Overwatch 2: Best Support Perks, Ranked

Summary

• Overwatch 2 introduced new hero perks in Season 15, changing gameplay dynamics significantly.
• Support role perks like Ethical Nourishment for Moira and Morale Boost for Brigitte enhance their abilities.
• Major perks like Shrike for Ana offer game-changing advantages, making Ana one of the best supports.

Blizzard is constantly expanding Overwatch 2 with new modes and heroes, but things really changed with their new feature added in Season 15, which rewards players with their first shake-up of the perk system. Every role — tank, DPS, and support — has been given various minor and major perks that change how each match is played, from discouraging counterswapping to creating new team synergies. While each role has interesting new perks, the support role is the one that can significantly change the outcome of the match.

For support heroes, these perks can improve abilities that heal, move, and provide utility to the team. A player can have one minor and one major perk active per battle, adjusting the hero’s abilities according to the type of confrontation during the match. While most support perks are good, there are some that stand above the rest.

10

Ascendance (Zenyatta)

Spreading Tranquility Through Elevation

Zenyatta’s minor perk, Ascendance, allows him to float for up to 3 seconds when the player holds the jump button. This increased mobility enables Zenyatta to move more freely, hovering to find better flanking spots or to gain better positioning. It could be used to run away from chasing flankers or, if someone is feeling confident enough, to flank the enemy from a place they normally would not expect a Zenyatta to be at.

Although Ascendance does not increase Zenyatta’s healing or damage directly, the fact that he can reposition is arguably more powerful. A well-positioned Zenyatta can be even more effective at using the hit discord orbs and to heal allies with Harmony Orbs without always being forced to hide behind objects and barriers. It is a slight change that makes a big difference and boosts Zenyatta’s support role.

9

Headhunter (Ana)

Sharpshooting Sniper, Ana Can Finally Crit

Ana’s major perk, HeadHunter, enables her to deal critical hit damage when she headshots opponents. This perk makes Ana more of a killing machine, rather than a healer and utility character. In capable hands, she becomes even more deadly than she already is. This increased headshot damage takes her to the next level as a DPS, putting her on the same level as heroes like Widowmaker and Echo.

Although all of Ana’s perks are powerful, both her major perks are among the most overpowered ones in the game as of Season 15. The reason why this perk is not higher on the list is because the player actually has to land headshots to get value from it, unlike her other major perk, which increases both her damage and survivability. Juno has a similar perk, but due to her playstyle and reliance on high mobility, it’s more beneficial to go for her mobility perks.

8

Sunburn (Illari)

Touch Her and Burn!

Illari’s major perk, SunBurn, ignites anyone close to her when she uses her Outburst ability. This may seem like a small change at first, but it increases her damage over time, making her a more aggressive hybrid support. This is also a great perk to synergize if there’s a Mauga on her team, as he can crit any enemies Illari sets on fire without having to ignite them first himself.

Outburst also creates distance between Illari and her enemies, allowing her time to charge up her next shot as well as set up her pylon to heal. This perk allows Illari to finish off enemies that may get a chance to run away due to high mobility, like Tracer or Genji. She is already one of the best burst-damage supports, with one of the most powerful ultimates in the game, and now she has even higher damage potential.

7

Morale Boost (Brigitte)

Inspire Lasts Longer, Even From Afar

Brigitte is already one of the toughest supports to eliminate in the game. She can deal damage while passively healing her whole team close by, which is why many support players love Brigitte. Her perks complement her playstyle in every positive way.

Brigitte’s minor perk, Morale Boost, increases the duration of the Inspire passive ability whenever it is activated by Whip Shot. By extending the duration of Inspire’s effect, Brigitte has her teammates ready for combat, but she is not required to take the lead and risk getting eliminated. This makes it possible for her to look for other dimensions of the fight; for example, crowd control and positioning. At the same time, she can ensure a steady flow of healing.

6

Biotic Bounce (Ana)

Prepare For Trouble, Now Make It Double

The Biotic Bounce minor perk enhances the strength of Ana’s Biotic Grenade in particular. With it, the biotic grenade will bounce once after exploding and explode once again, dealing even more damage and providing more healing. The second blast can be especially useful for catching foes off-guard and stacking anti-heal on them.

With this extra burst, allies of the shocked character get an opportunity to heal. It also makes the games of opposing tank players all the more difficult, especially poor Roadhog. Biotic Bounce complements the utility of Ana’s kit and adds another layer of depth to the mix.

5

Ethical Nourishment (Moira)

Experiment Gone Right, Finally?

Moira’s major perk, Ethical Nourishment, allows her healing orbs to instantly heal her allies for 50 HP upon first contact. Moira is already one of the best sustained multi-healers in the game. She may not heal as much as Ana or Illari within a few seconds, but she can heal all her teammates at the same time, both with her healing orbs and primary fire.

Her major perk gives her team an advantage during every team fight. This perk is even more powerful in open queue or the newly returned 6v6 modes, where she can instantly heal both her tanks and give her team the immediate advantage.

4

Chain Boost (Mercy)

Spreading Chaos & Support

Chain Boost allows Mercy to link her secondary fire to a second nearby ally, which means applying a damage boost to two allies at the same time. Sounds broken? It sure is when paired with two hitscans.

Sojourn and Ashe have arguably been the best DPS heroes for a long time now. With Sojourn’s perks making her even more lethal than she already was, paired with a damage-boosting Mercy, she’s dropping eliminations left and right. Now that a second ally can share the damage, it might as well be a victory.

3

Cleansing Grasp (Lifeweaver)

Purifying the Chaos

Lifeweaver’s Life Grip is already one of the best free Get out of Jail cards in the game. A tank or DPS can dive without worries if they have a Lifeweaver on their team. The only downside to this ability (apart from being used to troll teammates) is that if teammates were under a negative effect, they would still be negative upon being gripped.

With Cleansing Grasp, Life Grip now cleanses all negative effects. It sort of works like Kiriko’s Protection Suzu, albeit only used on one teammate. This significantly increases Lifeweaver’s usability and utility, as the ability doesn’t just reposition or save the team’s tank from bad positioning. It’s a life-saving ability now, and it counters most hard crowd-control metas that were not possible before. The best part is, it’s a minor perk, meaning players could get it early on during a match.

2

Shuffling (Kiriko)

Teleportation Tango Fox

Shuffling enables Kiriko to use Swift Step twice in a four-second duration after its initial cast, essentially giving it two charges per use. This gives Kiriko two instances of teleportation and, thanks to that, no support character beats her in terms of mobility. She can now swiftly move to a critical teammate, heal them, and teleport back to the backline.

Before, Kiriko players had to be mindful while using her Swift Step ability, as it could sometimes put her in a bad position if they teleported to save a teammate. Whether to switch positions at the right time in a brawl or avoid being killed by the enemies, this perk reminds players why Kiriko is one of the best support characters.

1

Shrike (Self-Nano) (Ana)

Unleash the Sleeper DPS

Shrike lets Ana cast Nano Boost on herself, as well as any ally she chooses. Although Blizzard slightly nerfed this perk during a hot fix patch in March 2025, it still remains the best perk in the game. Nano Boost not only provides an ally with increased damage and reduced damage taken, but also instantly heals them, which could be the difference between winning or losing.

Shrike (Self-Nano) also allows Ana to move from the backline to the frontline for a limited time. She can also use it in a pinch if she is being flanked to save her life and potentially the whole fight. This perk benefits the most aggressive and skilled Ana players.