The vices and virtues of each hero take center stage in Overwatch’s new Deathmatch mode, with some showing more vices than others.
Since its debut in May of last year, Overwatch has remained one of the hottest first-person shooters on the market, and with the game’s new Deathmatch mode its popularity has only continued to increase. The new arcade mode features an eight player battle-royale style beat down, making it a fan-favorite for improving one’s skills, grabbing loot boxes, and blowing off some extra steam after a bad comp. However, despite the hype the game mode has unintentionally uncovered key flaws with its heroes when taken out of their traditional 6v6 setting. Like in competitive Smash Bros, certain heroes have become commonplace on the battlefield, while others aren’t considered viable at all. In fact, some heroes have become such a rarity that unless someone is trolling or a die-hard main, you’ll be lucky if you see them at all. In light of this discovery, we’ve pieced together a list of the top five most uncommon heroes in Deathmatch and why they’ve become so rare.
No.5: Mercy
Starting our top five is the angel herself. Now before any battle-Mercys out there get their feathers ruffled, hear me out. Yes, the changes to her ultimate have allowed her to be much more proactive on the battlefield, but she is still highly disadvantaged. Without teammates to fly towards Mercy becomes one of the slowest supports in the game, making it difficult to evade oncoming attacks. In addition, though her glide ability can give a Mercy the upper hand in a sneak attack, she is otherwise left vulnerable on the lengthy way down. So unless you’re facing a master strategist Mercy with some fierce accuracy, she likely won’t be on the roster in the next queue.
No. 4: Torbjörn
Originally thought to be a more popular choice for Deathmatch, Torb is quite an uncommon sight, and there’s good reason as to why. Unlike his builder counterpart Symmetra, he cannot build multiple turrets on the fly, leaving him subject to a certain radius on a given map. Plus, he has to spend time upgrading it, which normally isn’t a problem. However on the eight-player battlefield, this leaves him exposed in a race against the clock. Although his armor packs can help in a pinch, without his ultimate’s health boost the engineer stands little chance of survival in a showdown against multiple opponents. Lest you’re up against one of those Torbs who excels in building their turret in just the right place, chances are you won’t be fighting many of him in Deathmatch.
No. 3: Orisa
With the introduction of Deathmatch, it was once believed that the tanks would reign OP. However, Orisa is one of two tanks who find themselves the most disadvantaged in this battle royale. Despite her gun being as deadly as Bastion’s and her graviton orb being a valuable asset for finishing off escapees, Orisa is pretty much a walking target. Her shield cannot move with her, leaving her open from behind. Plus, unlike fellow tanks Roadhog and Zarya, Orisa has no health regenerative capabilities. Paired with her slow speed, Orisa becomes easy pickings for sneaky DPS like Sombra and Tracer, which can explain why she’s a rarity in Deathmatch.
No.2: Reinhardt
Players’ favorite German Crusader unfortunately finds himself as the runner-up on this list, and it’s easy to see why. His lack of long-range attacks places him at a severe disadvantage, while his slow speed make him DPS prey when ganged up on. Not to mention his charge attack leaves him absolutely exposed. Typically a Rein charge can be a terrifying experience, but when shots are coming from all angles, it’s unlikely that the charge will even reach its target. Plus, like his on-tank counterpart Orisa, the lack of health regeneration can make him an easy mark to score points on. Therefore, with the exception of the occasional Rein-Main who really, really knows what they’re doing, this old dog will likely remain sidelined from this free-for-all.
No. 1: Ana
Overwatch’s former second-in-command finds herself crowned as the queen of this list, and unless you find yourself 1v1-ing a well-known main like Ryujehong, spotting an Ana in Deathmatch is akin to finding Bigfoot in Yellowstone Park. The healer-sniper finds herself the most disadvantaged in the new game mode, so much so that many in the community are demanding a buff (and the developers might be taking note, given recent changes in the PTR). Ana’s ultimate has absolutely zero benefit in Deathmatch. It does not provide herself with any immunity or stat boost as is the case with every other support character, and she is the only healer that cannot regenerate health passively. On top of that, she is the weakest of all the snipers with her lack of damage and headshot capabilities. In comparison to her defense counterparts, she also has no evasion ability (i.e Hanzo’s wall climb and Widow’s grappling hook). The closest she has is her sleep dart. However in the case of multiple enemies it’s an impractical evasion tactic and is actually counterproductive considering a sleeping enemy becomes a bonus target to any other players with a faster hit rate.
This rounds out our list of top five heroes you won’t see in Deathmatch. Agree or disagree? What have you been seeing on the servers? Do you think Ana needs a buff, or that other heroes should be on this list? Let us know! Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments below.