🔗 Share this article

Over many years, I had little interest of multiplayer games. I played plenty of them with my friends, but few held my interest. I was bad at shooting, and felt like more of a hindrance than aid to my squad. Subsequently, 2016’s Overwatch arrived and introduced me to a character and an skill that's been stuck in my mind ever since.

Initially, D.Va, a gamer girl turned child-soldier who pilots a mech, wasn’t the sort of character that would attract to me. Widowmaker was closer to my preference, with her dark aesthetic and monotone drawl. But D.Va had the benefit of being my favorite class: a defender. The character that absorbs all that incoming fire while shielding attackers and support classes. Better yet, D.Va has two forms: her out-of-mech state, in which she moves with a blaster, and her MEKA configuration, in which she’s strapped into her MEKA. This duality make her quite distinctive, but another feature that makes her stand out among her fellow tanks, and is the reason I inevitably fell in love: her close-quarters and mobility skill, Boosters.

Boosters is an ability that lets D.Va (in her MEKA form) launch into the air, giving her a boost of speed and allowing her to fly forward for 24 meters. Additionally, players may change directions mid-flight, opting to rise onto a higher level or divert completely and navigate past barriers like turns or the payload. This grants D.Va a agility and unrestricted motion that none of the other tanks can truly emulate — not even Reinhardt with his charge ability. Her Thrusters is brilliant for my playstyle: I prefer to absorb attacks and defend allies, while having the option to retreat if it gets gnarly so I can regroup – it creates a sense of invincibility, even though that’s never really the case.

D.Va’s Boosters is not just for movility; it also inflicts harm to enemies along the route.

An offensive component exists to the Thrusters skill. When opponents obstruct the path as you’re using Boosters, you send them flying backwards for a set amount of harm. I assure you, few things are as gratifying than eliminating a troublesome Ashe by bopping her on the nose with the mech. That serves as a lesson to try and snipe you from afar.

D.Va may not be the “best” tank in Overwatch 2 currently, especially when you’ve got heroes like certain other tanks whose raw defensive abilities make them a better pick for the current meta. Yet she remains among the most original heroes I have experienced in a competitive title. I don’t think that any a D.Va equivalent, and trust me, after playing games like Marvel Rivals since leaving Overwatch 2, I have sought a replacement for D.Va, and a similar mobility skill, for a long time. In reality, with extensive time as her, it seems no future tank character as fun and innovative to play as D.Va. Despite any issues Overwatch 2 might have, hero creation and skills are certainly not among them.

• The MEKA Pilot shines at movement and interference.
• Her Thrusters provide unmatched aerial control.
• She can soak damage while opening chances for her team.
• Regardless of strategy changes, she remains a fan-favorite for distinctive approach.