D.Va's Boosters Make Her the Supreme Flying Tank

Over many years, I was not a fan of online competitive titles. I engaged in numerous of them with my friends, but none kept my attention. I was bad at shooting, and seemed more a liability than aid to my squad. Then, 2016’s Overwatch arrived and introduced me to a hero and an skill that's been stuck in my mind ever since.

Initially, D.Va, an esports star turned pilot who pilots a mech, didn’t seem the type that should have appealed to me. The sniper Widowmaker was more my style, with her dark aesthetic and monotone drawl. However D.Va had the benefit of being the role I prefer: a defender. The one who soaks up all that damage while protecting damage-dealers and support classes. Additionally, D.Va has dual modes: her out-of-mech state, in which she moves with a blaster, and her mech form, in which she’s seated within her MEKA. This duality make her quite distinctive, but another feature that sets her apart among her fellow tanks, and is the reason I inevitably fell in love: her melee and movement ability, Thrusters.

Thrusters represent a skill that lets D.Va (in her MEKA form) launch into the air, providing a velocity increase and letting her advance through the air for 24 meters. But you can also alter course while airborne, opting to rise onto a higher level or divert completely and head around obstacles like turns or the payload. This grants D.Va a dynamism and freedom of movement that no other defender can truly emulate — including Reinhardt with his charge ability. Her Thrusters is ideal for my approach: I like to soak up the damage and protect my team, while also being able to get out if the situation intensifies so I can regroup – it makes me feel indestructible, even though that’s never really the case.

The Thrusters ability isn't solely for movility; it also inflicts harm to enemies along the route.

There’s even a damage element to the Thrusters skill. When opponents obstruct the path as you’re using Boosters, you send them flying backwards for 25 damage. Let me tell you, few things are as gratifying than finishing off a pesky Ashe by striking her directly with your MEKA. That’ll teach her to try and snipe you from afar.

The hero might not rank as the top defender in Overwatch 2 currently, especially when you’ve got heroes like certain other tanks whose pure defensive skills make them a better pick for the current meta. Yet she remains among the most original heroes I’ve ever played in a multiplayer game. I don’t think that any a D.Va equivalent, and believe me, after playing games like Marvel Rivals since leaving Overwatch 2, I’ve been looking for a replacement for D.Va, and a similar mobility skill, for years. In reality, after playing her for years, it seems no future tank character as fun and innovative to play as D.Va. Despite any issues Overwatch 2 might have, character design and abilities are certainly not among them.

• D.Va shines at mobility and disruption.
• Her Thrusters provide superior flight maneuverability.
• The hero can absorb attacks while opening chances for allies.
• Despite meta shifts, D.Va stays a beloved choice for distinctive approach.