enemies in its area of effect. - Fade
Turn invisible, invulnerable, and move faster for a short amount of time to escape. You can’t use other abilities while Fade is active. - Coalescence
This Ult fires a beam that either heals allies or damages enemies.
Orisa
- Role: Tank
- Augmented Fusion Driver
An energy-based rotary cannon that overheats if firing for an extended period of time. - Energy Javelin
Throw a javelin at an enemy to stun them, deal damage, and knock them back. This deals more damage if you knock them into a wall. - Fortify
Buffs your health, reduces damage taken, and slows down how quickly your primary weapon overheats for a short duration. - Javelin Spin
Twirl the javelin around in front of you, destroying projectiles, blocking melee damage, buffing your movement speed, and pushing enemies back. - Terra Surge
Suck enemies in and trap them in place, before gaining all the buffs of Fortify and unleashing a burst of damage.
Pharah
- Role: DPS
- Rocket Launcher
Rain long-range rocket projectiles down on your enemies. - Jump Jet
Fly upwards to gain a good view of the battlefield. - Concussive Blast
An explosive blast that knocks enemies back around the area of impact. - Barrage
A huge, continuous volley of mini-rockets. - Hover Jets
Hover in place when in the air.
Reaper
- Role: DPS
- Hellfire Shotguns
Short-range primary weapon. - Shadow Step
Target a location and teleport there. - Wraith Form
Gain temporary invulnerability and movement speed buffs, cannot shoot while active. - Death Blossom
Damage all nearby enemies with a spinning barrage of shotgun blasts. - The Reaping
Damage enemies to heal.
Reinhardt
- Role: Tank
- Rocket Hammer
A massive, rocket-powered hammer that deals a lot of melee damage. - Charge
Run straight head, sweeping up enemies in your way and slamming them into the next wall. You can cancel Charge too and steer it slightly – so you can send enemies flying off the map without joining them. - Fire Strike
Sends a projectile of fire at enemies. - Barrier Field
Hold the right mouse button to deploy a huge energy shield that blocks all incoming projectiles. The shield has a very large health pool. - Earthshatter
Smash the ground in front of you dealing massive damage and knocking enemies back in a frontal cone.
Roadhog
- Role: Tank
- Scrap Gun
A shotgun that shoots scrap metal – very high spread. Alt-fire launches a ball of scrap that explodes on impact, letting you deal higher damage to far-away enemies. - Chain Hook
Throw to latch onto an enemy and drag them towards you. - Take a Breather
Eat some food to heal yourself and reduce how much damage you take. - Whole Hog
Turns the Scrap Gun into a full-auto death machine with no reload, a higher rate of fire, and a huge knockback effect.
Sigma
- Role: Tank
- Hyperspheres
Launch two charges which explode, dealing damage in an area of effect. This deals a huge amount of damage if you can land it consistently. - Kinetic Grasp
Absorb incoming projectiles and convert them into shields. - Accretion
Throw a mass of rocks and debris at an enemy, knocking them back and dealing damage. - Experimental Barrier
Cast a barrier that floats and can be placed very far away. You can recall this if you need to reposition it. - Gravitic Flux
Change the laws of gravity for your enemies and then slam them back down into the dirt.
Sojourn
- Role: DPS
- Railgun
A full-auto energy assault rifle that deals hit-scan damage. As you deal damage you effectively store energy to launch a more damaging alt-fire shot. - Power Slide
Slide across the ground and then cancel to jump through the air. - Disruptor Shot
Fires an energy bubble, snaring and damaging enemies inside it. - Overclock
Provides infinite charge for the Railgun’s alt-fire.
Soldier: 76
- Role: DPS
- Heavy Pulse Rifle
A full-auto assault rifle that deals solid damage. - Sprint
Hold shift to run faster. - Biotic Field
A throwable that deploys a healing area of effect for you and your teammates. - Helix Rockets
Shoot a cluster of rockets that dead moderate damage on impact. - Tactical Visor
Activates aimbot.
Sombra
- Role: DPS
- Machine Pistol
Two short-range machine pistols with a high spread. - Hack
Hold to hack enemies, which stops them from using abilities and marks them for your teammates – even through walls. Hack can also be used on health packs to make them spawn faster and stop enemies from using them. - Stealth
Become invisible and move faster. You can become detected if you get too close to enemies. - Translocator
Toss a beacon out that you can then teleport to. - EMP
Deals 40% of all nearby enemies’ health as damage, hacks them, and destroys barriers. - Opportunist
You can see hurt enemies through walls and you deal an additional 40% damage towards hacked enemies.
Symmetra
- Role: DPS
- Photon Projector
Close-range energy beam that does increasing damage. - Sentry Turret
Place up to three turrets that slow and damage enemies in their range. These effects can stack. - Teleporter
Create two temporary teleporters for instant map traversal. - Photon Barrier
Casts a gigantic energy barrier with so much health it’s almost impossible to destroy.
Torbjorn
- Role: DPS
- Rivet Gun
Essentially a rifle that fires metal bolts. The rate of fire is slow, but it’s highly accurate. The alt-fire is a less accurate, short-range shot. - Forge Hammer
Hit an enemy to deal damage, or your own turret to repair it. - Deploy Turret
A self-constructing auto turret that fires at any enemies in sight. - Overload
Get extra health, improved attack, movement speed, and reload speed. - Molten Core
Launch pools of molten metal that damage enemies that pass through, and deal extra damage to armour.
Tracer
- Role: DPS
- Pulse Pistols
High-spread, short-range auto pistols. - Blink
An instant teleport in the direction you’re travelling in. - Recall
Rewind time and go back to your previous location, returning any lost health points in the process. - Pulse Bomb
Throw a powerful sticky bomb that deals lots of damage.
Widowmaker
- Role: DPS
- Widow’s Kiss
Standard fire is an assault rifle, alt-fire turns it into a scoper sniper rifle. - Grappling Hook
Grapple to a ledge. - Venom Mine
A poison trap that detonates based on proximity, deals damage to affected enemies, and marks them so you can track their movement through walls. - Infra-Sight
This basically gives your whole team wall hacks.
Winston
- Role: Tank
- Tesla Cannon
Shoots electrical damage in a short-range arc in front of you. You can charge a ranged shot that deals extra damage. - Jump Pack
Leap through the air, landing on an enemy deals damage to them. - Barrier Projector
Deploy a huge dome that protects friendlies inside from enemy projectiles. - Primal Rage
Gain a massive health buff and increase your melee speed, jump cooldown, and damage. Once active Winston can only use melee and jump.
Wrecking Ball
- Role: Tank
- Quad Cannons
Four automatic hit-scan cannons dish out moderate damage. Most effective up close. - Grappling Claw
Transform into a rolling metal ball and launch a grappling hook to act as your anchor. Swing around the anchor point dealing collision damage and knockback to enemies. You can use the Grappling Claw for a quick burst of acceleration, or to get up high. - Roll
Transform into a metal ball that moves faster. - Piledriver
When airborne and rolling, use this ability to slam into the ground, knocking enemies into the air and damaging them. - Adaptive Shield
Temporarily buff your health. The amount of health gained increases if there are more enemies nearby. - Minefield
Drop a massive cluster of proximity mines that deal high damage.
Zarya
- Role: Tank
- Particle Cannon
A short-range beam of damaging energy. Alt-fire launches an orb of damaging energy. Both fire modes are more effective if Zarya has energy charged up. - Particle Barrier
Create a barrier around yourself that absorbs incoming damage and charges your cannon. This has two charges but shares its charges with the Projected Barrier ability. - Projected Barrier
Create a barrier around a teammate that absorbs incoming damage and charges your cannon. - Graviton Surge
Fire a gravity well that sucks all nearby enemies towards it. This is an Ult that works well in combination with damage-dealing Ults.
Zenyatta
- Role: Support
- Orb of Destruction
Hurl a damage-dealing orb at enemies. Alt-fire is a charge shot that can one-shot some low-health characters. - Orb of Discord
Attach an orb to an enemy that increases the amount of damage they take. - Orb of Harmony
Attach an orb to a teammate that heals them. - Snap Kick
A rapid melee kick that deals damage and massive knockback. - Transcendence
This Ult creates a huge area of effect that grants healing and faster movement speed to all nearby allies. Zenyatta is invulnerable while using Transcendence.
And there you have it, all the Overwatch 2 characters and what they can do, summed up in one handy guide. You can also read up on all of the Overwatch 2 maps, as well as our thoughts on the current Overwatch 2 tier list based on our experience with the game.
Additional contributions by Iain Harris.