Season 8 of Overwatch 2 has at last made its debut, ushering in a multitude of adjustments to hero balance across all roles. The tank category is no different, and staying in sync with the competitive environment is vital. This tier list will cover every tank hero so you know exactly what to main in S8 for some easy wins! Let's get started.
F Tier Heroes
Wrecking Ball
Needs Real Buffs!
Wrecking Ball descends to the F tier for this season's meta after multiple waves of extremely underwhelming buffs over consecutive patch cycles. In the hands of a skilled player, Ball remains deadly. However, the hamster continues to struggle to find value in the hands of the average player. This put beside incremental buffs to other tanks in the roster gives us no choice but to dunk Ball in the F tier.
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D Tier Heroes
Zarya
Zarya Going Natty
This hero's biggest strength remains her versatility, able to peel her backline, assist with dives, hold the frontline and score picks with decent consistency. The problem is that Zarya is optimal for zero of these roles. Why merely bubble a dive DPS teammate when you could dive alongside them like D.Va, Doomfist, or Winston? Why sporadically hold a frontline with your personal shield when you could hold firm as Sigma or Orisa? Zarya is by no means a weak hero, but the higher up the ranks you go, the more specialized your tank picks need to become, and this is where Zarya falls short.
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C Tier Heroes
Reinhardt
The Brawl Comp King
Reinhardt suffers a similar fate to Zarya, being one of the more versatile tanks in the roster. That said, unlike Zarya's bubbles, Reinhardt's barrier is a much more reliable tool for holding frontlines and claiming space, nudging him ahead of her in the pecking order.
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B Tier Heroes
Roadhog:
The Honeymoon Period Subsides
Roadhog finds himself ascendant after his rework at the end of Season 7, even if he doesn't quite dominate the Season 8 meta. His new 'Take a Breather' mechanics allow him to abuse his healing resource in a similar way to how Reinhardt can leverage his shield health, meaning Hog has a much easier time claiming and holding space. Roadhog also has a hugely positive tank matchup versus Winston, whose pick rate is on a steady rise!
D.VA
The Diver's Dream
B tier! D.Va remains a formidable pick heading into Season 8, gaining value in the meta as her chief counter, Zarya, declines in pick rate. D.Va is the ultimate counter hero for almost any situation, able to chunk enemy tanks, chase down enemy snipers, and peel for her backline. The only thing keeping D.Va from A tier and beyond is her lack of solo carry potential, relying most often on her teammates to capitalize on the space she creates.
Winston
Monkey Evolves!
Winston is finally playable! This is less due to the monkey gaining potent buffs, and more due to the fall-off of Bastion comps, which made tanking as Winston almost impossible during Season 7. Some buffs to Winston's armor penetration on his primary fire are more than enough to see him ascend to the B tier!
Mauga
A Newly Buffed Juggernaut
Mauga stomps his way into B tier after a batch of release-day buffs! With his headsize reduced by 15% and a huge 150 of his health being replaced by armor, Mauga is looking twice as tanky as his prior state during early access. His weapons have also seen reductions to bullet spread, small buffs to damage, ammo clip increases and more. It may be early days, but our Grandmaster insiders are assured that Mauga will find a comfortable spot in B tier.
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A Tier Heroes
Ramattra
A Steady A-Tier Pick
Ramattra secures a spot in the A tier after buffs to his omnic form primary fire, and a conversion of 100 health into armor. His Omnic Form will excel as a tool for breaking down enemy barriers, while his Nemesis Form remains potent for busting through enemy bunkers. Ramattra is definitely the most powerful of the versatile tanks, and a great pick for any tank player unsure of what to main in Season 8!
Doomfist
Pounding His Way into A Tier
Doomfist holds firm in the A tier of the Season 8 meta, thanks to buffs to his Meteor Strike, now healing for 75 health per second as long as Doomfist remains airborne. While his ultimate cost has also increased by 16%, healing during Meteor Strike adds enough fresh options for ult'ing Doom players that, overall, these changes are a solid buff. With Winston's pick rate also on the rise, expect to see more dive comps in Season 8, which Doomfist fits into perfectly.
Orisa
Finally No Longer S Tier!
Orisa, an S-tier hero in Season 7, continues her reign at the top in Season 8. She has sustained some minor nerfs over the months, however her damage remains potent amongst the tank roster, and her immensely favorable matchup into Ramattra ensures you can continue to find consistent value with Orisa this season.
Junkerqueen
A Top-Tier Regular
Junker Queen makes yet another showing at the top of the food chain. Junker Queen's recent healing buffs and her super-skinny hitbox make her one of the most slippery, hard-to-focus tanks in the game. This and her ability to dominate brawl matchups cement her spot in the A tier. An all-around potent hero choice for Season 8, particularly for those tank mains who prefer heroes with a more 'solo carry' playstyle.
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S Tier Heroes
Sigma
The King Reigns On
Sigma's meta dominance continues heading into Season 8 after an impressive rise to the top during Season 7. While he will surely have a harder time trading into enemy tanks this season, he remains, overall, the best solo carry tank hero in the game. Despite requiring more mechanical skill than many other popular tanks, if you put in the hard work, you are guaranteed to find success with Sigma in Season 8!
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Complete OW2 Season 8 Tier List:
| Tier | Heroes |
| S Tier |
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| A Tier |
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| B Tier |
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| C Tier |
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| D Tier |
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| F Tier |
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In-depth Breakdown:
