Overwatch 2: Best heroes to play in Season 14

This December we received the last season of the year, Season 14: Hazard arrived in Overwatch 2! The new update got here with a new tank, named after the season itself, balance updates, game modes, including the return of 6v6, and free skins in the Christmas event, as well as a collaboration with the animation Avatar: The Legend of Aang!

If you're not yet up to date with all the news, consider reading our article detailing Season 14 clicking here!

We, at UmGamer, played and studied the update to understand which heroes took up space in the meta, being the best options to climb the ranks in the ranked queues.

Hazard

The new hero got here already changing the meta, Hazard is one of the main tanks of season 14, having high damage and protection with his skillset. He received a series of buffs after his community testing period, and took the podium in this class.

Despite suffering a small increase in the cost of his Ultimate in this week's Hot Fix, he still appears as one of the most viable options for this role in Overwatch!

A new hero with new gameplay requires a little attention. Therefore, I recommend that you read our gide for playing Hazard!

Orisa

In the last major balance update, Orisa suffered from a small health reduction, but with a gain in armor that treated this change as positive. Furthermore, the character's Terra Surge draw range increased by almost 25%, making her much more effective this season!

Another strong point of the heroine is her flexibility, being able to be aggressive using Javelin Spin to pressure opponents, and taking advantage of this space gained to use Energy Javelin, a skill capable of instantly eliminating enemies who are taken out of the map, or playing further back and using this same skill just to fend off or stun threats.

Mauga

A little lower than the other two, but still powerful, Mauga suffered a nerf, losing armor and gaining health in the last patch. I believe it’s one of the best balanced tanks in this update.

The determining factor for its appearance in today's article is the kit of friendly skills for Brawl compositions, focused on melee combat. Trapping a large number of enemies in a small space with your Ultimate will allow other strong heroes in the meta to shine, such as Tracer and Juno, for example.

Tracer

In a meta that highlights Brawl formations, and we see this with the presence of Orisa and Mauga here, Tracer will always be a viable option. Although she’s preferred on Dive teams, it’s a fact that she’s efficient in close combat in general, causing more damage with her weapons, in addition to hitting her Ultimate with more precision. Just be aware that this is an option more suitable for the high level.

If you want to understand more about the compositions of Overwatch 2, you can access our guide on them, just clicking here.

Sojourn

After a great buff to her Railgun at the season release, Sojourn took the podium in the DPS class, being undisputed in it. Thus, she demanded that Blizzard worked quickly, receiving some downward adjustments in the Hot Fix announced on the 16th.

Still, I believe that Sojourn will maintain her prominence, certainly opening up more space for other characters like Reaper, Hanzo and those on this list, but she deserves her spotlight.

Ashe

The leader of the Deadlock Rebels Gang was already part of our list last season, and even received a strengthening in the December patch notes, even if simple, it makes a character that was already present in the meta even stronger.

Another option for those who don't like her is to play with Widowmaker, another powerful heroine at this point in the game. But I chose Ashe because of her greater potential in close-range combat, in addition to the increased pressure on the map that she has with Dynamite and “B.O.B.”. The buff that now allows her to use Coach Gun even when trapped, fending off enemies, will also be extremely useful.

Ana

Ranged heroes often struggle against Dive formations, which focus on a quick advance on the enemy backline, but are effective when the enemies form a Brawl team.

This is the case of Ana, one of the biggest counters in the current meta, you will face several heroes with less mobility and greater effectiveness in close battles, such as Orisa and Mauga. As long as you can be accurate with your sniper, you will considerably damage your opponents before they even have the range to hit you, in addition to healing your allies more safely, as you won't face as many threats.

But remember that there are exceptions, a Tracer will be able to eliminate you easily. For that, save the Sleep Dart.

Juno

She's here for the same reason as Tracer, the peak moment of Brawl compositions. For example, the three tanks present in this content have Ultimates that trap or bring enemies together in a smaller spot, causing Juno to hit many more Pulsar Torpedoes, in addition to the fact that close combat increases the Orbital Ray potential.

To understand more about Juno's gameplay and playstyle, read our guide by clicking here!

Kiriko

This third support choice is the subject of many doubts about some players, as Lúcio, Brigitte and Baptiste are also performing above average. But Kiriko's advantage is her flexibility, from being responsible for poking enemies, hitting her kunais, to shining with her Ultimate in a Brawl team, or fitting in a Dive with Swift Step.

As long as you master the character, you will surprise your opponents by adopting an entirely different style of play based on your companions' choices. If you need to, read our guide on how to play Kiriko.

This meta highlights rough combat at close ranges. Heroes like D.Va, Wrecking Ball and Mercy are weak, causing players with the Dive composition to move away, which, consequently, was not talked about as much in this list.

But remember that Overwatch 2 is a very dynamic game, and competitive matches basically require you to switch heroes a lot, and against ranged characters, diving heroes stand out.

I hope this article helped you! I am available to answer questions and suggestions in the comments.