Overwatch 2 Hero Ban Rates: The Drama, The Stats, and Why Everyone Hates Sombra

Look, we need to talk. Since Overwatch 2 dropped those hero bans in Season 16 back in April, the community has been absolutely ruthless with their choices. And honestly? I’m here for it.

Picture this: you’re loading into a match, fingers crossed your main doesn’t get the boot, and then BAM—Sombra gets banned for the 847th time today. If you’re a Sombra main reading this, I’m sorry (but also, we need to have a conversation about your life choices).

The Sombra Situation is Getting Out of Hand

Image of Sombra in Overwatch 2 courtesy of Blizzard

Here’s the tea: Overwatch 2 players are banning Sombra at an absolutely bonkers rate of 85% on PC and a jaw-dropping 93% on console. Ninety-three percent! That’s higher than my anxiety levels during a ranked game.

Why does everyone hate her so much? Well, imagine trying to enjoy a nice team fight when suddenly you can’t use any of your abilities because some invisible gremlin decided to ruin your day. Yeah, that’s Sombra for you. Her invisibility and hacking mechanics have made her the most despised hero in the game, and frankly, the numbers don’t lie.

The frustration is real, people. Players are so done with getting hacked at the worst possible moments that they’re collectively deciding she doesn’t deserve to exist in their matches. And you know what? I respect that level of petty.

Zarya’s Bubble Trouble Has Everyone Mad

Image of Zarya in Overwatch 2 courtesy of Blizzard

Coming in second place is Zarya, with a 59% ban rate on PC (57% on console). This Russian powerhouse has been making people’s lives miserable with her bubble mechanics and ridiculous damage output. There’s nothing quite like watching a Zarya get charged up to maximum fury and then proceed to delete your entire team while you helplessly spam “I need healing!”

Tank Meta Madness Across Platforms

The tank ban situation in Overwatch 2 is absolutely wild right now. Doomfist sits pretty at 43% bans on PC, but console players are apparently more forgiving (or maybe they can’t aim at him properly) with only 18% bans.

Here’s where it gets spicy, though: at Masters+ rank, D.Va becomes the most-banned tank. High-level players know what’s up—they’ve figured out that a good D.Va can completely shut down their carefully planned strategies. Smart moves, honestly.

Support Role Drama is Peak Entertainment

The support ban rates tell a fascinating story about platform differences. On PC, Ana dominates the ban list with just over 20%, which makes sense because a skilled Ana can sleep dart you into next week and then teabag your unconscious body (metaphorically speaking, of course).

Console players, however, are targeting Mercy at a 20% ban rate. Maybe they’re tired of watching her fly around like a caffeinated butterfly while their DPS players can’t land a shot to save their lives.

Console vs PC: The Great Divide

Speaking of platform differences, Overwatch 2 ban rates reveal some hilarious quirks:

• Symmetra gets banned 23% of the time on console but only 8% on PC
• Torbjörn and turret-based heroes see way higher ban rates on console
• Widowmaker gets more hate on PC (probably because console players can’t hit those flick shots anyway)

This tells us everything we need to know about the different pain points across platforms. Console players are apparently fed up with auto-aim turrets, while PC players have had enough of getting one-shot by skilled hitscan players.

The Freja Factor: New Hero, New Problems

Our newest addition, Freja, is already making waves with a 27% overall ban rate and a whopping 70% in Master matches on PC. Console players seem less bothered, keeping her bans under 10%.

It’s giving me major “new hero is overpowered and everyone knows it” vibes. The high-ranked players have figured out how broken she is, while everyone else is still learning how to play against her.

Regional Differences Are Absolutely Fascinating

The global Overwatch 2 ban data shows some interesting cultural preferences:

Korea (Masters+) is banning Freja, D.Va, and Ana like their lives depend on it. Europe has similar tastes but throws Pharah into the mix more often. Americas players are uniquely obsessed with banning Widowmaker, which honestly tracks with the region’s aggressive DPS culture.

Bronze vs Grandmaster: A Study in Chaos

Here’s my favorite stat: Bronze players try to ban an average of six different heroes per match, while Grandmaster players focus on just four. This perfectly captures the difference between “ban everything that annoys me” and “ban what’s actually problematic for the meta.”

Bronze players are out here playing ban roulette while the pros are playing 4D chess. I love the chaotic energy of lower ranks—it’s pure, unfiltered frustration turned into voting patterns.

What This Means for Overwatch 2’s Future

These ban rates aren’t just numbers—they’re a direct feedback loop to the developers. When 85% of players consistently ban the same hero, that’s not a coincidence; that’s a collective scream for help.

Blizzard’s going to have to make some serious adjustments. Heroes that are always banned in their optimal situations might need broader utility, while unpopular heroes might get buffed regardless of their actual performance.

The Overwatch 2 community has spoken, and they’ve spoken loudly. Whether the developers listen is another story entirely.

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