Overwatch 2: Best DPS Heroes [Season 9]

Know who the best DPS heroes are before choosing your next main.

Overwatch 2 features characters categorized into three distinct categories: Tank, Support, and Damage/DPS. In this guide, I will be covering all the best DPS heroes.

Key Highlights
  • There are three character categories in Overwatch 2: Tank, Support, and Damage/DPS.
  • Each character has unique abilities that can be used in battle
  • DPS is an important pick in every team as they deal a large amount of damage.
  • The main benefit of using the Best DPS Overwatch 2 is that players can deal a vast amount of damage to enemies while maintaining good mobility.
  • The disadvantage of using DPS is that they contain a low-health pool and can be easily smocked by Tanks.

Best DPS Overwatch 2 Comparison

Here is a look at the comparison between some of the Best DPS Overwatch 2 Heroes:

HeroesWeaponsAbilitiesUltimate Ability
TracerPulse PistolBlink, RecallPulse Bomb
Soldier: 76Heavy Pulse Rifle Sprint, Biotic Field, Helix RocketsTactical Visor
GenjiShurikenDeflect, Swift StrikeDragonblade
SojournRailgunPower Slide, Disruptor ShotOverclock
SombraMachine Pistol Translocator, Stealth, HackEMP
EchoTri-ShotSticky Bombs, Flight, Focusing BeamDuplicate
HanzoStorm BowStorm Arrows, Sonic Arrow, LungeDragonstrike

1. Tracer

Best Flanker
Tracer [Image Captured by eXputer]
Role Damage
Weapons Pulse Pistol
Abilities Blink, Recall
Ultimate Ability Pulse Bomb: Throw a powerful sticky explosive on enemies

Tracer is arguably one of the best, if not the best, DPS in Overwatch 2. She is also one of the most picked DPS characters ever since the beta went live. Tracer is a time-jumping adventurer that allows her to get out of tricky situations with ease.

Tracer is easy to use, and her abilities are:

  • Pulse Pistol
  • Blink
  • Recall
  • Pulse Bomb

Pulse Pistols are rapid-fire, short-range automatic weapons that do not have a secondary fire mod. Their rate of fire is about 20 shots per second, and they can hold 40 ammo. Pulse Pistol damage is 12, and its reload speed is 1.15 seconds.

Tracer Hero [Image Captured by eXputer]
  • Blink Ability: Teleport in your movement direction; Tracer has 3 charges of Blink, refilling in seconds, with a range of 7-8 meters.
  • Recall Ability: Revert to your previous location, health, and ammo, going back 3 seconds; cooldown is 12 seconds.
  • Pulse Bomb Ability: Hurl a sticky bomb; if it sticks to an enemy, it deals up to 350 damage but can harm Tracer in the blast radius.
  • High mobility
  • Easily Flank enemies
  • High survivability
  • Beginner friendly
  • Low health pool
  • Vulnerable to stun and burst damage
  • Requires good tracking skills

2. Soldier: 76

Most Versatile DPS
Soldier 76 [Image Captured by eXputer]
Role Damage
Weapons Heavy Pulse Rifle 
Abilities Sprint, Biotic Field, Helix Rockets
Ultimate Ability Tactical Visor: Aim your weapon at target in view

I would also consider Soldier: 76 to be one of the DPS characters in the game due to the fact that his playstyle is not complicated and can be learned easily by both newcomers and veterans. Soldier 76 is equipped with advanced weaponry that allows him to fight aggressively and well as heal when needed. 

Unlike the Tracer, Soldier: 76 has five different abilities:

Soldier 76 [Image Captured by eXputer]
  • Heavy Pulse Rifle
  • Sprint
  • Biotic Field
  • Helix Rockets
  • Tactical Visor
  • Heavy Pulse Rifle: An automatic assault rifle with 18 damage, 10 rounds per second, 30 ammo, and a 1.5-second reload.
  • Sprint: Allows Soldier: 76 to run faster forward indefinitely with no cooldown.
  • Biotic Field: Deploys a healing field for 5 seconds, healing 35 health per second, and a 15-second cooldown. Staying in the field can restore up to 175 health.
  • Helix Rockets: Fires explosive rockets dealing up to 120 damage in a 3-meter radius, moving at 50 meters per second, with a 6-second cooldown.
  • Tactical Visor: Automatically aims at visible opponents for 6 seconds after a 1.2-second casting time. Just press the shoot button to fire.
  • Self heal
  • Versatile
  • Reliable Hitscan
  • Reposition quickly
  • Struggle with high health targets
  • Less damage

3. Genji

Best Blade DPS
Genji Damage Character [Image Captured by eXputer]
Role Damage 
Weapons Shuriken
Abilities Deflect, Swift Strike
Ultimate Ability Dragonblade: Unsheathe a deadly melee weapon

Genji is a fan-favorite character and one of the most popular picks in pro play. I mean, who doesn’t like a cyborg ninja who, aside from being deadly, is also an advocate for humanity?

Genji has five distinct abilities:

  • Shuriken
  • Deflect
  • Swift Strike
  • Dragonblade
  • Cyber-Agility
Genji All Abilities [Image Captured by eXputer]
  • Shuriken: It has two modes. Primary mode: Quickly throws three shurikens. Secondary mode: Throws three shooting stars in an arc for group combat. Offers 29 damage and a 60 m/s projectile speed.
  • Deflect: Can deflect projectiles and block melee attacks, with an 8-second cooldown. Mastering it makes it a powerful ability.
  • Swift Strike: Dashes towards the enemy, inflicting 50 damage. Killing the enemy instantly resets the 8-second cooldown.
  • Dragonblade: Equips a katana for 6 seconds, allowing deadly melee attacks at a range of 5 meters. Each hit does 110 damage.
  • Cyber-Agility: Enables double jumping and wall climbing, with a duration of up to 1 second, ideal for parkour enthusiasts.
  • High Mobility
  • High agility
  • Deflect enemy projectiles
  • High damage
  • Low heath
  • Large cooldown on abilities
  • Difficult to master
  • Not beginner friendly

4. Sojourn

Best Long-Range DPS
Sojourn [Image Captured by eXputer]
Role Damage
Weapons Railgun
Abilities Power Slide, Disruptor Shot
Ultimate Ability Overclock: Railgun energy auto-charge for a short duration 

She is a brand new hero in Overwatch 2 whose playstyle is a bit similar to Soldier: 76. She is a brilliant soldier and a tactician with speed, precision, and firepower thanks to her railgun and cybernetic augmentations.

However, unlike Soldier 76, she only has 4 abilities:

  • Railgun
  • Power Slide
  • Disruptor Shot 
  • Overclock
Sojourn [Image Captured by eXputer]
  • Railgun: Two modes – primary shoots rapidly generate energy; secondary is a high-impact shot that consumes energy. 9 damage per shot, 1.2-second reload.
  • Power Slide: Slide ability, can cancel into high jump. 6-second cooldown.
  • Disruptor Shot: Launches enemy burst, deals 210 damage, 30-meter max range, 5-meter area. Lasts 4 seconds, 15-second cooldown.
  • Overclock (Ultimate): Railgun auto-charges, shots pierce enemies. Lasts 9 seconds, use wisely.
  • Extremely powerful
  • Versatile railgun
  • Excellent mobility
  • Overload can boost damage and fire rate
  • Requires good aim
  • Long cooldown on abilities
  • Overload has limited duration

5. Sombra

Best Hacker
Sombra [Image Captured by eXputer]
Role Damage
Weapons Machine Pistol 
Abilities Translocator, Stealth, Hack
Ultimate Ability EMP: deals 40% of damage of all nearby enemies’ health, hacking them and destroying barriers around you

Sombra is a hacker who uses the hacked information to manipulate those in power. She specializes in stealth, which makes her a powerful infiltrator. Sombra may not appeal to the average player, but once you have mastered her playstyle, she can easily be considered one of the best DPS characters.

Unlike most heroes on the list, Sombra has six distinct abilities:

  • Machine Pistol
  • Hack 
  • Stealth
  • Translocator
  • EMP
  • Opportunist
Sombra [Image Captured by eXputer]
  • Machine Pistol: Sombra’s short-range automatic weapon deals 8 damage, with a fire rate of 20 rounds per second and a 1.4-second reload time.
  • Hack: Disable enemy abilities, reveal them through walls and hack first aid kits within a 15-meter range. Cooldown: 4 seconds.
  • Stealth: Go invisible, gain +50% movement speed, and use it to escape tight spots. Cooldown: 6 seconds.
  • Translocator: Throw a beacon to teleport later, with a 6-second cooldown.
  • EMP: Damages and hacks enemies in a 15-meter area while destroying barriers. Very effective.
  • Opportunist: Passive ability, detect injured enemies through walls, and deal 40% extra damage to hacked foes.
  • Hack enemies
  • Disable enemy abilities
  • Good stealth
  • Low damage output
  • Relies on teamwork
  • Requires good team coordination

6. Echo

Best Copycat
Echo [Image Captured by eXputer]
Role Damage
Weapons Tri-Shot
Abilities Sticky Bombs, Flight, Focusing Beam
Ultimate Ability Duplicate: Becoming a duplicate of the targeted enemy hero

Echo is a robot programmed with artificial intelligence. It is capable of handling multiple roles in combat. Echo’s abilities make her a great DPS character, and Echo is also one of the last heroes that were added in the original Overwatch.

Echo also has 6 abilities like Sombra:

  • Tri-Shot
  • Sticky Bombs
  • Flight
  • Focusing Beam
  • Duplicate
  • Glide
Echo [Image Captured by eXputer]
  • Tri-Shot: Fires 3 shots in a triangle pattern, 17 damage per shot (51 total), 1.5s reload.
  • Sticky Bombs: Throws 6 bombs that explode after a delay, speed: 50 m/s, 6s cooldown.
  • Flight: Moves forward quickly and then flies freely, 8 m/s speed, 6s cooldown.
  • Focusing Beam: Deals high damage to enemies under 50% health, 50 damage normally, 175 to low-health foes, max range: 15m, 8s cooldown.
  • Duplicate: Become a copy of the targeted enemy hero, max range: 40m, 15s duration, no hero swap during ability.
  • Glide: Allows gliding while falling.
  • High damage potential
  • Fly and glide around the map
  • Vertical advantage
  • Duplicate enemy heroes
  • Low health pool
  • Vulnerable to hitscan heroes
  • Requires good aim and prediction to land shots

7. Hanzo

Best Archer
Hanzo [Image Captured by eXputer]
Role Damage
Weapons Storm Bow
Abilities Storm Arrows, Sonic Arrow, Lunge
Ultimate Ability Dragonstrike: Launch Dragon Spirit that devastates enemies it passes through 

Both Hanzo and Genji share the same roots since Hanzo is the older brother; thus, their strengths are also similar. Hanzo is a skilled marksman and an assassin, but unlike Genji, who is equipped with shurikens, Hanzo is equipped with a quiver of enhanced arrows. He is difficult to master but worthy of being considered one of the best DPS heroes.

Hanzo also has 6 different abilities:

  • Storm Bow
  • Storm Arrow
  • Sonic Arrow
  • Lunge
  • Dragonstrike
  • Wall Climb
Hanzo [Image Captured by eXputer]
  • Storm Bow: Charge arrows for 27.2-125 damage, -30% speed while aiming, unlimited arrows.
  • Storm Arrow: Shoot 5 arrows quickly for 65 damage, 10s cooldown, up to 5s duration.
  • Sonic Arrows: Reveal enemies for 6s in a 9m area, 12s cooldown, handy against hidden foes.
  • Lunge: Double jump with 15m/s speed, 5s cooldown.
  • Dragonstrike: Unleash a wall-passing dragon spirit and inflict a massive 150 DPS.
  • Wall Climb: Jump at walls to scale them.
  • High damage
  • Abilities have a good range
  • Reveal enemy positions
  • Requires good projectile skills
  • Lacks mobility

My Personal Recommendations On The Best DPS Heroes

The top DPS heroes in Overwatch 2, in my opinion, are Sojourn, Ashe, Soldier:76, Sombra, and Genji. The ideal DPS hero for you will, of course, vary depending on your play style and your team’s requirements. However, if you’re searching for a DPS hero to main, these five heroes are all excellent choices and a great place to start.

Overwatch 2
My Overwatch 2 hours (Steam ID: ;-;)

Sojourn, with her high-damage railgun and mobility, is great for making big plays. Ashe is versatile, with a powerful rifle and the ultimate ability to be effective against tanks and supports. Soldier:76 is a well-rounded hero with damage, mobility, and survivability for all skill levels. Sombra hacks enemies, making them vulnerable to attacks, and is skilled in escaping danger. Genji’s agility and ability to deal significant damage to multiple enemies make him a great disruptor and opportunity creator for his teammates.

That concludes my guide on the Best DPS Overwatch 2. In this guide, I have covered all of the best DPS heroes in this game; also, consider reading our tier list guide on the best Tank Heroes and best Support Heroes as well.

Overwatch is a franchise loved by many, and if you are one of the players who are still new to the franchise, then don’t forget to read our Tips and Tricks guide. If you are still wondering whether the game is worth your time, consider reading our Overwatch 2 review as well.

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Naqib is a Guides Writer at eXputer. He is a passionate gamer and a die-hard anime fan since a very young age. Now, after gaining 15+ years of gaming experience and spending more than 5,000 hours on Valorant, Naqib creates content based on his firsthand knowledge of the most recent video games! You can further follow his gaming activities on his Steam profile.

Experience: 1+ years || Mainly covers Guides || Education: Bachelors in Software Engineering.

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