🔗 Share this article

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. My aim was poor, and seemed more a liability than help to my teammates. Then, 2016’s Overwatch happened and presented me with a character and an skill that's been stuck in my mind ever since.

Initially, D.Va, a gamer girl turned child-soldier who commands a MEKA, wasn’t the sort of character that should have appealed to me. The sniper Widowmaker was more my style, with her dark aesthetic and measured speech. However D.Va possessed the advantage of being the role I prefer: a defender. The one who soaks up all that incoming fire while protecting damage-dealers and support classes. Better yet, D.Va has two forms: her pilot form, in which she moves with a blaster, and her MEKA configuration, in which she’s strapped into her MEKA. This duality make her pretty unique, but there’s something else that sets her apart among other defenders, and is why I ultimately adored her: her melee and movement ability, Boosters.

Thrusters represent a skill that lets D.Va (in her MEKA form) propel skyward, providing a velocity increase and letting her advance through the air for a set distance. Additionally, players may alter course while airborne, choosing to ascend onto a higher level or veer entirely and head around obstacles like turns or the payload. It gives D.Va a agility and unrestricted motion that no other defender can truly emulate — including Reinhardt with his forward assault. 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 may reassemble – it makes me feel indestructible, even though that’s never really the case.

D.Va’s Boosters is not just for movility; it also inflicts harm to foes along the route.

There’s even a damage element to the Thrusters skill. When opponents obstruct the path as you’re using Boosters, they are knocked back for 25 damage. I assure you, few things are as gratifying than eliminating a troublesome Ashe by striking her directly with the mech. That serves as a lesson to attempt long-range attacks.

D.Va may not be the top defender in Overwatch 2 nowadays, particularly with characters like certain other tanks whose raw defensive abilities make them a better pick for present strategies. But she’s also one of the most unique characters I have experienced in a multiplayer game. It seems unlikely that any a direct counterpart to D.Va, and trust me, following experiences like Marvel Rivals since leaving Overwatch 2, I have sought my next D.Va, and a similar mobility skill, for years. The truth is, after playing her for years, I feel like there isn’t ever going to be as fun and innovative to play as she is. For all the faults Overwatch 2 might have, hero creation and skills are definitely not included.

• D.Va shines at movement and interference.
• Her Thrusters provide superior flight maneuverability.
• She can absorb attacks while opening chances for her team.
• Regardless of strategy changes, she remains a fan-favorite for distinctive approach.