[Top 10] Overwatch Best Beginner Heroes

Updated:

16 May 2020

Overwatch can be an intimidating game, just about as intimidating as any FPS. We’re here to ease you into the cavalcade of mayhem and fun that is Overwatch.

This is the Top 10 Best Heroes for Beginners in Overwatch.

10. Mei

Mei using her ultiamte ability

Alright, this one needs a bit more explanation than the others on this list. While Mei is considered a three star hero in terms of difficulty, she is rather easy to pick up. Her primary fire from her Endothermic Blaster is one that many people struggle in dealing with. The freezing capabilities of this primary fire is sure to make the person on the other side as angry as a Winston ultimate.

Where I think the difficulty stems from is her secondary fire and Ice Wall. The ice picks she has as her secondary can be hard to land due to being projectiles, and the ice wall can sometimes be difficult to place in a useful spot that isn't a chokepoint. With that said, her primary fire plus the Cryo-Freeze ability make her not only a dangerous opponent, but one that will stick around for a while as well.

What Makes Mei Great

Her primary fire can freeze foes.
Cryo-Freeze protects and heals Mei.
She has the “easy to learn, hard to master” kind of playstyle.

9. Orisa

Orisa on Volskya Industries

Orisa is one of the easier tanks to use in Overwatch, her Protective Barrier makes her extremely viable in quick play or competitive. Her enormous clip lends to the fact that she does quite a load of damage. Being a tank, she also has the health to keep her alive longer than any damage hero.

Her Halt! ability, the one that pulls nearby players in, can be tricky to aim and use effectively. However, Fortify does allow her to last even longer than she usually would otherwise, so it balances out. Orisa is an easy tank to start with, at least easier than a Roadhog or D.VA, but is not the easiest tank on this list.

What Makes Orisa Great

Her triple threat of shield, damage output, and health
Her Ultimate increases damage output to you and all your teammates.
Her ability to move opponents out from their hidey holes and headshot them.

8. Reaper

Reaper

This former Talon member makes a simple case for himself. With Reaper, all you need to do is Wraith Form into the fight and aim for the head. His Hellfire Shotguns make long distance fights pointless, but when he gets close, those shotguns do loads of damage. Being able to sneak up on opponents or escape from hairy situations is what makes his Wraith ability useful.

Reaper also has mobility options with both the aforementioned Wraith Form and Shadow Step. Last but not least is his Ultimate, Death Blossom. I cannot express how much fun it is to eliminate an entire team from existence just with the press of a button. Death Blossom is easily one of the best and most fun Ultimates in the game.

What Makes Reaper Great

His mobility options.
His close range damage output.
Death Blossom, enough said.

7. Pharah

Pharah in her victory pose

Pharah is one of those heroes that despite her different style of mobility, that being more vertical movement rather than horizontal, she is fairly easy to pick up and get used to. Her Rocket Launcher does splash damage which makes it better for those that find aiming a bit difficult.

Newcomers will also be happy to know that she doesn't need to do precise Rocket Jumping like the days of Team Fortress 2 with Soldier. Her mobility is built into her moveset, making it a breeze to move throughout the air. She also has Concussive Blast, which allows her to isolate heroes and pick them off quite easily. Not to mention, her ultimate, which is one of the most satisfying moves to pull off in a heated game.

What Makes Pharah Great

The splash damage from her primary fire.
The movement options in the air.
No Rocket Jumping, just press the spacebar.

6. Winston

Winston eating a banana

This monkey genius is an easy choice for this list, he is the first hero you see when booting up the game and that cinematic introduction plays. Winston doesn’t require precise aiming with his Tesla Cannon, which makes him a good player for the beginner that isn't used to the first person shooter genre. His Barrier Projector makes for a decent cover in a tough situation, and with recent changes to barriers, it isn't such a bad choice anymore.

He also has his Jump Pack which is a great maneuverability option when you need to get back into the fight or dip out from a losing scenario. His ultimate is also a fun, albeit usually ineffective, means of finishing off some low health opponents. With that said, Winston is quite easy to pick up and provides fun gameplay for the Overwatch uninitiated.

What Makes Winston Great

His Jump Pack is a fun way of getting around the map.
His Tesla Cannon provides good damage with little need for precision.
He is an appealing character that makes getting newbies comfy with the idea of Overwatch.

5. Mercy

Mercy Victory pose

This swiss medic is almost an essential to any team comp. With her easy to aim beams from her Caduceus Staff, she has a low barrier to entry for a support hero. One of the two said beams heals, while the other increases damage output.

With Resurrect she can turn the tides of a fight in your team’s favor. She also has the useful mobility option of Guardian Angel, which propels her to a nearby ally to assist them. Her ultimate, Valkyrie, gives her the ability to fly and increases her abilities. If you can handle all the Genjis begging to be healed, Mercy is a good choice for you.

What Makes Mercy Great

Her ability to heal or increase damage at a whim.
Resurrect, bring back the dead.
Valkyrie is a fun and sometimes powerful Ultimate when the time is right.

4. Reinhardt

Reinhardt using Earthshatter

The last but not least tank on our list is Reinhardt. Reinhardt is crucial for payload maps and when defending on maps with chokepoints. He is the original barrier tank, and still remains one of the most played characters in the game. When his shield is down, he can charge an opponent and pin them for an easy kill, or use his Flame Strike for long range damage. His Rocket Hammer is a great tool for killing enemies with low health, as well as a good defense option to keep the opposing team at bay. Reinhardt is also a lovable character that is easy to like and get into the backstory of.

What Makes Reinhardt Great

His Barrier Field is great for choke points and making pushes towards the objective.
Pinning opponents with Charge is just fun.
Teammates will appreciate a good Reinhardt

3. Lucio

Lucio in his legnedary Ribbit skin

The audio medic, Lucio, places #3 in our list as he is the easiest support hero. His Crossfade ability allows him to switch between healing nearby allies or increasing their speed. This heals all friendly heroes in proximity to you, so no worries about prioritizing healing for some heroes more than others.

Lucio’s other abilities are easy to learn and are extremely useful in battle. Amp it Up allows him to increase the power of his songs, whether it's for healing or speed. His primary fire allows Lucio to do some decent damage and take out opponents that are low on health. His secondary fire lets him disrupt the fight by knocking enemies back and possibly off the map. Lucio’s easy to learn and fun gameplay makes him an easy choice for any beginner.

What Makes Lucio Great:

Sound Barrier, Lucio’s Ultimate, cranks it up to 11, by increasing ally shields.
Knocking opponents off the map is one of the most satisfying things ever.
He has his own brand of cereal, Lucio-Ohs!

2. Soldier:76

Soldier 76 escaping an enemy Pharah

Being new to Overwatch doesn't mean you’re new to the FPS genre. And if you’ve played any other shooter in your day, Soldier:76 will feel right at home. Behaving like a typical FPS character, Soldier:76 is both easy to get the hang of, but can be difficult to master.

He also eases the player into the idea of abilities, with his Helix Rockets and Biotic Field. Sprint allows him to run, something that usual shooter fans will be familiar with. Plus, his Ultimate, Tactical Visor, essentially acts like a limited time aimbot, which is super satisfying to pull off successfully. There’s a reason he is the hero used in the tutorial; he’s new, yet familiar.

What Makes Soldier:76 Great

Helix Rockets do splash damage, so don't worry too much about aiming precisely.
Tactical Visor is basically an in game aimbot.
Soldier:76 skins are amazing, just about some of the best in the game.

1. Junkrat

Junkrat's Heroes of the Storm look

Now we get to everyone’s favorite australian rodent. Junkrat is fun to play, simple as that. His Frag Launcher does tons of damage with little skill needed. He has concussion mines that send enemies flying. His Steel Trap is just a great option for any situation, plus it will enrage the enemy team.

As you get better with Junkrat, you can take out Pharahs in the air with your primary fire, and jump high with his mines. One of my favorite things is to die in the middle of the enemy team’s group and kill off a couple of them with the bombs that explode from my corpse. If you can pull off his Rip-Tire properly, you can easily get play of the game.

What Makes Junkrat Great

Fun and powerful abilities with Steel Trap and Concussion Mines.
Rip-Tire is an easy way to get POTG.
Junkrat evolves with you as you grow in Overwatch, getting more fun as you get better.