Overwatch 2: Here’s Why You Should Be Using Junker Queen

This is why you should be using Junker Queen in Overwatch 2 Season 4.

In case you have missed out on the latest Overwatch 2 update, the big mid-season changes in Season 4 are finally here. The patch notes have had an effect on a lot of heroes, so make sure to learn more about them.

Aside from the nerfs to heroes like Ana, other big names in Season 4 received tons of buffs. There are a couple of heroes that should be mentioned here, but Junker Queen deserves more attention than the rest because she is insane.

Many of the world’s leading Overwatch 2 players consider Junker Queen to be the best tank in the game right now. She got a ton of new things that make her stand out, so in this article, we will take a look at some of the things we need to know about the hero and why we should use her in Season 4.

The hero has been on the rise for a while now

There is no arguing that the latest Season 4 Overwatch 2 patch has had a massive effect on Junker Queen. However, this is not the only time she received buffs. In fact, the same happened a couple of matches ago.

One of the first big buffs for the hero came in late 2022 when she got cooldown reduction and buffs to her ultimate and passive abilities. The changes didn’t seem that important at the time, but they had a positive effect on the hero because they allowed her to be tankier. Sadly, even those things weren’t enough to make her a meta tank because she was just not as good as the rest.

Now, after the new update arrives, it is safe to say that Blizzard has achieved their goal. Following the buffs to Scattergun, Jagged Blade, Adrenaline Rush, and Rampage, Junker Queen is one of the best Overwatch 2 Season 4 heroes you can get. She is much harder to kill, and her damage output often rivals the one from DPS heroes. 

The hero can finally self-sustain herself

One of the problems with Junker Queen that players had to consider is that she has to be aggressive to be effective. Although she has always been a top-tier damage dealer, her survivability wasn’t the greatest. Consequently, she has always been a priority target for high-burst damage dealers.

While it is true that she is still a somewhat situational pick, following the Overwatch 2 Season 4 updates, Junker Queen can finally self-sustain. In other words, the buffs to Adrelina Rush allow her to be extremely aggressive and a lot tankier because of all the extra healing.

Of course, a very important thing to remember is that Junker Queen is only effective if the hero hits her abilities. This is especially true for her ultimate, which has a massive role in her success.

The tank matchups

Before you start playing with Junker Queen in Season 4 of Overwatch 2, it is important to know a thing or two about the tank matchup she can be a part of. As mentioned, there are a couple of popular combos in the game right now, and they include tanks like Orisa, Ramattra, Winston, and Doomfirst. Although some are a bit harder to deal with, JQ is usually more than capable of countering most.

For example, she is great against dive combos because she is among the best in a close-range fight against other tanks. Hence, they won’t be able to use their burst damage because they can die. While talking about those kinds of combos, Commanding Shout can also help a ton, especially if Junker Queen has weaker allies next to her.

Of course, the situation is slightly different when it comes down to the Brawl combos. Prior to the Season 4 updates, Junker Queen was not that good against them because they dealt too much damage. However, now that she can sustain herself and do even more damage, she’s more than capable of going head-to-head with the enemy’s tanks. However, there are some exceptions because heroes like Reinhardt and Orisa might be a bit too tanky, even for the powerful JQ.

Junker Queen is finally in a state where she’s useful just by existing

Overwatch 2 is an interesting game because some heroes require to do a lot more than others to be successful. Junker Queen was among them because she had to hit her knife and survive by kiting, which was something that other tanks didn’t have to worry about.

However, the most recent updates put an end to this because the hero is stronger than ever. As a result, she is finally in a state where she is useful just by existing. What this means is that she is in a similar state to Junkrat because she is a considerable threat just by staying alive.

Many of you may think that this is not that important. However, the fact that you are so strong means they will have to adjust the playstyle according to you. Usually, this means they won’t be able to play as aggressively. 

The maps where Junker Queen shines the most in Season 4 of Overwatch 2

Even though Junker Queen is among the best tanks in the game right now, there are certain maps where she feels much stronger. For example, King’s Row is a pretty good option because there are several chokepoints where JQ can use her ultimate and do devastating damage. The same applies to Colosseo, as well as a couple of other options.

On the other hand, maps, where there are a lot of open spaces, are not good for JQ. Despite being way stronger than before, she is still one of the tanks that take more damage than others. As a result, she needs the natural cover provided by the specific map in order to survive.