Overwatch 2: 10 Best Heroes For Defensive Playstyles

In Overwatch 2, playing defensively doesn’t mean staying passive—it’s about holding key positions, controlling space, and shutting down enemy advances. The best defensive heroes excel at fortifying objectives, denying enemy movement, and punishing aggressive pushes, making it easier for their team to stay in control. Whether through barriers, traps, crowd control, or zoning abilities, these heroes create a strong defensive presence while still contributing to the fight. In this article, we’ll highlight the 10 best heroes for defensive playstyles, breaking down their strengths and how they help teams hold the line, absorb pressure, and turn defense into a winning strategy.

#10: Symmetra

Symmetra is a great defensive hero in Overwatch 2, excelling at area control, zoning, and setting up strong defenses. Her Sentry Turrets slow and damage enemies, making it difficult for opponents to push through choke points or engage in close-range fights without taking heavy damage.

Her Photon Barrier (Ultimate) provides a massive energy wall that blocks all incoming fire, making it an excellent tool for stalling objectives, protecting teammates, or forcing enemies to reposition. This can completely shut down enemy ultimates and create openings for her team to counterattack.

Symmetra’s Teleporter allows for quick repositioning, helping her team escape dangerous situations or take strategic high ground. It can also be used aggressively to flank enemies or set up unexpected engagements, making her a versatile pick for defensive setups.

With her turrets for passive damage, a game-changing barrier, and a teleporter for strategic movement, Symmetra is a strong defensive hero for players who want to control the battlefield, limit enemy movement, and make every push a nightmare for opponents.

#9: Reinhardt

Reinhardt is a classic defensive tank in Overwatch 2, known for his massive shield, strong frontline presence, and ability to control engagements. His Barrier Field provides excellent protection for his team, making him a key pick for holding choke points and defending objectives.

His Rocket Hammer delivers devastating melee swings, allowing him to punish enemies who get too close. While Reinhardt is mostly a defensive hero, he can also play aggressively with well-timed charges to pin key targets and secure eliminations.

His Fire Strike gives him long-range damage that pierces multiple enemies, helping to pressure opponents and build up his Ultimate – Earthshatter, which can stun entire teams and turn fights in his favor.

With his strong barrier, powerful melee attacks, and the ability to hold positions effectively, Reinhardt is one of the best defensive heroes for players who like to control space, absorb damage for their team, and punish enemies who try to break through their defenses.

#8: Hanzo

Hanzo is a strong defensive hero in Overwatch 2, excelling at holding angles, zoning enemies, and eliminating threats before they get close. His Storm Bow deals high burst damage, making him a constant danger to enemies trying to push through choke points.

His Sonic Arrow provides wall hacks for a short duration, allowing him and his team to track enemy movements and prepare for incoming attacks. This makes Hanzo a great pick for defensive setups, as he can spot flanks, deny sneaky plays, and ensure his team is never caught off guard.

Hanzo’s Lunge ability gives him strong mobility, allowing him to quickly reposition and take high ground, making him hard to catch. His Ultimate – Dragonstrike is a massive zoning tool that forces enemies to move out of position or take heavy damage, making it ideal for defending objectives or breaking up enemy pushes.

With his high damage, strong mobility, and ability to control fights from a distance, Hanzo is a top-tier defensive hero for players who want to shut down enemy advances, hold key positions, and create space for their team.

#7: Widowmaker

Widowmaker is a top-tier defensive hero in Overwatch 2, specializing in long-range eliminations, map control, and denying enemy movement. Her Widow’s Kiss (Sniper Mode) allows her to pick off key targets from a distance, making it difficult for enemies to push forward without taking serious risks.

Her Grappling Hook gives her excellent mobility, letting her quickly reposition to high ground or escape dangerous situations, making her a tough target to eliminate. This ability is crucial for holding defensive angles and maintaining control over open areas.

Widowmaker’s Venom Mine is another great defensive tool, revealing and damaging enemies who try to flank or sneak through choke points. This makes it easier to spot incoming threats and prevents surprise attacks.

Her Ultimate – Infra-Sight provides wall hacks for the entire team, giving a huge advantage by tracking enemy positions and stopping aggressive plays before they happen.

With her long-range precision, strong mobility, and ability to control enemy movement, Widowmaker is an excellent defensive hero for players who want to lock down sightlines, eliminate threats before they engage, and maintain control over key areas of the map.

#6: Sigma

Sigma is one of the best defensive tanks in Overwatch 2, excelling at blocking damage, controlling space, and shutting down enemy pushes. His Experimental Barrier is a flexible shield that he can deploy at any distance, allowing him to block damage from multiple angles and protect teammates without committing to a static position.

His Kinetic Grasp lets him absorb incoming projectiles, converting them into extra shields, making him incredibly tanky in defensive fights. This ability allows Sigma to counter strong projectile-based damage dealers like Hanzo, Junkrat, and Pharah.

Sigma’s Accretion ability is a powerful crowd control tool, allowing him to hurl a massive rock that knocks enemies down, making it perfect for stopping aggressive opponents in their tracks.

His Ultimate – Gravitic Flux is a game-changing ability that lifts enemies into the air before slamming them down for massive damage. This makes it perfect for defending objectives, breaking enemy formations, or punishing overextended players.

With his versatile shield, strong damage absorption, and powerful crowd control, Sigma is one of the best defensive heroes for players who want to hold ground, block enemy advances, and create space for their team.

#5: Junkrat

Junkrat is a top-tier defensive hero in Overwatch 2, specializing in area denial, crowd control, and high burst damage. His Frag Launcher fires bouncing explosives that can zone enemies, control choke points, and punish aggressive pushes, making him one of the best heroes for holding ground.

His Steel Trap is a powerful defensive tool that immobilizes enemies, making them easy targets for follow-up attacks. Placing it at choke points, doorways, or flank routes can disrupt enemy movement and catch opponents off guard.

Junkrat’s Concussion Mine provides both damage and mobility, allowing him to blast enemies away or reposition himself to escape danger. He can also combo his mines with his primary fire to quickly eliminate squishy targets.

His Ultimate – RIP-Tire is a high-damage explosive that can wipe out multiple enemies, making it a game-changer in defensive situations. It forces enemies to scatter or take cover, giving his team time to regroup and control the fight.

With his explosive area denial, powerful crowd control, and high burst damage, Junkrat is an excellent defensive hero for players who want to lock down choke points, punish enemy pushes, and create chaos on the battlefield.

#4: Mei

Mei is one of the best defensive heroes in Overwatch 2, excelling at area denial, crowd control, and disrupting enemy advances. Her Endothermic Blaster slows and damages enemies, making it harder for them to push forward or escape fights. The alternate fire shoots long-range icicles, allowing her to pressure enemies from a distance while holding strong defensive positions.

Her Cryo-Freeze makes her one of the most durable DPS heroes, as she can become invulnerable, heal herself, and stall fights, giving her survivability in extended engagements.

Mei’s Ice Wall is her most powerful defensive tool, allowing her to block enemy movement, cut off healers from their team, or stop ultimates like Reinhardt’s Charge or Roadhog’s Chain Hook. Well-placed walls can completely shut down enemy attacks, control chokepoints, and force bad engagements.

Her Ultimate – Blizzard is a game-changing crowd control ability, freezing enemies in a large area and making them easy to eliminate. This makes it perfect for stopping enemy pushes and holding objectives.

With her ability to block paths, slow enemies, and survive tough fights, Mei is one of the strongest defensive heroes for players who want to control space, punish aggressive teams, and dominate close-quarters engagements.

#3: Orisa

Orisa is a powerful defensive tank in Overwatch 2, excelling at holding positions, blocking enemy advances, and disrupting aggressive pushes. Her Augmented Fusion Driver provides consistent damage with no reload downtime, allowing her to apply constant pressure while anchoring her team’s defense.

Her Energy Javelin is a great defensive tool, knocking enemies back and stunning them when they hit a wall, making it perfect for stopping aggressive flankers or diving heroes.

Orisa’s Fortify ability makes her incredibly tanky, reducing incoming damage and preventing her from being crowd-controlled. This allows her to stand her ground and hold choke points while still dealing damage.

Her Javelin Spin provides extra mobility and defense, letting her block incoming projectiles and push enemies away, making it useful for disrupting enemy formations or protecting teammates.

Her Ultimate – Terra Surge charges up a massive AoE attack, slowing enemies and pulling them in before delivering a powerful slam. This makes it a great tool for holding objectives, zoning enemies, or shutting down aggressive teams.

With her tankiness, strong defensive abilities, and ability to disrupt enemy movement, Orisa is one of the best defensive heroes for players who want to control space, absorb damage, and stop enemy advances with overwhelming force.

#2: Torbjörn

Torbjörn is one of the best defensive heroes in Overwatch 2, excelling at holding choke points, dealing consistent damage, and shutting down enemy advances. His Auto-Turret is his biggest asset, providing constant chip damage and helping control flanks, making it harder for enemies to push without taking damage.

His Rivet Gun deals high burst damage, making him a threat at both close and mid-range. His alternate fire is particularly strong against tanks and shields, allowing him to melt through defenses and pressure enemies.

Torbjörn’s Overload ability boosts his attack speed, movement speed, and armor, making him surprisingly tanky for a DPS hero. This allows him to take fights head-on and survive longer in defensive setups.

His Ultimate – Molten Core is one of the best zoning tools in the game, covering the ground in superheated lava that deals massive damage over time. This makes it perfect for denying objectives, blocking enemy movement, and stopping aggressive pushes.

With his auto-turret for extra firepower, strong durability, and powerful area denial, Torbjörn is an excellent defensive hero for players who want to lock down choke points, control space, and make it difficult for enemies to break through.

#1: Bastion

Bastion is the ultimate defensive hero in Overwatch 2, excelling at holding choke points, dealing massive sustained damage, and shutting down enemy advances. His Assault Configuration (Turret Mode) transforms him into a high-damage machine gun, allowing him to melt tanks, shields, and grouped-up enemies with ease.

His Reconfigure ability lets him switch between mobile and turret form, giving him versatility in both offensive and defensive situations. When positioned correctly, Bastion can hold defensive lines almost single-handedly, making it difficult for enemies to push through.

Bastion’s Tactical Grenade adds even more defensive utility, allowing him to bounce explosive damage around corners or knock back enemies who get too close.

His Ultimate – Artillery Strike is a long-range bombardment ability, perfect for denying space, breaking enemy setups, and forcing opponents to reposition. This makes him even more effective in holding objectives and controlling key areas.

With insane damage output, strong survivability, and excellent area control, Bastion is the best defensive hero for players who want to lock down key locations, punish enemy advances, and dominate fights with overwhelming firepower.

Conclusion

In Overwatch 2, playing defensively is all about holding key positions, controlling space, and shutting down enemy advances, and these heroes are the best at doing just that. Bastion and Torbjörn provide high-damage area denial, while Orisa and Sigma act as strong frontline tanks that absorb damage and disrupt enemy movement. Mei and Junkrat excel at slowing down and trapping enemies, making it hard for opponents to push forward. Widowmaker and Hanzo dominate from long range, eliminating threats before they can engage, while Reinhardt anchors the team with his massive shield. Symmetra’s turrets and teleporters make her an excellent choice for fortifying defenses and controlling enemy movement. Whether you prefer barriers, traps, sniping, or high-damage zoning, these heroes make defensive playstyles incredibly effective, keeping your team protected while punishing aggressive enemies.