If you type "Overwatch 2 Supports" into YouTube, the first result you will see is "Overwatch 2 Supports are broken." This reflects a popular take that's shared by professional players and ranked warriors alike.
Supports have been given a lot of love by Blizzard recently, especially with the two newcomers Lifeweaver and Illari. With all of these new tools and half the Support roster considered top tier heroes, though, Blizzard might have given the role a little too much.
Why are Overwatch 2 Supports so overpowered?
Lately, there has been much discussion about the Support role, including two in depth videos by popular streamer Samito and Overwatch Coach Spilo, along with a Support debate between SVB (Support main) and YouTuber KarQ, and other streamers Eskay, Bogur, and Emiliath. These voices in the Overwatch community all have different takes on the matter, but they all seem to echo the reality that Supports can do all three roles in one: support the team, deal considerable damage (Illari, Ana), and even tank for their team through damage mitigation (Brigitte, Lifeweaver).
Many players believe the root of this problem is simply that Supports have too much in their toolkit. Bogur mentioned during the Support debate that it's really difficult to start an engage when the enemy potentially has a Kiriko Suzu and a Lifeweaver Life Grip ready to cancel any damage he can do.
This speaks to some of the crazy potential these supports have. Most of these heroes have abilities that can negate big cooldowns (even Ultimates in most instances). For example, how does a Sojourn get damage with Railgun with Ilari pylons all over the place, Kiriko teleporting in and out, Lifeweaver using Life Grip to bring teammates behind cover, Baptiste setting up lamp, and so on?
The power behind these Supports also hurts the Tank role mostly. In his latest Tier List, Tank expert and streamer Flats admitted there was "no S tier Tank" because Supports are in such a strong position that they out-heal most of what a Tank can do.
Many leaders in the community have also mentioned it's very difficult to counter some of these Supports. Most other heroes have some hard counters (Widowmaker being countered by Sombra; Reinhardt being countered by Bastion, and so on). How does a player, for instance, counter Kiriko? She can teleport away from everyone in the cast and then usually find an opportunity to hit two headshots if played well.
While many in the community are echoing the same things, not everyone thinks Supports are as overpowered on the whole. Most notably, KarQ made a video where he states only half of the Supports are overpowered. Not many people complain about Mercy, Moira, or Lucio; the big issues are Ana, Kiriko, Illari, Baptiste, Lifeweaver, and sometimes Brigitte.
The good news is the issue with Supports can also be fixed with only a couple of changes. During the Support debate, everyone seemed to agree some alterations to things like Illari pylons and Kiriko Suzu should improve the balance of the game.
Want more Overwatch 2 guides? Pro Game Guides has you covered with What carries over from Overwatch to Overwatch 2?
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Overwatch 2 Supports are overpowered and it’s hurting the game
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