Overwatch developers share the sentiment with players: Tanks aren't performing well at the moment.
Since the launch of Overwatch 2 nearly two years ago, the tank role has been grappling with establishing itself on the battlefield. The reduction from two tanks per team to one in the sequel has occasionally made it challenging for Blizzard to maintain a balanced gameplay experience. Recently, player complaints have surged, focusing on the significant weakening of the role. Addressing these concerns, the Overwatch 2 development team acknowledges the issue in their latest "Director's Take." Not surprisingly, they agree with the player base.
Blizzard has been actively working to address the concerns surrounding the tank role. They’ve come up with an innovative concept they refer to as "tankiness"; this is a measure of how much a tank embodies its role. Since Season 9, this new metric essentially measures the number of times a hero dies compared to the expected number of deaths. While many statistics are involved in determining an expected death, the fundamental idea is that the player experience aligns with Blizzard's data.
Regarding enhancing tackiness in practical terms, the developers are currently debating whether to implement broad, systemic changes or focus on individual hero changes. They are considering limited versions of broad changes, such as reduced versions of the passive damage role. However, their preference leans towards making specific adjustments to individual heroes. These targeted changes can significantly impact a hero's effectiveness while reinforcing the unique characteristics of each hero. For example, one of the key aspects of Reinhardt's tackiness is attributed to his shield.
