After its lackluster release,Overwatch 2has been gaining steam with its frequent updates and new content. With new heroes being added frequently,Overwatch 2has a perfect chance on the horizon to address a common complaint, so long as it doesn’t miss its window.Overwatch 2’s recent season 11 release has kickstarted a new complaint among fans. While many are happy with new additions of any kind, such as the pattern of releasing a new hero every 2 seasons, others have very strong opinions about what type of content needs to be added. Lately, tank heroes have been in a poor state, leading fans to call for buffs and additional tank characters to remedy the problem.
This feedback has been increasing withseason 12 set to debut a new support hero codenamed Space Ranger. Not much is confirmed about Space Ranger’s play style, but it’s suspected that they will be yet another thorn in the side of tank players. With all this in mind, players have been pushing for a new tank hero with better ranged combat abilities. This type of addition might ease the problem tank players are facing, but with season 14 being the next time a new hero will release, the hypothetical new tank needs to appear then.
Overwatch 2 Needs a Proper Ranged Tank
Tanks have always been front and center inOverwatch 2’s fan community, with characters like D.Va and Reinhardt remaining some of the most popular in the game. However, recent updates and new characters mean tank heroes aren’t as powerful as they used to be. This has resulted in situations wherea Mauga player can get taken down in seconds. The role of a tank in the game’s meta is to be a damage sponge, taking and dealing high damage while faster players push forward to gain more ground. But situations like that of the short-lived Mauga are becoming far too common.
How a Ranged Tank Could Save Overwatch 2
Though Blizzard has been doing its best to fix the issue of poor tank gameplay, announcingupcoming buffs for Reinhardt and Winston, the solution might take the form of an entirely new hero. Buffs will certainly help existing characters feel more balanced, but there are still too many characters who are powerful against tanks. With heroes like Pharah and Echo dealing high damage from afar, and Sombra disabling special attacks, a poor match-up could spell doom for any tank player. Add to that the arrival of Space Ranger in season 12, and tank players have too much to contend with. The answer might lie in introducing a new tank hero with strong ranged attacks.
Current tank heroes are excellent at dealing devastating damage from up close, but if they don’t have an opportunity to reach other players before being defeated, that strategy doesn’t do any good. Some tanks have guns, yet even Mauga, with a gun in each hand and a high health bar, has too many strong counters.With manyOverwatch 2tanks recently receiving nerfs, the problem has only been exacerbated. WhatOverwatch 2needs is a hero who can counter those counters.
Giving a new tank hero a strong defense and a devastating attack that can reach the other team from a distance would be a brand-new prospect. Introducing an all-new type of tank in a new character could shake up the meta enough to reinvigorate the game and be a saving grace for the tank class, and might evenrank among the best tanks inOverwatch 2.
Tanks will always be integral to the gameplay, so they need the attention they deserve. If Blizzard waits too long to introduce this type of character, though, the point may become moot. WithOverwatch 2still regaining fans’ trust after its rocky transition from the first game, it can’t afford another big misstep.Overwatch 2’s player count has been on the rise lately, but that trend could change if the game doesn’t.
Space Ranger is already slated for a season 12 release, meaning that the next new hero won’t show up until season 14. If the tank problem isn’t solved by that hero, the next opportunity won’t be until 2 seasons later in season 16, by which point many fans might have given up hope. Live-service games can be tricky to balance and keep relevant, butOverwatch 2owes its fans a solution to this problem, and the sooner it comes, the better for all parties involved.
Overwatch 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Overwatch 2 is an always-on and ever-evolving free-to-play, team-based action game set in an optimistic future, where every match is the ultimate 5v5 battlefield brawl. Power up your railgun and disrupt the battlefield as Sojourn, or yield your axe and command attention as Junker Queen. Battle to take control of a robot and move it toward the enemy base in the new Push Mode. Bring the fight to new destinations across the globe in iconic locations like New York, Rome, Monte Carlo and Rio. Daily challenges and frequent updates mean there is always something new to play.
