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Over many years, I was not a fan of online competitive titles. I played plenty of them with my friends, but none kept my attention. My aim was poor, and seemed more a liability than help to my teammates. Then, 2016’s Overwatch arrived and presented me with a hero and an skill that's remained memorable ever since.

Initially, D.Va, a gamer girl turned child-soldier who pilots a mech, wasn’t the sort of character that should have appealed to me. Widowmaker was more my style, with her gothic look and measured speech. However D.Va possessed the advantage of being my favorite class: a tank. The character that absorbs all that damage while protecting damage-dealers and healers. Additionally, D.Va has two forms: 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 pretty unique, but another feature that sets her apart among her fellow tanks, and is the reason I inevitably fell in love: her melee and movement ability, Thrusters.

Boosters is an ability that lets D.Va (in her MEKA form) launch into the air, providing a velocity increase and letting her advance through the air for 24 meters. But you can also change directions mid-flight, opting to rise onto a elevated position or veer entirely and navigate past barriers like turns or the payload. It gives D.Va a agility and unrestricted motion that no other defender can really replicate — including Reinhardt with his forward assault. D.Va’s Boosters is brilliant for my playstyle: I like to soak up the damage and defend allies, while having the option to retreat if it gets gnarly so I can regroup – it creates a sense of invincibility, even though that’s never really the case.

The Thrusters ability is not just for movility; it also inflicts harm to enemies along the route.

There’s even a damage element to the Thrusters skill. If enemies get in the way as activating Thrusters, you send them flying backwards for a set amount of harm. 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 try and snipe you from afar.

D.Va may not be the top defender in Overwatch 2 nowadays, especially when you’ve got heroes like Orisa and Ramattra whose raw defensive abilities make them a better pick for the current meta. Yet she remains among the most original heroes I’ve ever played in a multiplayer game. I don’t think there really is a direct counterpart to D.Va, and believe me, following experiences like Marvel Rivals since leaving Overwatch 2, I have sought my next D.Va, and my next Boosters, for a long time. In reality, with extensive time as her, it seems there isn’t ever going to be as fun and innovative to play as D.Va. Despite any issues Overwatch 2 might have, character design and abilities are definitely not included.

• D.Va excels in movement and interference.
• Her Boosters provide unmatched aerial control.
• The hero can absorb attacks while opening chances for her team.
• Despite meta shifts, she remains a fan-favorite for distinctive approach.