Overwatch 2 players say tank is ‘by far the worst role in the game’ after season 9 update

The lonely role feels lonelier than ever.

Junker Queen in Overwatch 2
Image via Blizzard Entertainment

It’s been several weeks since Overwatch 2’s massive season nine update went live, and now that the meta is settled a bit, tank players are fed up with it.

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The fundamental changes to OW2 seem to have also fundamentally changed how the tank role is played and feels. And for most, it’s been a big downgrade in season nine when it comes to being the big target on the squad.

Reinhardt default skin in Overwatch 2
Reinhardt is sad. Image via Blizzard Entertainment

A Feb. 27 Reddit thread highlights the frustrations of tank players, who say the role is “alone and fragile” and “dying,” according to the original poster. And many players feel the same way.

“Honestly, I am no longer playing tank this season,” the Redditor said. “The role is not fun, DPS and support have all the control. Once I get a Mercy player on my team the game is basically over. I’m sick of it. I’m sick of every game being flamed when I’m 35-10 and my DPS are below 10 kills with over 15 deaths.”

Another player opined that playing tank is “actually depressing now,” while another said it’s “unbearable.”

“Former tank main,” another said. “Yesterday was brutal. Had a game where my teammates kept going ‘tank diff’ and I was thinking: I stayed alive, mitigated a ton of damage. More than their tank. I also did similar damage, but just didn’t get the kills because I had no help.”

As a seasoned tank main myself, I have to agree with the sentiments above and in the Reddit thread. Tanking in OW2 feels more unforgiving than ever, especially thanks to the changes to health, healing, and projectiles. The move to a solo tank in OW2 felt like a new adventure at first, but that coupled with season nine’s overhaul makes it feel lonelier than ever before sometimes.

Blizzard recently promised and delivered on “finer tuning” to projectiles, but it apparently hasn’t been enough to change how the tank role feels. Another future update might be necessary to alleviate or at least address these concerns.

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Scott Duwe
Senior Staff Writer & Call of Duty lead. Professional writer for over 10 years. Lover of all things Marvel, Destiny 2, Metal Gear, Final Fantasy, Resident Evil, and more. Previous bylines include PC Gamer, Red Bull Esports, Fanbyte, and Esports Nation. DogDad to corgis Yogi and Mickey, sports fan (NY Yankees, NY Jets, NY Rangers, NY Knicks), Paramore fanatic, cardio enthusiast.