Which Offense hero is the most (and least) fun?

We’re almost at the end of the line. Over the past few days, Heroes Never Die has been ranking each hero in the game by class. Which heroes are the most fun, and which ones fail to tickle us? This isn’t a balance rating or a professional look at the game; it’s just a straightforward assessment of are these heroes fun? We’ve ranked the supports, tanks, defense, and now it’s time for the Offense heroes to face their judgement at the hands of Ryan and Cass.

8. Sombra

Cass: Oh, Sombra! You were meant to be the biggest, flashiest addition to the game yet, but your ARG kind of wore out your welcome before you even arrived. The very first game I played as Sombra, I managed to slip behind their back lines via stealth, shut the entire team down with an EMP, and teleport out unscathed. I’ve never recaptured that magic. Sombra is squishy, tough to play, and a lot of her power (hacking health kits, for instance) feels underwhelming compared to say, a Pharah or Reaper.

I’m not worried about Sombra’s balance—she’s plenty deadly in the right hands. I just don’t have the time or inclination to figure out her secrets. Unfortunately, this means she is the least fun Offense hero in our eyes.

7. McCree

Ryan: I will come out right now and say that I really dislike McCree. I don’t like playing as him, with him or against him. Why is that? It is because I am bad. I don’t like playing snipers either (because I am bad). McCree is a cool character that just happens to come with all the stuff that I personally hate and suck at in Overwatch. So while he isn’t my jam, he is plenty of others, and that is cool as hell. However, I have to take issue with people making fun of Reaper for being all edgy and yet loving the fake cowboy who has “BAMF” written on his belt buckle. Really folks?

Cass: Sometimes I just think about what McCree would do if he was like, an accountant. It’d be a little bit sad for him to roll around in that get up but I’m pretty sure he would anyways.

6. Soldier 76

Ryan: 76 should be the most boring-est, blandest thing on the face of the planet. Somebody got Call of Duty in my Overwatch, blah, blah, etc. Instead, he is fun, useful and feels unique among the rest of the cast. Turns out, there is a reason that so many other shooters use Soldier 76 like controls and abilities, it feels really good. When it is a limiting factor, and you are the only one with a sprint ability like that, it feels impactful and awesome. Soldier 76 is Overwatch’s foxy grandpa, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Blizzard Entertainment

5. Genji

Cass: The first time I played Genji, I locked him in on a whim on a map we were losing anyways. Then I hit Q, pulled out my Dragonblade, killed five nerds, and scored us the round (and Play of the Game). Oops. Genji is super mobile and super lethal, and you don’t really get to unlock the magic of playing him until you dive into a super risky situation and manage to survive anyway. That being said, he perfectly captures the fantasy of being a cyborg ninja, and climbing walls and deflecting bullets feels legitimately great.

4. Reaper

Ryan: Nobody loves Reaper because he is too edgy or sad or whatever. Except me. I love Reaper. I love Reaper because he looks cool and he pulls shotguns from his pockets on a regular basis. Sure, maybe he is going through somewhat of a doom and gloom phase, but as I read in “Learning to Love your Goth Teen,” maybe Satan has some valid arguments. Don’t judge a hero by his edgy coat, judge him by the fact that Death Lotus is one of the most satisfying abilities in any video game ever.

3. Tracer

Cass: Tracer is an interesting character because she can be super disorienting as you zip and blink around, but once you figure out how to orient yourself, she’s just plain old fun. It feels legitimately amazing to recall out of a Roadhog hook or blink around a Genji with his Dragonblade drawn. There’s a real sense of improvement as you sink time into Tracer, and so it’s rewarding to realize your aim is improving and you’re able to throw out more Pulse Bombs. Tracer’s kit is just perfect for who she is and what she needs to accomplish in a game, and its a real pleasure to play as her.

2. Doomfist

Ryan: Doomfist is easily the most teased and anticipated hero in all of Overwatch and it is so cool that he makes it this high up. Doomfist is weird, that is for sure, but he is a level of unique that we haven’t really seen before in Overwatch. Like some weird cross between an Overwatch offense hero and a fighting game character, he has moves on top of moves. He can leap, slide, dash, punch and rocket onto everyone and anyone. Even better, you feel a real sense of progression when playing him, something few other characters offer.

1. Pharah

Cass: I’ve been known to enjoy a game of Pharah or two. Some might even call me biased.

Blizzard Entertainment

Blizzard Entertainment

The truth is, Pharah is just the best character in the entire game. She’s an absolute blast. First of all, the vertical element is super unique to her at the moment, and it means you always have a really great view of the battlefield. You don’t have to work your way past a front line, you can just go over their heads to eliminate that pesky Mercy! You don’t have to aim so much as you have to predict enemy movement, and nothing feels better than a successful concussive blast knocking multiple people off one ledge. Justice has never felt better than when you’re raining it down from above on an unaware team huddled around their payload.