View source for Roles

'''Roles''' are categories that [[heroes]] in ''[[Overwatch|Overwatch 2]]'' are categorized by. A hero's role describes the general characteristics of the hero and their purpose on the team. 

==Tank==
[[File:New Tank Icon.png|80px|right]]
<center>
'''Tank heroes take attention, create space for their team, and break apart fortified positions, like closely-grouped enemies and narrow choke-points. If you’re a tank, you lead the charge.'''

There are currently {{Hero count|Tank}} Tank heroes in the game:
<div style="max-width: 1000px">{{Herobox|D.Va}} {{Herobox|Doomfist}}{{Herobox|Hazard}}{{Herobox|Junker Queen}}{{Herobox|mauga}}{{Herobox|Orisa}}{{Herobox|Ramattra}}{{Herobox|Reinhardt}}{{Herobox|Roadhog}}{{Herobox|Sigma}}{{Herobox|Winston}}{{Herobox|Wrecking Ball}}{{Herobox|Zarya}}</div>
</center>

===Role passive===
{{Ability_details
| ability_name = Role: Tank
| ability_image = Role Tank Circle.svg
| official_description = Reduces knockbacks and critical damage received. Less ultimate generated by healing and damage received. Increases base health in Role Queue game modes.
| ability_type = Passive Ability
| health = 150
| damage_red = -25% taken
| ability_details = 
* Reduces the speed of [[knockback]]s received by 25%
* [[Ultimate charge]] and [[perk]] progress generation from damage and healing dealt to heroes with the Role: Tank passive is reduced by 40%.
* Reduces the total damage received from [[critical hit]]s, such as headshots, by 25%.
** Weapons with a lower 1.5x headshot modifier ignore this damage reduction completely.
** The effectiveness on abilities that deal critical damage through other means than headshots is ambiguous: {{al|Earthshatter}} and {{al|Overrun}} are affected by the damage reduction, but {{al|Virus}} and {{al|Volatile Chaingun}}'s forced critical hits against burning targets are not.
** The reduction stacks additively with other modifiers affecting damage taken.
* All tanks have 150 more [[health]] in Role Queue. The amount of armor and/or shields remains the same.

| 6v6_details = 
* Knockback and critical damage reduction removed.
** Reinhardt has the {{al|Steadfast}} passive again, reducing knockback by 30%.
* No longer grants increased base health.
* Ultimate charge generation reduction reduced from 40% to 20%.
}}

=== Overview ===
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible" style="min-width:25%;"
|+ Tank heroes
{{Hero table cell|D.Va}}
| {{#section-h:D.Va|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Doomfist}}
| {{#section-h:Doomfist|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Hazard}}
| {{#section-h:Hazard|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Junker Queen}}
| {{#section-h:Junker Queen|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Mauga}}
| {{#section-h:Mauga|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Orisa}}
| {{#section-h:Orisa|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Ramattra}}
| {{#section-h:Ramattra|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Reinhardt}}
| {{#section-h:Reinhardt|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Roadhog}}
| {{#section-h:Roadhog|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Sigma}}
| {{#section-h:Sigma|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Winston}}
| {{#section-h:Winston|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Wrecking Ball}}
| {{#section-h:Wrecking Ball|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Zarya}}
| {{#section-h:Zarya|Overview}}
|}


==Damage==
[[File:New Damage Icon.png|80px|right]]
<center>
'''Damage heroes are responsible for seeking out, engaging, and defeating the enemy using their varied tools and abilities. Playing a damage hero means it is your duty to keep up the pressure on enemies and secure kills.'''

There are currently {{Hero count|Damage}} Damage heroes in the game:<br>
<div style="max-width: 1000px">{{Herobox|Ashe}}{{Herobox|Bastion}}{{Herobox|cassidy}}{{Herobox|Echo}}{{Herobox|Freja}}{{Herobox|Genji}}{{Herobox|Hanzo}}{{Herobox|Junkrat}}{{Herobox|Mei}}{{Herobox|Pharah}}{{Herobox|Reaper}}{{Herobox|Sojourn}}{{Herobox|Soldier: 76}}{{Herobox|Sombra}}{{Herobox|Symmetra}}{{Herobox|Torbjörn}}{{Herobox|Tracer}}{{Herobox|Venture}}{{Herobox|Widowmaker}}</div>
</center>

===Role passive===
{{Ability_details
| ability_name = Role: Damage
| ability_image = Role Damage Circle.svg
| official_description = Damaging an enemy temporarily reduces their healing received.
| ability_type = Passive Ability
| duration = 3 seconds
| healing_mod = -30% received (non-tanks)<br>-15% received (tanks)
| ability_keywords = cleansable
| ability_details = 
* Does not stack with itself or the passive from another damage role hero.
* Stacks multiplicatively with other modifiers that affect healing received.
* [[Objects]] that deal damage, such as turrets, may also apply the effect.
* Self-damage does not apply the effect.
| 6v6_details = 
* No longer has reduced effectiveness for tank heroes.
}}

=== Overview ===
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible" style="min-width:25%;"
|+ Damage heroes
{{Hero table cell|Ashe}}
| {{#section-h:Ashe|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Bastion}}
| {{#section-h:Bastion|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Cassidy}}
| {{#section-h:Cassidy|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Echo}}
| {{#section-h:Echo|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Freja}}
| {{#section-h:Freja|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Genji}}
| {{#section-h:Genji|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Hanzo}}
| {{#section-h:Hanzo|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Junkrat}}
| {{#section-h:Junkrat|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Mei}}
| {{#section-h:Mei|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Pharah}}
| {{#section-h:Pharah|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Reaper}}
| {{#section-h:Reaper|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Sojourn}}
| {{#section-h:Sojourn|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Soldier: 76}}
| {{#section-h:Soldier: 76|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Sombra}}
| {{#section-h:Sombra|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Symmetra}}
| {{#section-h:Symmetra|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Torbjörn}}
| {{#section-h:Torbjörn|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Tracer}}
| {{#section-h:Tracer|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Venture}}
| {{#section-h:Venture|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Widowmaker}}
| {{#section-h:Widowmaker|Overview}}
|}

==Support==
[[File:New Support Icon.png|80px|right]]
<center>
'''Support heroes empower their allies with healing and utility but also by scaring away enemies. As support, you’re the backbone of your team tasked with keeping the pressure off your teammates.'''

There are currently {{Hero count|Support}} support heroes in the game:<br>
<div style="max-width: 1000px">{{Herobox|Ana}}{{Herobox|Baptiste}}{{Herobox|Brigitte}}{{Herobox|Illari}}{{Herobox|Juno}}{{Herobox|Kiriko}}{{Herobox|Lifeweaver}}{{Herobox|Lúcio}}{{Herobox|Mercy}}{{Herobox|Moira}}{{Herobox|Wuyang}}{{Herobox|Zenyatta}}</div>
</center>

===Role passive===
{{Ability_details
| ability_name = Role: Support
| ability_image = Role Support Circle.svg
| official_description = Begin regenerating health more quickly.
| ability_type = Passive Ability
| ability_details = 
* Reduces the time before passive health regeneration starts from 6 to 3 seconds after taking damage.
}}

=== Overview ===
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible" style="min-width:25%;"
|+ Support heroes
{{Hero table cell|Ana}}
| {{#section-h:Ana|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Baptiste}}
| {{#section-h:Baptiste|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Brigitte}}
| {{#section-h:Brigitte|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Illari}}
| {{#section-h:Illari|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Juno}}
| {{#section-h:Juno|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Kiriko}}
| {{#section-h:Kiriko|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Lifeweaver}}
| {{#section-h:Lifeweaver|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Lúcio}}
| {{#section-h:Lúcio|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Mercy}}
| {{#section-h:Mercy|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Moira}}
| {{#section-h:Moira|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Wuyang}}
| {{#section-h:Wuyang|Overview}}
|-
{{Hero table cell|Zenyatta}}
| {{#section-h:Zenyatta|Overview}}
|}

==Role Queue==
[[File:Role queue.png|300px|thumb|An example of separate SR for each role]]
Role Queue is the primary queue mode in ''Overwatch 2'', and restricts each team composition to one Tank hero, two Damage heroes, and two Support heroes. Players first select one or more roles before queueing, and once in a match, can only play heroes within the role that they were matched into. 

In Competitive Role Queue, players have a separate rank and skill tier for each role. 

==Development==
===Merging roles===
During the first two years of ''Overwatch'', the Damage role was split into two separate roles, [[File:OffenseIcon.png|sub|40x40px|class=inline-icon invert-image|link=]]Offense and [[File:DefenseIcon.png|sub|40x40px|class=inline-icon invert-image|link=]]Defense. The Offense role included more aggressive heroes (such as [[Tracer]] and [[Sombra]]), while the Defense role was for heroes whose strengths were more suitable for a solid defense (such as [[Bastion]] and [[Torbjörn]]). 

These merged into the single role in the June 26, 2018 patch. Blizzard stated that merging the two roles made more sense, as it was becoming harder to differentiate one from the other.<ref>[[June 26, 2018 Patch]]</ref>

{{Quote|Since the line between Offense and Defense heroes has become increasingly blurred, we’ve decided to group all those heroes into a single new “Damage” category. We believe that the term more closely matches the role name that is now being used in [[Overwatch League]] and across most of the game’s community.|Blizzard Entertainment}}

===Introducing Role Queue===
Role Queue was added in August 2019 for [[Competitive Play]], and September 2019 for [[Quick Play]]. The goal of the new system was to reduce tension, pressure, disappointment, or even hostility as a team composition comes together, leading to matches that players are in roles that they ''want'' to be in, rather than ones they were forced onto.<ref>2019-07-18. [https://overwatch.blizzard.com/en-us/news/23060961/introducing-role-queue/ Introducing Role Queue]. ''Blizzard Entertainment'', accessed on 2024-05-01</ref>

Although Role Queue has standardized team compositions, it has drastically increased the time it takes to find a game, especially for certain roles. To pass the time, the [[While you wait]] feature was introduced in December 2019, and allows players to use the [[Practice Range]] and play specialized game modes while waiting.

Another effort made to try and reduce queue times was an experimental mode dubbed "Triple Damage," which was available from February 25th to March 3rd, 2020 as a trial. It increased the number of Damage heroes per team from two to three, while the number of Tank heroes decreased from two to one. According to a forum post by [[Jeff Kaplan]], queue times for Damage heroes were drastically cut, but community responses seemed mostly negative, and none of the changes in Triple Damage were made permanent.<ref>2020-02-04. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXtJeSH8V5A Developer Update | Experimental Mode: Triple Damage | Overwatch]. ''YouTube'', accessed on 2024-05-01</ref><ref>2020-02. [https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/overwatch/t/experiment-time/463929/26 Jeff Kaplan: "I’m glad you’re enjoying it. The feedback is really polarizing."] ''Blizzard Forums'', accessed on 2024-05-01</ref>

Prior to Role Queue, Blizzard previously attempted to standardize teams by allowing players to enforce roles using the [[Looking for Group]] feature. This has since been removed.

===Overwatch 2===
Upon release of ''[[Overwatch 2]]'', all roles received a new [[passive ability]] that applied to each hero in the role. Support heroes regenerated their health after staying out of combat, Tank heroes gained knockback resistance, and Damage heroes reloaded faster after getting an elimination.<ref name="Count5">2021-05-20. [https://www.gameinformer.com/2021/05/20/overwatch-2-drops-standard-pvp-count-to-5v5 Overwatch 2 Drops Standard PVP Count To 5V5]. ''Game Informer'', accessed on 2022-05-08</ref> 

Each team's player count was also reduced to six to five, allowing only one Tank per team in Role Queue. In addition to the new role passive, Tank heroes received various buffs to accommodate the reduced frontline presence.<ref name="Count5" />

====Season 9: Champions====
[[Season#Season 9: Champions|Season 9]] of ''Overwatch 2'' reworked the Damage role passive, removing the original speed boost and making it so that enemies they damage have temporarily reduced healing. Additionally, the Support role passive was applied globally to all heroes, but with a longer delay for Tank and Damage heroes.

====Season 10: Venture Forth====
[[Season#Season 10: Venture Forth|Season 10]] of ''Overwatch 2'' expanded the functionality of the tank passive, causing it to also reduce damage taken from critical hits.


==References==
<references />

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