All Overwatch characters and abilities detailed

February 6, 2026: We added all the sub-roles and five new heroes to the list.

Who are the Overwatch characters? The current Overwatch roster boasts 50 heroes, with Season 1 adding five new characters to the game. New heroes are typically released every two seasons, so keep an eye on this guide to see who has been added to the game throughout 2026.

As of Overwatch Season 1, every hero is receiving a sub-role. These sub-roles provide unique buffs to your hero, so it's important to know what each one does before heading into battle. We should point out that while you can play as all the Overwatch heroes in most game modes, not every hero is available to play in Stadium. Check out our Stadium builds guide to see which characters are available in the new mode.

Here are all the Overwatch characters:

Ana

Overwatch's resident harmacist, Ana, is a sharpshooting support who, in the right hands, can completely dictate the flow of the game. Ana's Biotic Grenade applies anti-heal, making tanks considerably easier to get through. Meanwhile, her Nano Boost is traditionally used as a big 'GO' button, providing a huge stat boost to her target.

• Role: Support
• Sub-Role - Tactician: You can gain excess ultimate charge, which carries over after using your ultimate ability.
• 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 (Ultimate): Supercharges an ally so they deal more damage and take less damage.

Anran

A star student at Wuxing University, Anran uses the fire technology created by Wuxing to burn enemies to a crisp. By joining the Overwatch team, Anran hopes to keep her younger brother, Wuyang, out of trouble. Anran is one of the only heroes with an ultimate ability that triggers when she dies, making her a constant threat.

• Role: DPS
• Sub-Role - Flanker: Health packs restore more health.
• Zhuque Fans: Throw two hand fans that trigger Anran's passive ability, setting enemies on fire.
• Fan the Flames: Double the amount of burning damage enemies take with a hot wind blast.
• Inferno Rush: Launch forward in a blazing inferno, damaging any enemies you rush through.
• Dancing Blaze: Phase through nearby enemies to deal damage or avoid incoming attacks; the invulnerability window increases with every enemy hit.
• Vermillion Ascent (Ultimate): Float in the air before diving down, crashing into a zone that pulls together enemies and sets them on fire.
• Vermillion Revival (Ultimate): If Anran dies with her ultimate ready, she automatically gets revived, triggering a fiery explosion.
• Ignition (Passive): Anran's attacks burn enemies upon hit.

Ashe

If you need a little more 'yeehaw' in your life, meet Ashe. This crack shot of a DPS can chain big hits from her rifle with the odd stick of dynamite here and there with explosive efficiency. When all else fails, throw in B.O.B. to shake up the fight.

• Role: DPS
• Sub-Role - Sharpshooter: Critical hits reduce your movement ability cooldowns.
• 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. (Ultimate): 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

Combat medic Baptiste is the ideal squadmate to have your back out in the field, combining healing and shielding tools to keep you safe. His ultimate, Amplification Matrix, is especially juicy when combo'd with projectile-based heroes, doubling the damage of anything that passes through it.

• Role: Support
• Sub-Role - Tactician: You can gain excess ultimate charge, which carries over after using your ultimate ability.
• Biotic Launcher: The primary weapon is a burst-fire assault rifle that deals moderate damage; the 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 (Ultimate): A shield that's projected a couple of meters in front of Baptiste, buffing the healing and damaging effects of any ally projectiles that pass through it.
• Exo Boots (Passive): A charged leap that can be used to access vantage points. Hold crouch to charge.

Bastion

Everyone's favorite happy robot of death, Bastion has long been the ideal Overwatch hero for bunkering down points or payloads, turning into a fast-firing mobile turret with the strike of a button. The ultimate glass cannon, only pick Bastion when your team comp is set up to keep you safe.

• Role: DPS
• Sub-Role - Specialist: Eliminating an enemy briefly increases your reload speed.
• 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 (Ultimate): A stationary artillery configuration that lets you select three locations to bombard.
• Ironclad (Passive): Reduces damage taken while transformed.

Brigitte

Brigitte fundamentally changed the trajectory of Overwatch due to how ridiculously overturned she was - particularly because Shield Bash used to stun struck targets. Nowadays, the plucky Swede is in a healthier spot, healing her team based on the damage she deals with her abilities and rallying them with her ultimate to charge into the enemy.

• Role: Support
• Sub-Role - Survivor: Using a movement ability activates passive health regeneration.
• 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 (Ultimate): Buffs movement speed and health for all nearby allies.
• Inspire (Passive): This is a passive AoE healing effect that's triggered whenever you deal damage to enemies.

Cassidy

It's high noon, and Cassidy is on the case. The rootinest, tootinest cowboy in Overwatch makes expert use of his high-powered revolver, athleticism, and magnetic grenade to take down even the meanest foe.

• Role: DPS
• Sub-Role - Sharpshooter: Critical hits reduce your movement ability cooldowns.
• 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 magnetizes towards the nearest enemy and explodes, dealing extra damage if it sticks to them first.
• Deadeye (Ultimate): Enter a sharpshooter mode where you lock onto every enemy in sight before unloading a volley of lethal, highly accurate shots.

D.Va

Mecha enthusiasts, here's your perfect Overwatch hero. D.Va is an off-tank that utilizes her mech to dive into backlines, provide anti-projectile support for her team using Defense Matrix, and ultimately kaboom the enemy team by making her robotic counterpart self-destruct. Just be careful when you're de-meched, as D.Va is incredibly squishy.

• Role: Tank
• Sub-Role - Initiator: Staying airborne lightly heals you.
• 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 (Ultimate): Eject from the mech as it hurtles forward, exploding after a short delay.
• Call Mech (Ultimate): Survive out of the mech for long enough and you can spawn in a replacement.
• Eject (Passive): Ejects from the mech if it takes too much damage and continues the fight on foot.

Domina

Described as the first 'Poke Tank' since Sigma, Domina utilizes the technology created by the Vishkar Corporation to its fullest potential, giving her the tools to protect her teammates with her powerful defensive abilities. She's also equipped with the longest-range beam in Overwatch, capable of hurting enemies from across the battlefield.

• Role: Tank
• Sub-Role - Stalwart: Reduces knockbacks and slows received.
• Photon Magnum: A medium-range beam that builds to a burst shot when fired.
• Barrier Array: Deploy a large hard-light barrier with destroyable segments.
• Crystal Charge: Send forth a crystal that deals AoE damage.
• Sonic Repulsors: Send enemies flying backwards in a straight line, stunning them if they hit a wall.
• Panopticon (Ultimate): Contain enemies inside a barrier that blocks their damage and stops them from healing. After a short period of time, the barrier explodes, dealing damage to the imprisoned players.
• Reconstruction (Passive): Damage dealt using Domina's abilities restores her shields.

Doomfist

Inspired by popular fighting game characters, Doomfist can punch his way through enemies with ease. This tanky disruptor is not only efficient at clobbering squishies, but he can peel your own high-value targets quickly should they get ganked.

• Role: Tank
• Sub-Role - Initiator: Staying airborne lightly heals you.
• Hand Cannon: A short-range primary weapon with a 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 (Ultimate): Leap through the air and then aim the reticule to decide where you land before striking the targeted area and dealing massive damage.
• The Best Defense (Passive): Dealing damage with abilities creates temporary overhealth.

Echo

One of the only worthwhile uses of AI we've seen, Echo is a highly dangerous robot who can rapidly adapt to any combat situation. She can fly, she has a cool beam, and she can transform into an enemy hero to provide an extra burst of compositional versatility.

• Role: DPS
• Sub-Role - Recon: You detect enemies below half health through walls after damaging them.
• 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 (Ultimate): Copy a targeted enemy to bolster your ranks. Stops the enemy from switching Overwatch characters until you're done.
• Glide (Passive): Instead of jumping and falling, Echo can glide after jumping.

Emre

A former Overwatch member, Emre left the organization when he felt the group had lost sight of its original purpose. Since parting ways with Overwatch, he's aligned himself with Vendetta, earning cybernetic upgrades that appear to have brainwashed him. Emre's abilities aren't too dissimilar from Soldier 76, sporting a burst rifle, grenades, and exceptional mobility.

• Role: DPS
• Sub-Role - Specialist: Eliminating an enemy briefly increases your reload speed.
• Synthetic Burst Rifle: An assault rifle that fires three-round bursts.
  Take Aim: Aim down the Synthetic Burst Rifle's sights using a scope, tightening the burst pattern. This ability doesn't reduce Emre's movement speed while active.
• Siphon Blaster: A pistol equipped with life-stealing explosive bullets. Increases movement speed and jump height while equipped.
• Cyber Frag: Throw a grenade that can bounce off walls before exploding.
• Override Protocol (Ultimate): Emre transforms into a different being, gaining the ability to temporarily fly. While in this form, Emre equips a cannon that fires explosive shots. You can choose to fire the shots individually, or you can charge the cannon to create a massive explosion.
• Altered Vitals (Passive): Emre's passive health regeneration not only triggers faster, but he instantly gains 30 health when it activates.s

Freja

Danish deadshot Freja blends agile movement mechanics with pinpoint precision. She fulfills a similar power fantasy to Hanzo, though she sacrifices information gathering and the raw power of Dragonstrike for her excellent mobility and a layer of crowd control from Bola Shot.

• Role: DPS
• Sub-Role - Recon: You detect enemies below half health through walls after damaging them.
• Redraw Crossbow: Freja's primary fire rapidly fires automatic bolts from her crossbow. Can be used while Take Aim is reloading.
• Take Aim: Freja's secondary fire slows down her momentum before lining up and letting off a fast, explosive bolt. Quick Dash refreshes Take Aim.
• Quick Dash: Freja vaults in the direction she's moving, refreshing Take Aim in the process.
• Updraft: Freja launches upward with a gust of wind.
• Bola Shot (Ultimate): Freja fires an explosive bola. Hitting an enemy wraps them up and pulls them in, alongside other nearby enemies.
• Bounty Hunting (Passive): Freja gains bonus ultimate charge every three final blows.

Genji

If farming TikTok clips is your forte, then you'll love Genji. This ridiculously mobile, high-skill-ceiling hero blends parkour with precise strikes to devastate backlines as he darts about the map. Unleash his Dragonblade for big, choppy action.

• Role: DPS
• Sub-Role - Flanker: Health packs restore more health.
• 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 (Ultimate): Buffs Genji's sword attack so you deal more damage, can dash further, and strike more often.
• Cyber-Agility (Passive): Wall-climb and double-jump.

Hanzo

Overwatch's ranger character, Hanzo makes liberal use of different arrow types to provide info to his team and amp up his damage. Hanzo can be a beast in the hands of certified aimers, but if you're having an off day, then let his Dragonstrike take care of business for you.

• Role: DPS
• Sub-Role - Sharpshooter: Critical hits reduce your movement ability cooldowns.
• Storm Bow: A bow and arrow that can be charged for a more damaging shot.
• Storm Arrows: The next five arrows ricochet and fire instantly at reduced damage.
• Sonic Arrow: Shoot an arrow that detects any nearby enemies for a short duration.
• Lunge: Double-jump.
• Dragonstrike (Ultimate): Fires a Dragon Spirit forward, dealing massive damage to any enemy it passes through.
• Wall Climb (Passive): Jump towards a wall and Hanzo will start scrambling up it.

Hazard

The Scottish mobile tank is a prickly customer, as he can dish out damage with his Bonespur shotgun while creating new terrain to disrupt and isolate targets.

• Role: Tank
• Sub-Role - Stalwart: Reduces knockbacks and slows received.
• Bonespur: Arm-mounted shotgun that fires a burst of spikes.
• Spike Guard: Hazard protects himself, firing homing spikes at nearby enemies. Hazard gains damage reduction and regenerates ammo while guarding.
• Jagged Wall: Hazard launches a spiked wall that knocks back and damages enemies with its radius.
• Violent Leap: Lunge forward. Reactivating slashes enemies, knocking them back.
• Downpour (Ultimate): Rains down spikes, immobilizing any enemies hit.
• Vault (Passive): Hazard can scale short walls and grab ledges.

Illari

Illari uses her railgun to either attack enemies or heal allies while utilizing Outburst to reposition or peel away from assailants. Healing Pylon is a pylon that heals, and Captive Sun deals damage and applies a big debuff to struck foes.

• Role: Support
• Sub-Role - Survivor: Using a movement ability activates passive health regeneration.
• Solar Rifle: Fires damaging shots with left click and a healing beam with the right.
• Outburst: Launches Illari in the direction they are moving and can also blow enemies back.
• Healing Pylon: Fire an object, a Healing Pylon, which sticks to a surface and provides healing for your team within a certain radius. Lasts until redeployed or destroyed.
• Captive Sun (Ultimate): Illari launches into the air and fires a ball of energy that deals damage, slows enemies, and marks them. Marked enemies will explode if they take additional damage.

Jetpack Cat

Making her appearance in Gibraltar as a stray cat, Brigitte quickly adopted her and gave her a new home. After being kitted out with the latest technology, she's now ready to take on the battle against Talon. Jetpack Cat marks the newest type of support hero, allowing her to transport her teammates around the map, opening up possibilities for interesting team combos.

• Role: Support
• Sub-Role - Tactician: You can gain excess ultimate charge, which carries over after using your ultimate ability.
• Biotic Pawjectiles: Fire mid-range projectiles that damage enemies and heal allies.
• Lifeline: Pick up teammates from the ground and attach them to a tether, transporting them around the map.
• Frenetic Flight: Burn some fuel to gain a temporary speed boost. Fuel recovery is slower while carrying other players.
• Purr: Create a pulsing healing area that increases in frequency with time. The zone will knock back nearby enemies when it activates.
• Catnapper (Ultimate): Dive into the ground and knock down enemies in the blast zone. The closest nearby enemy is attached to Jetpack Cat's tether, allowing you to temporarily displace the enemy.
• Jetpack (Passive): Permanent flight.

Junker Queen

The second Overwatch hero to be added to the game during the beta, Junker Queen is a one-woman army who is at her best when facing down multiple enemies at close range. Get in, inflict wounds, and heal from wounds inflicted. Easy.

• Role: Tank
• Sub-Role - Stalwart: Reduces knockbacks and slows received.
• 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 (Ultimate): Charge forward, wounding enemies. This deals damage over time and prevents them from healing.
• Adrenaline Rush (Passive): Convert wound damage into self-heals.

Junkrat

Junkrat is a goofy grenadier whose erratic personality matches his gameplay to perfection. He can use his Concussion Mines to either damage opponents or launch himself into the air, raining down grenades as he repositions. For even bigger, boomier damage, let the Rip-Tire rip into the enemy team.

• Role: DPS
• Sub-Role - Specialist: Eliminating an enemy briefly increases your reload speed.
• 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 (Ultimate): Turn into a spinning tire of death, drive into the enemy ranks, and detonate for huge damage.
• Total Mayhem (Passive): Drop a cluster of bombs upon being eliminated, and take no damage from your explosives.

Juno

A favorite among Sabrina Carpenter and Clairo fans, Juno is just as good in-game as she sounds. Equipped with gravity-defying boots, Juno's mobility makes her a great pick on maps with plenty of vertical space. Her ultimate, Orbital Ray, can be fight-deciding due to the healing and allied damage amp it provides.

• Role: Support
• Sub-Role - Survivor: Using a movement ability activates passive health regeneration.
• Mediblaster: Burst-fire weapon that heals allies and damages enemies.
• Pulsar Torpedoes: Mediblaster's alt-fire locks onto enemies, firing projectiles that both heal allies and damage enemies.
• Hyper Ring: Deploys a ring that boosts movement speed for allies passing through.
• Glide Boost: Glide horizontally with boosted speed.
• Orbital Ray (Ultimate): Calls down a huge, forward-moving beam, healing allies and increasing their damage.
• Martian Overboots (Passive): Enables double jump. Hold jump while jumping to hover.

Kiriko

Another support with excellent mobility, Kiriko can zip about the battlefield, healing allies with her Ofuda papers and dealing damage to enemies with her kunai as she goes. Kitsune Rush works similarly to Brigitte's rally in that it buffs movement speed and encourages an onward charge, though it also offers cooldown reduction and attack speed.

• Role: Support
• Sub-Role - Medic: Healing allies with your weapon also heals you.
• Healing Ofuda: Throw healing Ofuda papers out, which can hone 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 (Ultimate): Sends a spirit fox forward. Any allies who follow in its wake gain huge buffs to movement speed, attack speed, and shortening cooldowns.
• Wall Climb (Passive): Jump towards a wall and Kiriko will start scrambling up it.

Lifeweaver

Lifeweaver can be a thorn in the side of enemy teams thanks to his ability to provide terrain and safety to allies while keeping them topped up with health.

• Role: Support
• Sub-Role - Medic: Healing allies with your weapon also heals you.
• Healing Blossom: Hold down this ability to charge a healing burst. Release the action to heal a targeted ally.
• Thorn Volley: Rapidly fire a spread of thorns.
• Petal Platform: Throw a platform towards friends or foes that is activated when stepped on.
• Rejuvenating Dash: Perform a dash and lightly heal yourself at the same time.
• Life Grip: Pull an ally towards your location while protecting them from crowd control and damage abilities.
• Tree of Life (Ultimate): Place a healing tree that instantly restores the health of nearby allies upon sprouting and continues healing as it stays alive.

Lucio

Lucio is a fan-favorite support who can skate across the OW maps in record time, booping opponents off them and healing allies with his aura as he goes. If freneticism is your game, Lucio is your main.

• Role: Support
• Sub-Role - Tactician: You can gain excess ultimate charge, which carries over after using your ultimate ability.
• 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 (Ultimate): A temporary shot of extra health for nearby allies.
• Wall Ride (Passive): A passive movement ability that allows you to glide around walls at great speeds.

Mauga

Welcome to the gun show, the main act being man-mountain Mauga. Trust us when we say Mauga isn't trapped in his cage with you; you're trapped in there with him as he grinds you to a pulp with his not-so-miniguns.

• Role: Tank
• Sub-Role -  Bruiser: Reduces critical damage received. While at critical health, gain movement speed.
• Incendiary Chaingun: An automatic weapon that ignites enemies on repeated impacts.
• Volatile Chaingun: An automatic weapon that deals critical damage to burning enemies.
• Overrun: Charge forward and stomp to launch enemies. Mauga is unstoppable while charging.
• Cardiac Overdrive: An aura that reduces the damage nearby allies take and allows them to heal themselves by dealing damage.
• Cage Fight (Ultimate): Deploy a barrier that traps yourself and your enemies. Gain unlimited ammo while inside.
• Berserker (Passive): Passive ability that allows Mauga to gain temporary health when dealing critical damage.

Mei

If you love being an absolute menace, then Mei's freezing powers are the perfect tool to ruin the mental state of anyone you come into contact with. While her Endothermic Blaster doesn't freeze targets like it did in the original Overwatch, the slow is more than sufficient for dealing the required psychic damage.

• Role: DPS
• Sub-Role - Specialist: Eliminating an enemy briefly increases your reload speed.
• 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 (Ultimate): Send out a drone that freezes enemies in a wide area of effect.

Mercy

The angel of life, Mercy was renowned for her team-wide resurrection ultimate and propinquity to Pharah at all times in the original Overwatch. Nowadays she's still just as useful for healing allies and amping damage, though she can only restore one teammate to life at a time.

• Role: Support
• Sub-Role - Medic: Healing allies with your weapon also heals you.
• 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.
• Valkyrie (Ultimate): Full flight control for a short duration, with enhanced abilities.
• Angelic Descent (Passive): Stay high above the battlefield with a very slow descent speed.

Mizuki

Mizuki had to prove his worth the hard way, working through the ranks to establish himself as an important member of the Hashimoto clan. Though he's an ally of Talon, there's some speculation among his clan that he could be swayed into joining the Overwatch team. Built as an aggressive support character, Mizuki will be more involved in the action compared to his counterparts.

• Role: Support
• Sub-Role - Survivor: Using a movement ability activates passive health regeneration.
• Spirit Glaive: Fling a spinning blade that can bounce off walls into enemies.
• Healing Kasa: Throw Mizuki's hat like a boomerang that bounces from your teammates up to three times, healing you when it returns.
• Katashiro Return: Drop a paper doll while launching yourself forward, temporarily gaining a movement speed buff before teleporting back to the paper doll.
• Binding Chain: Stop enemies in their tracks with a chain that grounds airborne threats and slows their movement.
• Kekkai Sanctuary (Ultimate): Construct a protective zone that absorbs projectiles while healing any teammates standing inside the space.
• Remedy Aura (Passive): Emre heals his teammates with an aura that grows in strength when he heals allies and deals damage.

Moira

One of the most beginner-friendly Overwatch heroes, give Moira a go if you're struggling to hit your shots. After all, aiming can be really difficult, which is why many players love to lock in as Moira.

• Role: Support
• Sub-Role - Medic: Healing allies with your weapon also heals you.
• 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 (Ultimate): Moira fires a beam that heals allies and damages enemies.

Orisa

Once a specialist at pulling enemies down the Ilios well, Orisa was reworked into a more offensive tank for Overwatch. The guardian robot now wields a mighty javelin alongside her minigun, which can be thrown to stun enemies, twirled to protect herself from damage, and slammed down to pull in her foes with tectonic force.

• Role: Tank
• Sub-Role -  Bruiser: Reduces critical damage received. While at critical health, gain movement speed.
• Augmented Fusion Driver: An energy-based rotary cannon that overheats if firing for an extended period.
• 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 (Ultimate): Suck enemies in and trap them in place, before gaining all the buffs of Fortify and unleashing a burst of damage.

Pharah

The other half of the infamous Phar-Mercy combo, Pharah is an airborne terror capable of unleashing justice from above with her arsenal of explosive weaponry. Managing Pharah's jetpack will separate the good Pharahs from the great ones, so get practicing.

• Role: DPS
• Sub-Role - Recon: You detect enemies below half health through walls after damaging them.
• 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.
• Jet Dash: Secondary fire gives Pharah a boost of speed in whichever direction she's moving.
• Barrage (Ultimate): A huge, continuous volley of mini-rockets.
• Hover Jets (Passive): Hold jump to hover above the ground.

Ramattra

The leader of the infamous Null Sector, Ramattra has two distinct playstyles, mixing magic and might. While in his Omnic form, Ramattra can fire off Void projectiles and create barriers. However, when he shifts into the tankier, Jojo-esque Nemesis form, he will pummel all in his way with a flurry of blows.

• Role: Tank
• Sub-Role - Stalwart: Reduces knockbacks and slows received.
• Void Accelerator: A projectile-based weapon that fires in a fixed pattern.
• Void Barrier: Creates a barrier at the targeted location.
• Nemesis Form: Equip a different set of attacks and gain additional armor when entering Nemesis Form.
• Pummel: Attack enemies with a punch that pierces through heroes and barriers (exclusive to Nemesis Form).
• Block: Reduce all incoming damage by 75% and also slow your movement speed by 50% (exclusive to Nemesis Form).
• Ravenous Vortex: Fire a nano ball that explodes when it hits the ground, creating a damaging field that not only slows targets but also pulls them downwards.
• Annihilation (Ultimate): Instantly enter Nemesis Form and unleash a swarm of energy that deals 30 damage per second to nearby enemies.

Reaper

Reaper has always been one of the better tank busters in Overwatch. With his akimbo shotguns, Reaper dishes out the pain, healing himself with each round landed. Utilize his teleport in tandem with his ultimate ability to unleash a deathly dance on unsuspecting foes.

• Role: DPS
• Sub-Role - Flanker: Health packs restore more health.
• 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 (Ultimate): Damage all nearby enemies with a spinning barrage of shotgun blasts.
• The Reaping (Passive): Damage enemies to heal.

Reinhardt

If there's one Overwatch hero who truly embodies what it means to be a tank, it's Reinhardt. Sporting a hulking suit of armor and a hammer as big as your house, Reinhardt protects his team with German efficiency, shielding them from any danger that comes their way.

• Role: Tank
• Sub-Role - Stalwart: Reduces knockbacks and slows received.
• 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 (Ultimate): Smash the ground in front of you, dealing massive damage and knocking enemies back in a frontal cone.

Roadhog

Overwatch's hook hero, a good Roadhog can be nightmarish for DPS characters trying to zip into the action and excels at plucking poorly positioned supports out of the enemy backline. Beware Roadhog's two-piece combo, as he'll make a quick meal of you if you're caught.

• Role: Tank
• Sub-Role -  Bruiser: Reduces critical damage received. While at critical health, gain movement speed.
• 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: Temporarily heal yourself and reduce how much damage you take.
• Whole Hog (Ultimate): Turns the Scrap Gun into a full-auto death machine with no reload, a higher rate of fire, and a huge knockback effect.

Sigma

"What is that melody?" It's the sound of Sigma absolutely battering you with rocks, of course. The gravity-defying tank is one of Overwatch's most satisfying to play, especially when you get that fight-deciding Gravitic Flux off.

• Role: Tank
• Sub-Role - Stalwart: Reduces knockbacks and slows received.
• Hyperspheres: Launch two charges that 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 (Ultimate): Change the laws of gravity for your enemies and then slam them back down into the dirt.

Sojourn

The first character introduced in the Overwatch 2 beta, Sojourn's gameplay revolves around charging up her railgun before using the alt-fire to unleash a devastating burst of damage. Simple, yet effective.

• Role: DPS
• Sub-Role - Sharpshooter: Critical hits reduce your movement ability cooldowns.
• 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 (Ultimate): Provides infinite charge for the Railgun's alt-fire.

Soldier 76

Captain Call of Duty himself, Soldier 76 is a self-sufficient hitscan hero who can sprint around the map taking down targets before toggling on his aim hacks (using his ultimate) to ensure no one escapes his vizored vision.

• Role: DPS
• Sub-Role - Specialist: Eliminating an enemy briefly increases your reload speed.
• 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 deal moderate damage on impact.
• Tactical Visor (Ultimate): Automatically aims your weapon at targets in view..

Sombra

Sombra is a master of making herself scarce, utilizing her camouflage to sneak in, unload her damage, and teleport back out. Sombra's EMP has long been one of the best ultimates in Overwatch, so if you love to dish out DPS up close, you need to try her out.

• Role: DPS
• Sub-Role - Recon: You detect enemies below half health through walls after damaging them.
• 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 (Ultimate): Deals 40% of all nearby enemies' health as damage, hacks them, and destroys barriers.
• Opportunist (Passive): You can see hurt enemies through walls, and you deal an additional 40% damage towards hacked enemies.

Symmetra

Symmetra's sentries can be a nuisance due to the slowing beams they fire. While they're doing their job, Symmetra can create teleporters for herself and her teammates to hop through, making for instantaneous rotations.

• Role: DPS
• Sub-Role - Specialist: Eliminating an enemy briefly increases your reload speed.
• 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 (Ultimate): Casts a gigantic energy barrier with so much health it's almost impossible to destroy.

Torbjorn

Speaking of turrets, turret master number two is Torbjorn (who also happens to be Brigitte's father). This handy mechanic can slap down an auto turret that churns out damage, but don't let that fool you into thinking he isn't more than capable of holding his own.

• Role: DPS
• Sub-Role - Specialist: Eliminating an enemy briefly increases your reload speed.
• 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 and hit 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 (Ultimate): Launch pools of molten metal that damage enemies that pass through and deal extra damage to armor.

Tracer

Overwatch's poster girl, Tracer is the perfect pick for daredevil players who enjoy the thrill of frenetic, in-your-face combat. Managing Tracer's blinks is crucial to getting the most out of her kit, though she does have the magical Recall button if you do find yourself out of juice and in a less-than-optimal position.

• Role: DPS
• Sub-Role - Flanker: Health packs restore more health.
• Pulse Pistols: High-spread, short-range auto pistols.
• Blink: An instant teleport in the direction you're traveling in.
• Recall: Rewind time and go back to your previous location, returning any lost health points in the process.
• Pulse Bomb (Ultimate): Throw a powerful sticky bomb that deals lots of damage.

Vendetta

To prove herself worthy of joining Talon after she was forced out of the terrorist organization following the passing of her father, Marzia 'Vendetta' Bartalotti trained to become a fierce gladiator, earning the title of La Lupa Della Ritorsione (the wolf of retribution). With her newfound reputation as a ruthless warrior, Vendetta aims to rejoin Talon and continue where her father left off.

• Role: DPS
• Sub-Role - Flanker: Health packs restore more health.
• Palatine Fang: Short-range greatsword, capable of dishing out three hit combos when attacking in quick succession.
• Warding Stance: Block incoming damage and deflect melee attacks; drains Vendetta's energy bar.
• Whirlwind Slash: AoE sword slash.
• Soaring Slice: After throwing her sword, Vendetta flies towards it. The sword can deal damage to enemies that touch it while it floats.
• Projected Edge: During Warding Stance, fire off a wide projectile; drains Vendetta's energy bar.
• Sundering Blade (Ultimate): A chargable attack that splits through defensive barriers, capable of going through multiple enemies within its path.
• Onslaught (Passive): Strike enemies to increase movement and attack speed.

Venture

Venture's ability to burrow in and out of the action makes them one slippery character, whether above or below ground. They're also completely invulnerable to damage while doing their best mole impression, so make sure you're well-drilled in when to pop up and dive.

• Role: DPS
• Sub-Role - Flanker: Health packs restore more health.
• Smart Excavator: Fires a seismic charge that bursts after a short distance.
• Drill Dash: Venture dashes forward (above or below ground), pushing back enemies hit. Drill Dash's cooldown is accelerated while underground.
• Burrow: Burrow underground, becoming invulnerable. Emerge to deal damage.
• Tectonic Shock (Ultimate): Venture sends out damaging shockwaves.
• Explorer's Resolve (Passive): Venture's abilities grant them temporary shields.
• Clobber (Passive): Quick melee attacks deal more damage.

Widowmaker

Sniping is arguably the most satisfying part of any shooter, and Widowmaker's one-tap potential makes her a go-to for aim monsters. If she finds herself under pressure, Widow can simply grapple out of there.

• Role: DPS
• Sub-Role - Sharpshooter: Critical hits reduce your movement ability cooldowns.
• Widow's Kiss: Standard fire is an assault rifle; alt-fire turns it into a scoped 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 (Ultimate): Provide your team with a view of the enemy's location.

Winston

"Monkey one" is a classic OW call for when Winston has dove a bit too far into the enemy backline. Fortunately, the genial ape has a big old barrier and, if necessary, his Primal Rage to keep him safe until reinforcements arrive. That or he punches the stuffing out of the enemy backline. *Smiles*.

• Role: Tank
• Sub-Role - Initiator: Staying airborne lightly heals you.
• 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 (Ultimate): 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

Wrecking Ball is hilariously good fun. After all, what's more entertaining than rolling around the place as a hamster-controlled robot? He's also incredibly proficient at disrupting enemy lines with Piledriver and Minefield, so prepare to cause maximum mayhem.

• Role: Tank
• Sub-Role - Initiator: Staying airborne lightly heals you.
• 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 (Ultimate): Drop a massive cluster of proximity mines that deal high damage.

Wuyang

A healer with a lot of potential, Wuyang can control the flow of water to send orbs hurling towards his enemies, adjusting the trajectory as the projectile is mid-air. Wuyang's healing abilities aren't the strongest on this list, but his damage output more than makes up for this.

• Role: Support
• Sub-Role - Survivor: Using a movement ability activates passive health regeneration.
• Xuanwu Staff: Fires a water orb that can be controlled as it travels through the air.
• Restorative Stream: Places a passive healing stream on an ally. Can be used manually to improve the healing rate further.
• Rushing Torrent: Use water to move and jump faster.
• Tidal Blast: Activate a protective shield made of water that detonates, knocking down enemies and massively healing the host.
• Guardian Blast (Ultimate): Launch a wave that knocks enemies back while also healing any nearby allies.

Zarya

Zarya is one of the only Overwatch heroes who actually wants to get hit, as her barriers soak damage and turn it into more power for her Particle Cannon. Combine Zarya's Graviton Surge with a Hanzo ultimate and you're practically guaranteed a free enemy team wipe, if you land it, of course.

• Role: Tank
• Sub-Role -  Bruiser: Reduces critical damage received. While at critical health, gain movement speed.
• 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 (Ultimate): Fire a gravity well that sucks all nearby enemies towards it.
• Energy (Passive): Damage blocked by barriers increases Particle Cannon damage.

Zenyatta

Moira isn't the only orb-wielding support, and Zenyatta can completely take over a game if piloted properly. Between orb management, hitting your hitscan shots, and coming in with a clutch Transcendence to keep the team alive, it's well worth putting the time in to learn him.

• Role: Support
• Sub-Role - Tactician: You can gain excess ultimate charge, which carries over after using your ultimate ability.
• 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.
• Transcendence (Ultimate): Zenyatta creates an AoE that grants healing and faster movement speed to all nearby allies. Zenyatta is invulnerable while using Transcendence.
• Snap Kick (Passive): Quick melee damage is increased by 50%, and its knockback is significantly increased.

And there you have it, all the Overwatch characters and what they can do. You can also read up on all the Overwatch 2 maps in the free PC game, as well as our thoughts on the current Overwatch tier list based on our experience with the game.