Overwatch 2 tank mains claim their role is ‘misunderstood’ by players

Overwatch 2 tank mains have taken to social media to defend their ‘misunderstood’ role to some members of the player base.

In Overwatch 2, every Hero falls into one of the three main roles: DPS, Support, and Tank. While some Heroes blend elements of each role, all of them specialize in one key pillar.

As a team-based hero shooter, having a good mix of Heroes in each role is a must for a well-rounded team. This means players need to understand the ins and outs of the role they’re playing.

However, it seems some Tank mains still think the community has misunderstood how the Tank role works in Overwatch 2, even after all these years.

Overwatch 2 tank mains feel misunderstood by the community

A post on the Overwatch subreddit titled, “A lot of people don’t understand tank in this game,” sparked an interesting discussion among members of the community.

The OP said, “I see a lot of people think tank is just a big damage and cd sponge, but that isn’t true at all. I don’t know where this misconception of the role comes from, but I really wish it wasn’t so believed in.”

They go on to explain that Tanks are “aggressive space takers” first and foremost. “They don’t sit around, hold your hand, and take all the enemy’s crap for you. They push in, kill things, force engagements and cooldowns, and allow their team to push forwards.”

The player used Reinhardt’s shield as an example of a common misconception. “Reinhard’s shield for example isn’t for his team to stand behind so they can be safe from damage, it’s for Rein to use for himself to push up without taking too much damage.”

Many fellow tank mains commented on the post in agreement with the points made. “You’re completely right, but you’re about to get a lot of comments from people not ready to hear this yet…,” said one player.

Others mentioned that it’s not entirely some player’s fault as Tank is a complex role in Overwatch 2. “I don’t blame people who think tanks are just supposed to stay in the objective or to be a meat shield. It’s way easier to understand a Support or a DPS job in this game than the Tank job,” said another fan.

Of course, others in the comments expressed why they tend to steer clear of the Tank role for one reason or the other. Needless to say, Tank is not the easiest role to fulfill in Overwatch 2.

For more news and updates on Overwatch 2, check out the balance changes made to Roadhog’s Take a Breather ability.