Season 3 of Overwatch 2
Overwatch 2 continues to pick up steam through its third season, which launched on February 7, 2023. We got several hero changes and a new map in Blizzard’s hero shooter.
In Season 3, skill tiers and divisions update after 5 wins or 15 losses/ties. This is a welcome change from the prior seasons where the updates didn’t happen until 7 wins or 17 losses/ties.
Check out the complete Season 3 patch notes on the Blizzard website, and practice with these heroes to climb the ranked ladder!
Best DPS in Season 3 of Overwatch 2
This season has perhaps the smallest gap among DPS heroes in a long time. Many characters are great in this category; some even reach the top tier for specific maps. If you want damage dealers who work everywhere, look no further than these two picks!
Cassidy
The popular cowboy got a significant buff in Season 3. Blizzard increased Cassidy’s damage fall off range, making him even deadlier from mid to long range.
While the change from 20 to 25 meters may not seem like much, it changes the breakpoints in a big way. The Overwatch 2 community has conducted tests that demonstrate the time to kill improving by over 40%.
If you want to get serious about your Cassidy play, you must land headshots consistently and have a good feel for the arc of his Magnetic Grenade. Lastly, Cass can use his Combat Roll for a slight mobility boost, and an instant reload. The Season 3 change made it such that enemy collision no longer blocks this ability’s movement.
Soldier 76
Soldier was already good at putting out consistent damage. In Season 3, not only did his recoil get reduced by 12%, but they also increased the maximum shots to reach maximum recoil from 4 to 6. These changes combine to make Soldier 76 even more lethal in competitive play.
Soldier’s Helix Rockets can be used to confirm kills and to boost himself onto optimal high ground. While a direct hit deals a whopping 120 damage, you’ll want to aim for the feet of most smaller enemies to get value out of this ability.
Soldier can also sprint and heal himself, making him a self-sustaining hero. He works on most maps and is a great hero for anyone new to Overwatch 2.
Best Tanks in Season 3 of Overwatch 2
The Tank position is still the most critical role in any Overwatch 2 team. They make space for the rest of the squad and dictate the flow of the match. Try these two big bois in Season 3 to improve your win rate.
Sigma
Sigma was strong in Season 1, and he’s still a great pick in Season 3. Even with his ultimate cost rising by 7% this season, the small nerf has barely been noticeable. Sig can potentially lead most teams in damage. His ability to eliminate squishies is deadly using the Accretion Rock + primary fire combo.
Sigma’s weak spot is playing at range. Since the primary fire is limited to 22 meters, you’ll want to keep within his attack radius. This means playing close to cover and effectively bouncing the Hyperspheres off walls.
The key to getting value from Sigma’s ultimate is prioritizing enemies who are below full health. Gravitic Flux deals half of the enemy’s health on impact, and you can hit the targets with your Hyperspheres while they’re in the air. Also, remember you can move while using his ult so try not to stay out in the open for too while ulting. Otherwise, you become a vulnerable target.
Reinhardt
Rein is back! In Season 3, Reinhardt received some major buffs which propelled him to the top tier of the tank category. His Charge cooldown was reduced from 8 to 7 seconds, and the Fire Strike damage was increased from 90 to 100. The latter change means he can two-tap 200-health heroes!
Season 3 also reduced the knockback impulse from 10 to 6, meaning enemies stay closer to Rein after he hits them with a hammer. This makes it easier to confirm kills at close range.
With all these buffs, Blizzard took some power out of Rein’s ult. The ultimate cost increased by 7% and direct hit damage was reduced from 250 to 170. Knockback duration increased slightly from 2.5 to 2.75 seconds.
Reinhardt is solid on any maps where your team needs to hold a position. This includes all Control maps and many of the Escort maps.
Best Supports in Season 3 of Overwatch 2
I’ll repeat it every day – Supports are more than just healers! While healing is a big part of their kits, they do so much more to improve the sustain of the team.
Mercy
In Season 3, Mercy got an interesting rework. Her Caduceus Staff healing per second was reduced from 55 to 45, but she now has a 50% healing buff for allies under half health. This increases her HPS to a whopping 67.5 for any friendly heroes approaching critical condition.
Additionally, Mercy lost passive health regeneration. She also no longer has the support role passive. Instead, she now heals herself for 25% of healing done with the Caduceus Staff. This change now links Mercy’s survivability directly to that of her team.
With Soldier 76 and Cassidy being strong this season, they are great targets for Mercy’s damage boost. Mercy is also still the only hero who can revive a fallen teammate. She has a high skill ceiling but can get value simply by boosting damage and staying out of the enemy’s line of sight.
Moira
Moira is a polarizing hero in Overwatch 2. The community often complains that she is too easy to play and requires no skill. However, the difference between a good Moira and one who doesn’t properly manage her resources is massive.
In Season 3, Moira had her ultimate charge reduced by 5%. Combined with the Season 2 change that restores Biotic Energy by dealing damage with the Biotic Orb, Moira’s time to build ult saw a significant reduction over the last two months. Coalescence is one of those ults that can be used anywhere from the fight initiation to the late fight, so players can use it liberally.
Moira pairs well with Mercy and Rein as the main healer and can dish out substantial damage in a match. Make sure to use her Fade ability to escape from danger instead of using it to enter battles. This strategy makes Moira much more challenging to kill and keeps her in the fight longer.
Overwatch 2 Season 3 Meta
Overwatch is a constantly evolving game, and there will surely be many future hero balances. For now, we’ve got some strong picks to help you dominate your matches.
As you work on your game mechanics and positioning, also think about how to improve your team comms. You can use the ping system if you don’t feel comfortable chatting on a mic. This will improve your team’s cohesion and typically improve your win rate.
Here’s a recap of the best heroes to climb in Overwatch 2 Season 3:
- DPS – Cassidy + Soldier 76
- Tank – Sigma + Reinhardt
- Support – Mercy + Moira
Who are your top picks for Season 3 of Overwatch 2? Join the conversation in the comments section, below!
