BothOverwatchand theOverwatch 2beta’s heroes are classified into three roles. Thedamage role, consisting of the most heroes, has two responsibilities: breaking the enemies' defenses and eliminating the opposing team. Those in the tank role are beefy characters whose purpose is to soak up damage and serve as anchor points for the team to follow (they are also usually the team’s shot callers when it comes to deciding which route to take). Finally, there is the support role, whose responsibility is to buff and heal their teammates.
Out of the three roles, the support role is picked the least by far. This is evident in the short cue times in normal and ranked play, and the fact that not many players immediately go support in quick-play classic. Support roles are usually picked last in order to fill out the team roster. There are many reasons why supports are the least-picked hero role inOverwatch, but most of these revolve around the notion that playing the support role is not very hero-like.
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Supports Don’t Do Much Damage
From the onset, support heroes have drastically lower damage outputs than characters in the damage or tank roles. Since damage heroes' primary goals are to break defenses and take down opponents, their abilities are naturally geared toward offense. Tanks, while not as mobile or immediately dangerous as their damage counterparts, have far bigger health bars and have some big, game-changing abilities (Roadhog’s Chain Hookand Zarya’s Protective Barrier are prime examples). When they synergize with other teammates' abilities, tanks can drastically change the flow of a match.
Most support role weapons and abilities, on the other hand, are meant to heal allies. Ana’s Biotic Rifle heals teammates she shoots, but it also does damage over time (DoT) to enemies caught in her line of fire. Lucio’s Soundwave secondary fire throws enemies out of position, giving his teammates time to catch them off-guard (he can also get himself some eliminations by blasting enemies off of the map).While support players can get eliminationsnow and again, their kits don’t emphasize offense.
Healing and Staying Alive Is a Passive Playstyle
What healers are good at is keeping their team alive. Since health packs scattered throughout a typicalOverwatchmap take time to respawn, the majority of a team’s healing is provided by support heroes. All support heroes have a method of healing themselves and their allies: Lucio’s healing song, Mercy’s Caduceus Staff’s healing stream, Brigitte’s Inspire passive, and Repair Pack tactical ability - these abilities make supports an essential part of a team’s composition and a priority target for the enemy team.
Losing one damage hero in a team isn’t so bad, but losing a support hero creates a domino effect that can impact the rest of the team’s survivability. With that in mind, most support heroes generally occupy the back in a team formation. Since losing a support hero usually means losing the fight, the rest of the team has to generallybaby their support heroeswhile the supports provide them with life-sustaining benefits.
Playing a Support Role Doesn’t Feel Hero-Like
Despite their importance in a team,support heroes get very little recognitionfor a job well done. Constantly having to answer their teammates' cries for healing may net them a “thank you,” but the fact of the matter is that they are the unsung heroes of every match. Players tend to look toward eliminations and damage done to gauge overall performance. Rarely, if ever, do players look at the healing provided by their support heroes.
This deemphasis on healingis only highlighted further byOverwatchitself. Systems like Play of the Game typically showcase players who have eliminated the most enemies in a short amount of time. This commendation usually goes to a team’s damage or tank role hero, as it is their abilities that are often used to take out the enemy team. Support heroes who provide the most healing do get their character images and names plastered on the end-of-game cards, but this pales in comparison to Play of the Game, which is a highlight reel of a well-executed play that everyone in the game gets to watch.
Overwatchis supposed to make players feel heroic, but providing healing and always having to be watched over isn’t everybody’s vision when it comes to being a hero. Most would rather pick a damage hero and take out the enemy, or go for a tank hero and dictate the ebb and flow of combat. Support heroes are essential toOverwatch, butBlizzard could do more in terms of making them fun to play.
