Tank characters are a staple in competitive online games like League of Legends and Blizzard's hero FPS Overwatch 2. They act as the literal shield for their team, soaking up all incoming damage coming their way and creating space for the rest of their team to make an aggressive push for objectives.

Among the 11 existing Tanks in Overwatch 2, D.Va, or Hana Song, is one of the most popular with her gamer-girl aesthetic and cheeky one-liners, making her a top-pick Tank hero.

This former professional gamer girl turned government mech pilot has an offensive-focused kit with a high-damage output and fun mobility, making her an excellent choice for beginner players.

Whether you're looking to play D.Va for fun in Quick Play or want to test your skills in Competitive Play, here is a complete guide on how to play D.Va in Overwatch 2.

Overwatch 2: D.Va Abilities

Fusion Cannons

  • Automatic short-range spread weapons
  • Damage: 0.6-2

Fusion Cannons are D.Va's primary weapon in Overwatch 2 while she is piloting her mech and her primary method of gaining Ultimate ability charge. They have unlimited ammo and never need reloading. Still, they impose a slight movement speed penalty of 40% if players move while shooting.

Fusion Cannons can be used alongside Boosters to get into a close range for easy damage.

Light Gun (Mech Pilot Primary Fire)

  • Automatic quick-firing weapon
  • Damage: 14

The Light Gun is D.Va's only weapon when she has been ejected by her mech, either by it being destroyed or by Self Destructing. D.Va players should be wary and stay at mid-to-long range while using this weapon, as they are squishy in mech pilot form.

Players should continuously fire Light Gun into the enemy team to regain Ultimate charge as quick as possible to recall D.Va's mech and get back into the fight.

Micro Missiles

  • Launches a volley of explosive rockets
  • Damage: 7 per missile (direct hit), 1-4 per missile (splash damage to self and other heroes)
  • Cooldown: 7 seconds

These explosive rockets do more damage up close and personal and are fired in whatever direction D.Va is facing. They can be used alongside Fusion Cannons and Boosters for bonus damage.

Defense Matrix

  • Secondary fire: Block projectiles and enemy fire in front of you
  • Max Range: 10 meters
  • Max Duration: 3 seconds
  • Cooldown: 1 second, 6 seconds to max charge

Defense Matrix is arguably the most powerful aspect of D.Va's mechs' advanced weapons systems, as it can completely absorb particular abilities and Ultimates from other heroes. D.Va can absorb Ultimate that is considered projectiles, like Mei's Blizzard, Zarya's Graviton Surge, Hanzo's Dragonstrike Arrow, Cassidy's High Noon, Tracer's Pulse Bomb, and more!

Players should note that D.Va cannot block beam weapons, like Winston's Tesla Cannon or Moira's Biotic Grasp, or melee heroes like Reinhardt and Brigitte, making her somewhat more vulnerable to these attacks.

Boosters

  • D.Va's mech is launched into the air. She can turn, change directions, or barrel into the enemy team, knocking them back
  • Damage: 15
  • Cooldown: 4 seconds

Boosters are D.Va's sole movement ability, allowing her to speed up to escaping enemies and gun them down. It also has a knockback effect, allowing D.Va to displace opponents and even knock them from ledges or off the map entirely!

Boosters can be deadly combined with her Ultimate ability, Self Destruct, and potentially wipe out a whole team provided they have no cover or defense from the exploding mech.

Eject! (Passive Ability)

  • Eject out of the mech when it is destroyed
  • D.Va outside of her mech has 150 Health

D.Va can use Self Destruct while ejecting, meaning she can instantly Call mech after the cast time is up. It is also worth noting that D.Va is invulnerable to attacks while ejecting.

Self Destruct (Ultimate) & Call Mech (Mech Pilot Ultimate)

  • Eject and overload D.Va's mech, causing it to explode after a 3-second fuse.
  • Call Mech can be interrupted by crowd control abilities and stuns.
  • Area of Effect: 20-meter radius
  • Damage: 100-1000

Self Destruct is D.Va's Ultimate ability. She ejects from her mech, which then explodes after a short period. As mentioned, it is best paired alongside Boosters, as the detonating mech retains momentum and can catch the enemy team by surprise.

After activating Self Destruct, D.Va, in her mech pilot form, or baby D.Va as she is called by the community, can immediately recall a new mech. If D.Va's mech has been destroyed and she is forced to eject, she will have to use her Light Gun to gain enough Ultimate charge to recall another mech.

Overwatch 2: Tips And Tricks For D.Va Players

Know when to use Defense Matrix: It is one of the best projectile-blocking abilities in the game, having the ability to block incoming projectiles for a short period. Use it wisely, as it takes 6 seconds to completely recharge, and without it, D.Va will be soaking up a lot of damage.

Listen for audio cues: Leading on from the last point, D.Va can use Defense Matrix to protect her team and absorb projectile-based enemy Ultimates. Players should listen out for the beginning of an Ultimate audio cue to try and predict when an Ultimate will be used to effectively absorb it. Doing this is basically guaranteed to win a team fight by nullifying the enemy's damage, wasting their Ultimate, and mitigating damage for her team.

Avoid feeding: Playing as a bulky all-in dive Tank like D.Va, it can be easy to get carried away and accidentally feed. She is an easy target due to her size, so avoid opening yourself up to too much enemy fire and ensure Defense Matrix is fully charged before diving into the fight.

Balance protecting your team and pushing objectives: Given her mobility and limited charge on Defense Matrix, D.Va players must know when to protect their teammates and when to push aggressively. Make sure to peel for your support on the backlines and alleviate pressure on the frontline by pressuring chokeholds and objectives.

Overwatch 2: D.Va Synergies

D.Va works well as a Tank in most scenarios, provided she receives adequate healing and has a team that can dive alongside her. However, there are some heroes she works better with than others - let's have a look!

Sombra

Sombra's Hacking abilities and EMP Ultimate are both easy ways for D.Va to secure some easy kills with her Self Destruct, taking down shields in the area. This pairing requires some communication, so coordinate with your team before playing this combo.

Mei

D.Va's Ultimate synergizes incredibly well with Mei's Ultimate, Blizzard, as it serves the perfect set-up. While the enemy team are frozen in place and unable to retreat, D.Va can launch her Self Destruct into the skies above the frozen team, which is a guaranteed easy team wipe. If both of their Ultimates are used in the critical final seconds of a game in Overtime, it can cause an easy C-9 as the enemy team abandon the objective to avoid dying to both Ultimates.

Ana

D.Va has a symbiotic relationship with Support heroes, as they heal her, and D.Va can easily protect them from flankers if needed. Ana is, without a doubt, the best long-range healer in the game, which works perfectly with D.Va's aggressive pushing playstyle. Ana can use her long-range Biotic Rifle to heal D.Va without being at risk and can even use Nano Boost to help D.Va if she's struggling.

Lucio

Coupled with his speed boost, Lucio can join D.Va in the fight and provide her close-range support. He also provides healing for double utility and can speed them out of danger if the battle becomes a little hairy. Lucio works well with most dive compositions but needs a powerful primary healer like Ana to compensate for his lack of healing power.

Overwatch 2: D.Va Counters

Although she is a professional gamer, D.Va is not immune to the kill cam! Some heroes can completely counter D.Va's kit and reduce her overall usefulness to her team.

Zarya

Zarya can use D.Va's attacks from her Fusion Cannons and Micro Missiles to farm energy for her Particle Cannon, which then causes her primary-fire beam attacks to become more powerful, which D.Va cannot block. If there is a Zarya on the enemy team, it is essentially a lose/lose situation for D.Va. Other tanks like Reinhardt and Winston also work well against D.Va.

Sombra

Although Sombra and D.Va work well on the same team, she can also be a nightmare on the opposing team. Sombra can easily Hack D.Va, leaving her vulnerable to attacks and unable to block projectiles using Defense Matrix or escape using Boosters. D.Va is also a massive target and battery pack for Sombra to repeatedly farm EMP from.

Symmetra

As mentioned, beam weapons can completely counter D.Va's Defense Matrix, as she cannot block their damage. This means they are great choices to weaponize against D.Va, as she is powerless against them. As D.Va is such a large target, Symmetra can quickly charge up her Photon Projector the longer she attacks. D.Va should keep her distance if a Symmetra is on the enemy team.

Reaper

The tank-shedder himself, Reaper. His Hellfire Shotguns can quickly decimate anything standing in his way, potentially dealing over 100 damage per shot close-range. Although D.Va can use Defense Matrix to block most of his damage, it doesn't last forever. He can make her eject from her mech and easily one-shot her in her squishy form.

Final Thoughts

With these tips and tricks in mind, players should easily be able to become a Diamond player at D.Va in Open Role and Competitive Role Queue in no time! Remember that practice makes perfect, and playing Overwatch 2 consistently is the best way to excel and climb the ranked ladder.

If you want more Overwatch 2 guides, Rivalry has a Mercy OW2 guide, the best Overwatch 2 crosshairs, all OW2 maps, and details on why PvE was canceled!

FAQs about D.Va in Overwatch 2

How do I unlock D.Va in Overwatch 2?

To unlock D.Va in Overwatch 2, all you need to do is play two Unranked Matchmaking games, and she will automatically become unlocked!

Who does D.Va counter in Overwatch 2?

D.Va is a great Tank perfect for chasing down and harassing sniper heroes like Widowmaker and Ashe. She can also easily dive on Supports with no mobility, like Zenyatta and Ana, and take them out.

Is D.Va a good Tank?

D.Va has a decent win rate of around 49/50%. Check out our Overwatch 2 hero tier list for more information!

What is D.Va's lore in Overwatch 2?

The Korean government turned to the country's professional gamers to find suitable candidates with the necessary reflexes to operate their high-class mech systems and fight off the Omnics, leading to the creation of the MEKA Squad.

Top gamers from all over the country joined the compulsory military service, including pop icon and reigning world champion Hana Song, aka D.Va. As a fierce competitor, D.Va has now become the pilot of a state-of-the-art mech and joined Overwatch forces to defend the world from the Omnic threat.

How old is D.Va in Overwatch 2?

According to the official Overwatch 2 wiki page, Hana Song is 19 years old.