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Over many years, I was not a fan of multiplayer games. 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 help to my teammates. Then, the release of Overwatch in 2016 arrived and introduced me to a hero and an skill that's been stuck in my mind ever since.

At first glance, D.Va, a gamer girl turned child-soldier who commands a MEKA, didn’t seem the type that would attract to me. Widowmaker was more my style, with her dark aesthetic and measured speech. But D.Va had the benefit of being my favorite class: a tank. The one who soaks up all that damage while protecting damage-dealers and healers. Additionally, D.Va has dual modes: her out-of-mech state, in which she runs around with a gun, and her mech form, in which she’s seated within her MEKA. These two forms make her quite distinctive, but there’s something else that makes her stand out among her fellow tanks, and is the reason I inevitably fell in love: her melee and movement ability, Thrusters.

Boosters is an ability 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 alter course while airborne, choosing to ascend onto a elevated position or veer entirely and head around obstacles like corners or the objective. This grants D.Va a dynamism and freedom of movement that none of the other tanks can truly emulate — including Reinhardt with his forward assault. Her Thrusters is brilliant for my playstyle: I like to soak up the damage and defend allies, 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 is not just for travel; it also inflicts harm to foes along the route.

There’s even a damage element to D.Va’s Boosters ability. When opponents obstruct the path as activating Thrusters, you send them flying backwards for 25 damage. I assure you, there’s nothing more satisfying than finishing off a pesky Ashe by striking her directly with the mech. That’ll teach her to attempt long-range attacks.

The hero might not rank as the “best” tank in Overwatch 2 nowadays, especially when you’ve got heroes like certain other tanks whose raw defensive abilities make them a better pick for present strategies. Yet she remains one of the most unique characters I’ve ever played in a multiplayer game. It seems unlikely that any a D.Va equivalent, and believe me, following experiences like Marvel Rivals after falling off Overwatch 2, I’ve been looking for my next D.Va, and a similar mobility skill, for a long time. The truth is, after playing her for years, I feel like no future tank character as enjoyable and groundbreaking to play as she is. For all the faults Overwatch 2 might have, hero creation and skills are definitely not included.

• D.Va excels in mobility and disruption.
• Her Boosters provide unmatched aerial control.
• The hero can soak damage while opening chances for allies.
• Despite meta shifts, D.Va stays a fan-favorite for distinctive approach.