WhileOverwatch 2has defined roles, and heroes that perfectly fit them, it sometimes creates characters that challenge the limitations of their niche. For example, the support hero Zenyatta can contribute significantly to his team’s damage output with his discord orb and painful primary and alt fire on top of healing his teammates. The tank Ramattra, on the other hand, is good at shielding and poking in his base form but he can become a potent bruiser when in his Nemesis form.Overwatch 2’s new frontline, Hazard, has abilities that fit different niches within the tank role. As such, it makes him a jack-of-all-trades, which comes with a few caveats.
For those unfamiliar withHazard’s kit inOverwatch 2, the game officially classifies him as a hybrid bruiser and dive tank. This is because he has a versatile set of abilities that make him a force on the point and jump into the backline, which include:
The Pros and Cons of Hazard’s Diverse Tank Kit
Versatility is a good quality in atank hero inOverwatch 2, but it has a few disadvantages. Here are the possible pros and cons of Hazard’s diverse abilities.
The Advantages of Hazard Being a Jack-of-All-Trades
What’s great about Hazard is that he can comfortably fit into two different team comps. If his teammates rundive heroes like Tracerand Zenyatta, the player can lead the charge into the enemy backline with his Violent Leap and vault abilities. Those looking to play the long game by brawling on the point, like Sojourn and Moira can also benefit from having Hazard on their team. He can keep enemies at bay with his Jagged Wall and Spike Guard. Plus, he can minimize reloading and making himself vulnerable by cycling his primary fire and Spike Guard efficiently. His wall can also be used defensively or offensively, depending on his team’s current goals.
The Pitfalls of Hazard Potentially Being a Master of None
While Hazard does a lot of things great, his versatility could also be one of his weaker points.Overwatch 2’s developers should balance Hazard’s skills so that he can compete with other brawlers and dive tanks without making him overpowered. The result is a hero who essentially gets outclassed by characters who specialize in the niches he covers. For example, while he dives into a backline easily with his leap, it’s not as far-reaching as the mobility skills of Winston or Doomfist. He can’t bail himself out of a dive as easily as someone like Wrecking Ball can, too. When it comes to brawling for the objective, his shotgun isn’t as powerful on tanks, and it gets outlasted byOrisa’s Fusion Driveror Reinhardt’s hammer.
The current 5v5 competitive setup ofOverwatch 2only allows for one tank, so it’s in the player’s best interest to get the best character for their team’s setup. As such, they may gravitate towards units that can specialize in one playstyle well like Doomfist for dive or Reinhardt for bruiser comps instead of a jack-of-all-trades like Hazard. However,Overwatch 2’s 6v6 testis just around the corner, and this new hero could be a great pick as a supporting tank that can hold the line while their fellow frontline dives the enemy or vice-versa. Plus, he’s fun to use, so those who want to have a fast and high-octane tank game could pick Hazard and have a blast.
Overwatch 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Overwatch 2 is an always-on and ever-evolving free-to-play, team-based action game set in an optimistic future, where every match is the ultimate 5v5 battlefield brawl. Power up your railgun and disrupt the battlefield as Sojourn, or yield your axe and command attention as Junker Queen. Battle to take control of a robot and move it toward the enemy base in the new Push Mode. Bring the fight to new destinations across the globe in iconic locations like New York, Rome, Monte Carlo and Rio. Daily challenges and frequent updates mean there is always something new to play.
