Overwatch 2's Support role imbalance persists as a critical issue in 2026, with Damage heroes vastly outnumbering healers. This disparity dramatically affects queue times and team dynamics, prompting innovative proposals to rework Damage heroes into compelling Supports.

In the competitive realm of Overwatch 2, the Support role remains the unsung hero of the battlefield. Despite being crucial to team success, the healing class continues to suffer from limited options compared to its flashier counterpart. As we enter 2026, the imbalance persists with Damage heroes outnumbering Supports by more than two-to-one, creating a situation where queue times for DPS players stretch longer than Roadhog's hook while Support players find matches almost instantly.

The Support Dilemma

"Have you noticed how everyone wants to be the hero, but nobody wants to keep the hero alive?" remarked professional player Zhang Wei during a recent tournament. "It's like everyone wants to be the sword, but nobody wants to be the blacksmith who forges and maintains it."

The Support roster has grown from the original three healers—Mercy, Lucio, and Zenyatta—to a still modest eight in 2026. Meanwhile, Damage heroes continue to proliferate like rabbits in springtime, offering players a smorgasbord of playstyles. Who wouldn't be tempted to play Damage when you can:

• Turn invisible and hack enemies like a digital phantom

• Rain justice from above like an avenging angel

• Deploy autonomous turrets that do your dirty work

• Command B.O.B., who reliably does something when called

Damage heroes also boast intimidating names like Reaper and Widowmaker, wielding weapons with equally menacing titles such as The Viper and Hellfire Shotguns. Support heroes, by comparison, often find themselves clinging to life like barnacles on a storm-tossed ship, desperately trying to keep their team afloat while everyone else has all the fun.

Reimagining Support: The Potential Reworks

Despite Blizzard's commitment to add more Support heroes at twice the rate of other roles, the gap remains vast as an arctic crevasse. Here are three compelling reworks that could transform existing Damage heroes into engaging Supports:

Symmetra: Back to Her Roots

Many veterans remember when Symmetra once belonged to the Support category. Her return would be both poetic and practical, requiring only a few adjustments:

• Convert her turrets to heal allies rather than damage enemies

• Reduce her primary fire damage slightly

• Allow deployment of more than three turrets simultaneously

Her teleporter already provides the utility expected from Supports, and her ultimate is the only purely defensive one among Damage heroes (excluding Widowmaker's Infra-Sight). Symmetra's calculated, methodical playstyle would offer Support players a unique approach to healing that feels like conducting an orchestra of light and geometry.

Sombra: The Hacktivist Healer

Transforming Sombra into a Support would inject a refreshing dose of espionage into a role that often feels like a stationary healing dispenser. Her hacking abilities could be reimagined to:

• Create a leeching effect where allies heal by damaging hacked targets

• Allow Sombra to "hack" teammates, creating a healing link

• Retain her mobility while providing healing value

This rework would make her ultimate a true fight-turner, transforming all affected enemies into healing batteries for her team. Sombra could maintain her identity as a lone wolf while providing substantial support value, slipping through enemy lines like water through cupped hands.

Mei: From Ice Queen to Healing Blizzard

The adorably terrifying climatologist could transition from freezing enemies to death to preserving allies' lives. A Support Mei would:

• Create a "snow globe" effect that heals allies in radius

• Maintain her Ice Wall for team protection

• Project Cryo-Freeze onto critically wounded teammates

• Keep her Blizzard ultimate, which already functions as crowd control

This rework would position Mei as a frontline Support similar to Brigitte, but with unique crowd control options. Her healing would fall like gentle snow, accumulating over time rather than coming in bursts.

The Future of Support

As we look ahead to the remainder of 2026, Overwatch 2 faces a critical juncture. The game's health depends on balancing not just match outcomes, but player interest across roles. The Support class needs to be as attractive as it is essential—as enticing as a siren's call rather than a reluctant obligation.

Support players should feel like master puppeteers controlling the flow of battle, not just healing dispensers hiding behind cover. They deserve to be:

1. Strategic centerpieces with game-changing abilities

2. Dynamic playmakers rather than passive healers

3. Diverse specialists with unique playstyles

4. Recognized contributors to team success

While Blizzard has introduced new Support heroes in recent years, these potential reworks could rapidly diversify the role while giving players fresh reasons to select the healing icon when queuing for matches.

The time has come for Supports to step out of the shadows and into the spotlight. After all, in the words of the wise Support main: "Heroes never die... but without healers, they certainly would."