Overwatch 2’s roster of elite heroes is updated every few months, with Blizzard continuously striving to keep the experience competitive and interesting for the fandom. There’re a total of 37 playable characters in the popular hero shooter now, each bringing a distinct set of abilities and an intriguing background to the table.
Officially released on Oct. 4, 2022, the starting Overwatch 2 roster comprised 35 heroes, 32 of whom were descended from 2016 Overwatch. The sequel has received five new heroes so far, including Soujourn, Junker Queen, Kiriko, Ramattra, and Lifeweaver.
With so many characters to master, those new to Overwatch 2 may want to dig deep into the heroes’ histories and release windows. Below, we have compiled a list of all playable heroes in the much-loved Overwatch successor in order of their release dates and their role.
Overwatch roster in release order
Tracer
Role: Damage
Release date in Overwatch: May 24, 2016
A fierce close-range battle expert, Tracer equips a couple of short-ranged, yet deadly Pulse Pistols and a large, sticky Pulse Bomb as her Ultimate ability. With abilities to teleport short distances and reverse time, she is a highly preferred damage hero in Overwatch 2.
Reaper
Role: Damage
Release date in Overwatch: May 24, 2016
With the ability to harvest his enemies’ health as his own and deal damage to them at the same time, Reaper is one of the most feared damage-per-second (DPS) heroes in the game. In addition to having deadly Hellfire Shotguns in his holster, he can teleport, become invulnerable and invisible at the same time, and even become a killing machine with his Ultimate—Death Blossom.
Widowmaker
Role: Damage
Release date in Overwatch: May 24, 2016
The queen of long-range combat, Widowmaker controls a potent sniper rifle, which, in the hands of an on-point aimer, can be of immense support to the team. Interestingly, Widow’s Kiss can turn into an automatic weapon when not in Aim-Down-Sight (ADS) mode, giving her the power to tackle close-range encounters as well.
Pharah
Role: Damage
Release date in Overwatch: May 24, 2016
Overwatch 2’s aerial combat expert, Pharah owns a powerful Rocket Launcher equipped with explosive rockets. To top it off, she is bestowed with an arsenal of mini-rockets once her Ultimate is charged. With her Hover Jets and Jump Jet, she can launch herself up in the air and deal damage from above.
Reinhardt
Role: Tank
Release date in Overwatch: May 24, 2016
Overwatch’s veteran knight, Reinhardt is an iron-clad, hammer-wielding tank hero, who can knock his enemies down with little to no effort, fire a damaging projectile, and offer reliable protection to his allies with an energy barrier.
Mercy
Role: Support
Release date in Overwatch: May 24, 2016
With abilities to restore lost health and boost damage output, Mercy’s Caduceus Staff is a boon for her allies. Mercy can fly, fall slowly from a height, and propel herself toward her allies who need support. She can also resurrect a dead teammate.
Torbjörn
Role: Damage
Release date in Overwatch: May 24, 2016
A genius Swedish engineer, Torbjörn owns a self-building turret, which, when deployed, provides immense support in battles. In addition, he carries a Forge Hammer, which is essentially a turret-repairing tool, but also doubles up as a weapon against his enemies.
Hanzo
Role: Damage
Release date in Overwatch: May 24, 2016
A skilled Japanese bowman and assassin, Hanzo can climb walls and double jump to reach off-angles and tackle his enemies with health-damaging and location-revealing arrows. When his Ultimate is online, Hanzo can summon a gigantic Dragon Spirit to destroy his enemies.
Winston
Role: Tank
Release date in Overwatch: May 24, 2016
A powerful tank hero wielding an electrocuting Tesla Cannon, Winston can channel his demonic power to gain immense health and destroy his enemies with excruciating melee attacks. When in danger, he can put up a dome-shaped energy shield around him for protection.
Zenyatta
Role: Support
Release date in Overwatch: May 24, 2016
An Omnic Monk from Nepal, Zenyatta is a damage-centric support hero in Overwatch 2. Not only can he heal his allies, but Zenyatta can also increase the damage dealt to his enemies and boost his own melee attack stats, providing immense assistance on the battleground.
Bastion
Role: Damage
Release date in Overwatch: May 24, 2016
Although a seemingly harmless robot, Bastion is hostile toward threats, ready to shower all of his highly damaging abilities on his enemies. When required, he can switch between three combat-centric configurations—Assault, Recon, and Artillery (Ultimate). His kit also includes a potent tactical grenade.
Symmetra
Role: Damage
Release date in Overwatch: May 24, 2016
In addition to wielding a beam-emitting Photon Projector, Symmetra’s laudable “architech” skills allow her to construct teleporters for instant travel, put up sentry turrets that reduce the enemies’ speeds, and deploy a huge Photon Barrier to offer protection to her allies and herself.
Zarya
Role: Tank
Release date in Overwatch: May 24, 2016
Zarya’s massive Particle Cannon lets her shoot a destructing linear beam, as well as a projectible energy grenade alternatively. The popular tank hero can not only deploy damage barriers for her personal safety but can also create one for her ally. She can also set up a gravity well to restrict her opponent’s movement and deal damage while they are trapped in the area of effect.
Cassidy
Role: Damage
Release date in Overwatch: May 24, 2016
Flaunting a hitscan Peacekeeper revolver, Cassidy uses his exceptional bullet-dodging mobility coupled with precision to take down his opponents with ease. He also brings a Magnetic Grenade to the table.
Soldier-76
Role: Damage
Release date in Overwatch: May 24, 2016
For a damage hero, Soldier-76’s kit offers impressive mobility and support abilities. With the option to swiftly move across the map, he can flee unfavorable combat situations, giving enemies a hard time tracking him. He can also self-heal and restore his teammates’ health with his Biotic Field.
Lúcio
Role: Support
Release date in Overwatch: May 24, 2016
Lúcio’s love for music is perfectly portrayed through his unique ability kit. He carries a Sonic Amplifier that can deal significant damage and even knock enemies away from him. Lúcio can buff his teammates by providing significant health and speed boosts. He is also incredibly mobile—he can jump onto a wall and glide across it.
Roadhog
Role: Tank
Release date in Overwatch: May 24, 2016
Equipped with a dangerous Chain Hook and a short-ranged Scrap Gun, Roadhog is a terrorizing beast when it comes to close-quarter fights in Overwatch 2. He can also self-heal over a period of time with a simultaneous reduction of damage taken.
Junkrat
Role: Damage
Release date in Overwatch: May 24, 2016
With a knack for destruction, Junkrat brings an arsenal of powerful explosives to deal with his enemies. He also carries an immobilizing Steel Trap, which only restricts an enemy wandering too close to it but also deals significant damage.
D.Va
Role: Tank
Release date in Overwatch: May 24, 2016
An ex-professional gamer, D.Va operates a versatile mech, which she can summon at her convenience and can even order to self-destruct, depending on the situation. D.Va is armed with highly effective close-range weapons, alongside a Defense Matrix, which she can deploy to withstand projectiles. She also displays decent agility with her ability to propel into the air.
Mei
Role: Damage
Release date in Overwatch: May 24, 2016
Mei, the cute climatologist, is an effective damage hero in head-on and long-range fights with her ice-firing Endothermic Blaster. As protective measures, Mei can cryo-freeze herself and put up a wall of ice to restrict the opponent’s plan. Her Ultimate slows and freezes enemies caught in the area of effect and even deals damage.
Genji
Role: Damage
Release date in Overwatch: May 24, 2016
Genji’s kit offers a mixture of powerful weaponry and high mobility to the player. In addition to his damage-inflicting abilities like Shuriken, Dragonblade, and Swift Strike, he can climb walls and breeze across with his Cyber-Ability, making it difficult for his opponents to track him.
Ana
Role: Support
Release date in Overwatch: July 19, 2016
One of the founding members of Overwatch, Ana is a versatile support hero. Her kit is focused on offering the best of both worlds, showering allies with healing and protection, while inflicting harm on enemies. Her Biotic Rifle is the epitome of long-range support, allowing her to deal damage to enemies and heal teammates from a distance.
Sombra
Role: Damage
Release date in Overwatch: Nov. 15, 2016
An expert in exploitation, Sombra can hack her enemies’ locations and suppress them. A master of stealth and translocation, the Mexican information manipulator is one of the best damage heroes to pick in Overwatch 2.
Orisa
Role: Tank
Release date in Overwatch: March 21, 2017
As a tank hero, Orisa is great in close-range encounters. She is armed with a heat-fueled Augmented Fusion Driver and an Energy Javelin that can stun and knock back enemies in addition to decaying their health. Activating Fortify over heals her and makes her immune to movement-restricting effects.
Doomfist
Role: Tank
Release date in Overwatch: July 27, 2017
Doomfist is a skilled combatant in close-quarter encounters, with his primary weapon being a powerful Hand Cannon shotgun. He can trigger a high-degree seismic shake-up and knock back enemies with his Rocket Punch, with both abilities causing significant damage.
Moira
Role: Support
Release date in Overwatch: Nov. 16, 2017
A brilliant scientist, Moira is dependent on biotic energy, which allows her to restore an ally’s health. She can harvest biotic energy and heal herself by dealing damage to her opponents using her Biotic Grasp. With her Biotic Orb, she can choose to heal her teammates or impair her opponents. She also has the ability to turn invisible and invulnerable for a while, letting her escape tough situations.
Brigitte
Role: Support
Release date in Overwatch: March 20, 2018
Unlike other support heroes, Brigitte’s kit leans toward the offensive side, allowing her to nurture an aggressive side. She can knock back enemies with her protective Barrier Shield and even fling a flail at an enemy to knock them away from her. Of course, she can also heal her allies and weaken opponents at the same time.
Wrecking Ball
Role: Tank
Release date in Overwatch: July 24, 2018
Equipped with high intellect, a powerful mech, and an automatic assault rifle, Wrecking Ball is definitely not your ordinary hamster. He can transform into a ball and wreak havoc on opponents, as well as take advantage of high movement speeds to navigate the map.
Ashe
Role: Damage
Release date in Overwatch: Nov. 13, 2018
As a hero focused on damage output, Ashe carries a hitscan semi-automatic assault rifle that can be effectively used in hip-fire and ADS modes. Her Coach Gun doubles up as defensive and mobility abilities, and she also carries a potent Dynamite. Not to forget, she can summon B.O.B, her Omnic ally who is merciless towards enemies.
Baptiste
Role: Support
Release date in Overwatch: March 19, 2019
Baptiste is a powerful support hero to have on your side. He is armed with an accurate Biotic Launcher which can, crucially, heal allies. He can also deploy a destructible device that immortalizes nearby allies for a while. He is also pretty agile, thanks to his Exo Boots, a passive ability that can launch him up in the air.
Sigma
Role: Tank
Release date in Overwatch: Aug. 13, 2019
A failed experiment gave astrophysicist Sigma the ability to harness the power of gravity. Besides unleashing his gravity-fueled Hyperspheres, Sigma can self-heal by absorbing incoming projectiles. He can knock enemies down, lift and smash enemies to the ground, and deploy a floating barrier for protection.
Echo
Role: Damage
Release date in Overwatch: April 14, 2020
The last hero to be added to 2016 Overwatch was Echo, an adaptive robot programmed with Artificial Intelligence (AI). Echo can fly, channel highly potent energy beams, duplicate an opponent hero and gain their abilities, and deploy a set of delayed sticky bombs to target enemies in an area.
All heroes in Overwatch 2 according to their release dates
Sojourn
Role: Damage
Release date: Oct. 4, 2022 (Initial release: April 26, 2022, in PvP Beta No. 1)
Sojourn was the first hero to be released exclusively for Overwatch 2, and she is definitely a menacing character to play against. She is, however, a difficult hero to master, requiring players to be on point with their aim. When in the right hands, Sojourn’s mobility and combat abilities are a huge asset for her team.
Junker Queen
Role: Tank
Release Date: Oct. 4, 2022 (Initial release: June 28, 2022, in PvP Beta No. 2)
Junker Queen was introduced to Overwatch 2 during the game’s second beta phase in June 2022. A skilled fighter in close quarters, she can harvest health points for herself by wounding enemies with her Jagged Blade, axe, or her Ultimate ability—Rampage. Her Commanding Shout ability offers temporary heal and speed boosts to her and her allies.
Kiriko
Role: Support
Release date: Oct. 4, 2022
Kiriko is a versatile support character in Overwatch 2. She can heal allies effectively, teleport to a distant ally, deal damage with her potent Kunai, and even cleanse allies of negative energy. Her Ultimate allows her to channel a fox spirit that offers speed and attack boosts to allies following it.
Ramattra
Role: Tank
Release date: Dec. 6, 2022
A unique character with dual forms to flaunt, Ramattra can switch between a terrifying Nemesis form and a slightly less intimidating Omnic form. While Omnic, Ramattra wields a staff, which shoots projectiles. In Nemesis form, however, he turns into an armor-heavy combatant who can pummel and block damage.
Lifeweaver
Role: Support
Release date: April 11, 2023
Lifeweaver harnesses the power of life, nature, and technology to offer his allies the gift of healing in unique ways. He can even save a teammate in danger from a lethal blow while offering protection. In addition to providing support, Lifeweaver displays exceptional mobility skills.
All cut heroes Blizzard ignored for Overwatch 2
These characters were ideated during the development of 2016 Overwatch, but were, sadly, omitted from the official plan. Blizzard may, however, choose to give life to some of these heroes in the future.
- Mama Hong
- McCloud
- Overmind
- Phreak
- Praetor
- Frost
- Helio
- Hivemind
- Huntress
- Jetpack Cat
- Luc
- Psyblade
- Rashi
- Recluse
- Rumble
- Shield Guy
- Troy
- Watcher
- Yetzi
- Brit
- Bruiser
- Firestarter
The hero release schedule for Overwatch 2
As per Blizzard’s announcement, Overwatch 2 will welcome a new hero every other season, which translates to, roughly, every four months. The latest character, Lifeweaver, was launched in Season Four. The developers have revealed the upcoming hero will also hone a support role.
