The MEKA Pilot's Boosters Establish Her as the Ultimate Flying Tank

For a long time, I had little interest of multiplayer games. I engaged in numerous of them with my friends, but few held my interest. I was bad at shooting, and seemed more a liability than aid to my squad. Subsequently, 2016’s Overwatch happened and presented me with a hero and an ability that's remained memorable ever since.

Initially, D.Va, an esports star turned pilot who pilots a mech, wasn’t the sort of character that would attract to me. Widowmaker was closer to my preference, with her dark aesthetic and measured speech. However D.Va had the benefit of being the role I prefer: a tank. The one who soaks up all that incoming fire while protecting damage-dealers and healers. Additionally, D.Va has two forms: her out-of-mech state, in which she moves with a blaster, and her MEKA configuration, in which she’s seated within her MEKA. This duality make her quite distinctive, but another feature that sets her apart among other defenders, and is the reason I inevitably fell in love: her melee and movement ability, Thrusters.

Thrusters represent a skill that enables the MEKA pilot (in her MEKA form) propel skyward, providing a velocity increase and allowing her to fly forward for a set distance. But you can also change directions mid-flight, choosing to ascend onto a elevated position or veer entirely and head around obstacles like corners or the payload. This grants D.Va a dynamism and freedom of movement that no other defender can truly emulate — not even Reinhardt with his charge ability. D.Va’s Boosters is brilliant for my playstyle: I like to soak up the damage and protect my team, while having the option to retreat if the situation intensifies so I can regroup – it makes me feel indestructible, even though this isn't entirely true.

D.Va’s Boosters is not just for travel; it additionally deals damage to enemies in its path.

There’s even a damage element to D.Va’s Boosters ability. When opponents obstruct the path as activating Thrusters, they are knocked back for a set amount of harm. Let me tell you, there’s nothing more satisfying than finishing off a pesky Ashe by striking her directly with your MEKA. That’ll teach her to try and snipe you from afar.

D.Va may not be the “best” tank in Overwatch 2 nowadays, particularly with characters like certain other tanks whose raw defensive abilities make them a superior choice for the current meta. Yet she remains among the most original heroes I have experienced in a multiplayer game. It seems unlikely there really is a direct counterpart to D.Va, and believe me, after playing games like Marvel Rivals since leaving Overwatch 2, I have sought my next D.Va, and my next Boosters, for years. In reality, with extensive time as her, it seems no future tank character as fun and innovative to play as she is. Despite any issues Overwatch 2 might have, character design and abilities are certainly not among them.

• The MEKA Pilot excels in mobility and disruption.
• Her Boosters provide unmatched aerial control.
• She can absorb attacks while opening chances for allies.
• Despite meta shifts, she remains a fan-favorite for distinctive approach.