Best Overwatch 2 Characters For The Current Season 12

by  Dana Sydorenko Last update: September 4, 2024

On August 20, Overwatch 2 Season 12, called New Frontiers, started, which has prepared a lot of new interesting things for players. It would seem that only recently, the Overwatch meta for Season 11 was discussed on Reddit, and now there is a new season already! In addition to various new content, Season 12 rebalanced many heroes, so the meta from the previous season has also changed. So, I have compiled the current Overwatch 2 tier list to make it easier and faster for you to figure out which heroes you should pay attention to first in New Frontiers.

About Overwatch 2 Meta And Season 12 Changes

The new season of Overwatch 2 brought many changes to the game and new content. The developers introduced a new main game mode called Clash, which has a faster pace compared to other modes, and two new maps for this mode. The developers also added a new female hero, Juno, and the number of available heroes in the OW 2 tier list has increased to 41. Season 12 also includes a “soft” rank reset – the competitive ranks of all players are reset at the beginning of Season 12. Players need to complete 10 placement matches for each role again to get the appropriate rank for their skills. Matchmaking itself remains the same. In addition, Season 12 added new Mythic Skins, a Battle Pass, and much more.

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Overwatch 2 Tier List Explained

Since Overwatch 2 has so many heroes with unique abilities, there are tiers to help players quickly understand how some heroes compare to others. This gradation usually reflects the general trend of the number of hero picks and their wins compared to others. The Overwatch tier list is relevant for a specific season or before a major update that makes adjustments to the balance of heroes. In fact, it works the same way as in all Overwatch-like games.

The gradation goes from the S tier, which contains the strongest heroes at the moment. They are present in the current Overwatch meta and will be encountered in almost every match. They are a must-pick for professional players and generally have the best winning statistics.

The lowest is the D tier, with heroes requiring revision and not well-suited for ranked matches. Yet, there are always players who know their hero’s intricacies and shortcomings well and can perform impeccably even with a hero from the B tier. However, I generally recommend choosing heroes from the highest Overwatch 2 tiers to grow in the ranks and win. So, here’s the full Overwatch 2 tier list for Season 12.

S Tier

The S tier contains the best Overwatch 2 characters in Season 12. These heroes will be present in almost all matches and are ideal for all maps and compositions. These are ultimate heroes with strong abilities that have no drawbacks. Some of the heroes can almost always stay in this Overwatch 2 tier list, while others get there after rebalancing in the latest patches. These heroes are most often chosen by professionals, but they will also be the best choice for ordinary players to win and increase their rank. So, the S tier right now includes:

• Tracer;
• Sojourn;
• Zarya;
• Sigma;
• Mauga;
• Ana;
• Lucio;
• Kiriko.

A Tier

The A tier also includes very strong heroes, which, however, may have minor drawbacks that prevent them from objectively getting into the S tier. Heroes from this Overwatch 2 tier list may show themselves worse on some maps or may be quite difficult to master. These heroes are less versatile and will be present on fewer maps in professional games. Nevertheless, this is a good choice for winning matches and growing in ranks. Here is my list of heroes for A tier: 

• Ashe;
• Sombra;
• Cassidy;
• Venture;
• Pharah;
• D.Va;
• Orisa;
• Junker Queen;
• Ramattra;
• Baptiste;
• Illari.

B Tier

The B tier is all about heroes that are average in every sense. These are not bad heroes, but they usually have one or more drawbacks. They may have weaker abilities than in tier A or a narrower specialization, which does not make them effective on certain maps. These heroes are usually used even less by professional players, and in general, they require further improvement and rebalancing. The Overwatch 2 B-tier list of heroes in Season 12 is as follows:

• Widowmaker;
• Reaper;
• Soldier 76;
• Mei;
• Bastion;
• Echo;
• Genji;
• Reinhardt;
• Doomfist;
• Winston;
• Roadhog;
• Moira;
• Brig;
• Juno.

C Tier

The C tier contains highly specialized heroes. They can be good in certain situations and on certain maps, but they are even less often taken on the professional scene. These are not the best Overwatch characters since they require some skills and are hard to play if your goal is to increase your rank. However, there are always players who may favor the heroes from this list and perform well with them. The list of heroes for the C tier is as follows: 

• Symmetra;
• Hanzo;
• Torbjorn;
• Wrecking Ball;
• Zenyatta.

D Tier

Tier D is similar to the previous one, but these heroes are not suitable for increasing the rank in season 12 and require further improvements. These are also very narrowly specialized heroes, or there are simply analogs to them that will be stronger or easier to master. The following heroes fall into the Overwatch hero D-tier list: 

• Junkrat;
• Mercy;
• Lifeweaver.

Best Overwatch 2 DPS Characters

DPS heroes or damage dealers are heroes who deal the main damage and are responsible for finding and eliminating the enemy team’s heroes using their various abilities and ultimates. In the table below, you can find out which damage dealers belong to which Overwatch 2 tier.

Overwatch Tank Hero Tier List

Tanks are one of the key heroes because they need to be on the front line, absorb a lot of damage, and cover DPS heroes, distracting attention to themselves and thus opening a window of opportunity to damage the enemy. These heroes lead the attack, destroying fortified enemy positions. Here is a table for tanks from the Overwatch 2 meta to less effective characters in Season 12 of Overwatch 2.

Best Overwatch Support Characters

Support is a role that should not be underestimated. These heroes on this Overwatch 2 tier list may have fewer kills per match compared to DPS or tanks, but they have the vital job of supporting and healing both tanks and damage dealers. Without a good support hero in the team, tanks can quickly become useless, and the team can crumble in the face of an organized onslaught from the enemy. In addition to healing, support heroes also help their team by increasing their damage and providing various vital utilities. Support is the backbone of your team’s survival, and here is an Overwatch 2 tank characters tier list.

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