Disassembly: Breaking Down the Tank Meta

It is safe to say that tanks are very good and used quiet heavily right now in the current Overwatch meta. However, there has been a small surge of interesting team compositions that could be omens of a possible solution to the tank meta. Since Dreamhack Winter it seems that certain teams are breaking away from the 3 tank setup, while others embrace it entirely. Relying on aggression and a more proactive playstyle, the “dive-comp” is emerging as a possible answer to the more defensive and passive meta. Rushing points and swarming the enemy on attack, the composition relies on quick attacks on key points on the map. As I watch this meta play out, the more I see pro-players use creative and interesting picks to quickly problem solve, the more an certain controversial idea crawls out from the back of my head.

Maybe Tanks are fine?

Let me explain.

“Lessons are all around us, waiting to be learned.” - Daigo Umehara

Let’s look at the current game modes we have in Overwatch. We have: assault or better known as 2 control point maps (2cp), escort, king of the hill, and hybrid. All of these game types have something to do with an objective (standing on a point, pushing the cart, etc.). The problem right now is that, on defense, tanks are just too effective at clogging up those objectives. The power of very “sticky” heroes such as D.va or Reinhardt is that they passivly grant you a good defenders advantage without much effort. The rest of the cast, doesn’t. Our defensive heroes do not see much use at all, as it is much easier to shove a few tanks on a point and just outlast the enemy. Just as “the beast”, Daigo Umeara says in his book, “The Will to Keep Winning”, maybe this meta is just a lesson for us to learn. It may be time to learn what true defenders advantage is.

An interesting way to “change” the game would be to improve some of the defense heroes and see where the community takes them moving forward. We have seen Hanzo used a bit on offensive king of the hill teams and Widowmaker is making appearances here and there, but Mei is the only defense hero that see a majority of use. She has good utility and does the same job as tanks do now, just with more flexibility and nuance. Changing or adding some new tools to the defense cast could be a more interesting way to change the game, rather then just revert changes previously done.

D.va, in my eyes, is not the only problem. Yes she is incredible hard to kill, but the fact that Reinhardt has skated by this far is surprising. One of the highest pick rates, next to Lucio, Reinhardt is the crux of a good team. Current in this “tank meta” it comes down to breaking the enemy Reinhardt’s shield and capitalizing on their lack of cover. Changing heroes like Hanzo or Junkrat to better deal with shielded opponents could be an interesting “check” to a seemingly “unbalanced” set of tanks.

The most interesting thing is, that idea isn’t as farfetched as it seems. Back in the friends and family alpha, Phara’s Concussive Blast actually did more damage to shields. The idea was scrapped, but maybe that same tool set could be copy and pasted over to some of our defensive heroes. Like I said, instead of “fixing” the game, lets change it. Blizzard has ideas in mind, It is their game. It very easy for us, as a community to say “omg tanks op” or “nerf tanks”. Rather then just repeat memes at Blizzard, toss up your own interesting idea on how to change the game if you, as a spectator or player, don’t particularly enjoy it.

“If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” - Michael Jordan

Omens of Change

Now I can’t propose a challenge without bringing my own suggestions as ammunition. It's my belief that Blizzard is a very deliberate developer. The addition of the elimination game type, showcased in 3v3 and 1v1 game types, could be trial by fire experiment. Creating a new map, and a new game mode just for the sole purpose of just casual entertainment seems shallow and disingenuous. It seems as the playlist has seen quiet some success, what If Blizzard used Ecopoint: Antarctica and the elimination game mode in the upcoming Overwatch League as a new gametype and map? Would that change anything?

I'm inclined to say, yes.

Not only is the map very open, with little to no choke points, but with the elimination game mode, there is no “forced actions”. On objective based maps we constantly have team pushing the pace, forced to make play after play to try and gain control of the payload or control point. In the same vein as King of the Hill game modes, sometimes inaction is the best action possible. With a Team Deathmatch or Elimination game type, teams can focus on controlling advantageous positions to gain an edge.

With no objective to clog, tanks wouldn’t see much play. You would probably see more heavy dive comps focused more on aggressive swarming and aggression. We are seeing this within the standard game types right now. King of the Hill is starting to move away from heavy tank set-ups in favor of mobility and firepower. The 3v3 and 1v1 playlist could just be an unintentional open beta for something Blizzard has in store for us in the future.

“The more you look, the less you see.” - Jesse Eisenberg (Now You See Me)

Another change we can revisit is additions to the defensive hero tool kits. Something that I would like to see is changes to Widowmaker and Hanzo. I feel that Junkrat is too fundamental estranged to tweak and that Mei is in a good spot after recent changes to her ult. Hanzo could be a good host for the old Phara “kit” of shield busting. What if Hanzo’s Scatter Arrow was repurposed to not only deal additional damage to shields, while also still retaining that same “scatter arrow” feel? Again we have seen small instances of use from Hanzo, but I can’t help but think he may need some love.

 With Widowmaker, the same rules apply. We have seen her used, but she is a divisive hero to be sure. She is the bane to most and easily the fan favorite of some, but there is a certain unfinished feel to her. While keeping majority of her kit the same, what if her Venom Mine actually had more to it? Possibly a slow or a disorienting effect to help protect the french sniper from any who try to push her out of her perch. Her problem comes back to the “force of action” dilemma we previously talked about.

On defense and on specific maps (Gibraltar, Temple of Anubis) she shines, really embodying the definition of “overwatch”, providing excellent cover fire and quick jabs to the enemy health pool. But the moment she's ousted from her nest, she quickly dispatched and the defending team is at a disadvantage. A slight buff to Venom Mine and perhaps she give the defense more options. With the possible addition of a more kill focused game mode, getting pushed out of the high ground isn't the end of the world. Widowmaker could still find kills, holding angles and still can find picks.

Even without changes we have seen stand out performances on heroes that should not survive in the current tank settings. George "Shadowburn" Gushcha has shown that Genji is a force to be reckoned with regardless of meta. If there was a figure that imposed their will with Widowmaker, as Shadowburn does on Genji, the battlefield of Overwatch would never be the same. That being said, Widowmaker has the best shot to dig us out of the tank trench. She has the firepower and point control, but with that comes a very high skill ceiling and a confidence to force and commit to a game plan.

Open Ended

Tanks are incredibly useful; no one claims otherwise. They are all useful in varying degrees. Instead of swatting them all with the nerf bat, what if we tried to raise some underused heroes into the spotlight? The defense heroes could use a little help in certain departments.

Again, the evidence is anecdotal, but the recent Symmetra change leads me to believe that Blizzard is open to creative change in its own design machine. Giving her the first optional ultimate is a big statement. Will we see more of those kinds of reworks in the future? More or the same ultimates? Would be very interesting to see the newest addition the Overwatch family house some of that same ideology. Maybe Doomfist will be the end of tanks as we know it?

The is not unequivocal answer or change. Who really is to say that tanks are a problem. Are they entertaining?

Who's to say?

One thing is for sure, more often than not we already have solutions to our problems, we just have to open our eyes and think a little outside the box. With a little creativity and a dash of cleverness, you’d be surprised at what people will come up with. Don’t discount your own ingenuity.

If you enjoyed this piece, follow the author on Twitter at @Volamel.

Images courtesy of Blizzard.