D.Va has always been one of the most popular heroes in Overwatch. The pro esports star turned military hero is beloved by tons of people, and that is not likely to change any time soon. With the switch to 5v5 in Overwatch 2, playing as D.Va has become even more important now that she is the lone representative for the Tank class if you choose her. Here are some tips and strategies to keep in mind when playing D.Va in Overwatch 2.
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All D.Va abilities
- Passives
- Like other Tanks, D.Va can not be easily knocked back by abilities, and less Ultimate charge is gained from her taking damage.
- Additionally, D.Va has two play modes. Mostly you will see her in her mech, but if it gets destroyed or she uses her Ultimate, she will be on her own with her pistol. If she recharges her Ultimate before enemies finish her off, she can call her mech back in. She has no other abilities when outside of her mech.
- Boosters (Ability 1)
- D.Va’s mech boosts forward, allowing you to shoot and knockback enemies while traveling forward. It can be used to fly through the air temporarily.
- Defense Matrix (Ability 2)
- Puts a field in front of you that destroys any enemy projectiles that enter it. Recharges after a short cooldown.
- Micro Missiles (Ability 3)
- Sends out a barrage of missiles that explode on impact. Can be activated while using the primary fire.
- Self-Destruct/Call Mech
- D.Va jumps out of her mech as it begins to overload and explodes. Does the most instant damage in the game in the area surrounding the explosion. When out of her mech, she calls in a new one that slams on the ground as she gets in.
While in her mech, D.Va fires two Fusion Cannons that never need to reload. They have a wide spread, so they are best used up close. Out of her mech, she has a pistol mainly there to gain Ultimate charge to get her mech back.
How to play D.Va
D.Va is a dive tank but has the flexibility to do multiple jobs on a team. With her Boosters and Defense Matrix, she can quickly get to pretty much any area on the map while protecting herself and any teammates. If you see a teammate in trouble, deploy the Defense Matrix over them to stop any projectiles from finishing them off. However, Defense Matrix does not last very long, so don’t spam it, or you won’t have it for when you really need it.
In Overwatch 2, with D.Va becoming a solo Tank, she has earned a little more armor to her health, but that doesn’t mean she can run into fights and survive independently. If you try to take on multiple people without help, you will be quickly knocked out of your mech and in danger of being killed if you can’t get away.
One of the best maneuvers to pull with D.Va in her mech is to shoot your Micro Missiles and your Fusion Cannons as you fly straight towards an enemy. You can significantly hurt someone quickly between those two fire sources and the knockback damage. Defense Matrix will be your best ability for saving yourself and others. It can instantly shut down numerous Ultimates if you time it correctly and save your teammates in bad situations like if a Roadhog hooks them.
With fewer shields in Overwatch 2, Self-Destruct also has a lot of potential to take out unaware enemies. You can use your Boosters and activate the Ultimate to send your mech flying towards an area safely, or activate it as your mech is destroyed to hurt people grouped up on you. Try to call in your new mech with an enemy nearby because the slam damage is pretty significant now and can kill multiple low-health enemies.
When out of your mech, spam shooting at distant enemies helps to get your charge back as soon as possible. If enemies get close, jump around and try to dodge as best you can with your small frame, but don’t fall into the trap of thinking you’re better off with the long range peashooter pistol.
Good teammates to play with D.Va
D.Va needs to be supported from a distance to be most successful. With that in mind, she works very well with a Zenyatta or Ana, who can heal her from afar. Lucio can help her dive in and out of danger, and Moira has the potential to get in and out of fights with her. Mercy is putting herself in danger by following D.Va, though.
For damage heroes, Tracer and Genji can help D.Va dive if they are communicating. She also does a good job of hanging back and protecting backline heroes like Soldier: 76, Cassidy, and Sojourn. Sombra can also hack and destroy enemy shields, setting her up for a big Self-Destruct, but now that Hack only lasts a second, getting that timing down will be much harder than before.
All counters and who to counter with D.Va
The strongest counters against D.Va are anyone who can hit her through her Defense Matrix or deal a lot of damage quickly. Reaper, Mei, Roadhog, Reinhardt, Cassidy, and Orisa are capable of doing these things to her. Very mobile heroes like Tracer, Genji, and Mercy can be difficult for her to take down if she is not hitting them with critical shots. Her weak spot is right in the center of her mech, where the cockpit is, so it’s pretty easy to get her health down quickly.
People you want to grab D.Va to counter against include Widowmaker, Hanzo, Pharah, Soldier: 76, Torbjorn, and Echo. While using Defense Matrix, she can protect herself while getting in the face of these heroes and finishing them off. She can also put a lot of damage into Orisa, Roadhog, and Sigma, but keep in mind that all of them have ways to hurt you back as well.
