Best Overwatch Players of all Time

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Stefan Stevanovic

Stefan is a major MOBA nerd. He got hooked by the competitive nature of Dota 1 some 15, 16 years ago. Since that time, he was jumping from HoN to LoL, and ultimately, Dota 2. Of course, Stefan has tried other titles within the niche and, as of late, is focusing on MOBA shooters (in other words, Valorant). However, he also likes other genres. Stefan is a CIV fanatic, and when he wants to chill and play something casual, he goes with popular ARPG titles.

Latest posts by Stefan Stevanovic (see all)

• Top Games Like Overwatch - January 20, 2023
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As a major MOBA fan, I always appreciated the fine art of assembling a perfect hero composition and executing team fights to perfection. However, although you need to look at the big picture when developing your strategy, the tides of a match are often swung by micro-moments.

Often, a team scores a victory after the one-star player beats another in a direct duel.

Best Overwatch players have specific charisma that lures millions of viewers to their banners. Despite being a middle-aged man, I still root for these young guys with the same unmitigated passion as I did when I first started watching this eSport.

As a major fan, I wish to focus on all the big names that made Overwatch what it is today. Although this game is incredible from a technical and replayability standpoint, these skilled virtual warriors are the reason why it became such a global phenomenon.

Key Info Up Front

In this article, I will talk about the best players to ever play the game. Among others, I’ll list all their accomplishments and what makes them better than their peers.

My favorite player to watch is Ryujehong. He completely changed the public’s perception of the support role, not only in Overwatch but MOBAs in general. Although proficient with various heroes, most of us remember him by his Zenyatta and Ana gameplay.

What Were the Selection Criteria?

To be honest, there isn’t a specific criterion or stat that would quantify how good a player is.

Like in other MOBAs, it’s harder to score kills with certain roles. However, that doesn’t mean they don’t perform their job or that they’re less valuable to their team. So, things such as KDA might not be the best representation of skill. In some cases, this stat can even be misleading when it comes to the impact on the field.

Here are a few main criteria that helped me make this list:

• The community considers a particular player as one of the best ever.
• A person has won numerous major Overwatch tournaments over the years.
• They had memorable moments that are talked about to this day.
• In one way or another, a player has helped popularize the game.

I also considered the earnings to an extent. Of course, this can be a bit tricky category given that the latest tournaments usually have higher prize pools (due to inflation). High earnings might also be an indication that a person always manages to land on a good team.

Keep in mind that some of these players had early retirements, switched to other games, or went to the Korean military. That being said, some fans might exclude guys like Ryujehong from the list despite the fact he had an enormous impact on popularizing the game.

Player List

1. Ryujehong

Although he had a relatively brief Overwatch career and isn’t among the top earners, we can’t neglect the fact that Ryujehong left a massive footprint. He is the guy that made supports look cool, demolishing enemies with his calm demeanor and expert shooting.

Experts have often lauded his ability to switch up the heroes and make fantastic plays in dire situations. Ryujehong is famous for his Ana gameplay but is also incredible on Zenyatta, Zarya, and D.Va. He will be forever remembered as the first winner of the Overwatch World Cup. In fact, this event helped propel him into stardom.

Ryujehong finished his career in 2020 after a horrendous stint with Vancouver Titans. In 2021, he was hired as an Overwatch content creator for Gen. G. Unfortunately, Ryujehong was suspended just a few days later after a major controversy involving his female co-streamer.

Notable Achievements

• 2016 Overwatch World Cup (1^st place)
• 2017 Overwatch APEX Season 2 (1^st place)
• 2017 Overwatch APEX Season 3 (1^st place)
• 2017 Seoul Cup – OGN Super Match (1^st place)
• 2017 Overwatch World Cup (1^st place)

Earnings

• $85,804.45 (Ranked 79^th Overwatch earner)

2. Saebyeolbe

Many people claim that Saebyeolbe, or SBB, is the best Tracer ever to play the game. Far from being a one-trick pony, he had several masterful performances with Widowmaker, Sombra, and McCree. During his time with New York Excelsior, he dominated the scene, destroying other teams’ best players in direct matchups.

Saebyeolbe wasn’t only the best player on the team, but he also performed the role of captain. In many ways, the success of New York Excelsior was directly connected to his ability to make smart picks during the drafting phase. People who were close to the team praised his ability to energize the young team full of different personalities.

Similar to the previously mentioned Ryujehong, Saeyyeolbe retired relatively young in 2021 at the age of 25.

Notable Achievements

• 2016 Intel Extreme Masters Season XI Gyeonggi (1^st place)
• 2018 Overwatch League – Inaugural Regular Season (1^st place)
• 2018 Overwatch League – Inaugural Season Playoffs (1^st place)
• 2019 Overwatch League – Playoffs (3^rd place)
• 2020 Overwatch League – Asia Playoffs (3^rd place)

Earnings

• $181,612.96 (Ranked 30^th Overwatch earner)

3. Super

Super started his Overwatch career playing for Bird Noises. After changing a few teams, he landed on San Francisco Shock, where he soon became famous.

Many analysts consider him the best tank ever to play the game. His performance on Reinhardt was especially memorable. However, he was everything but inflexible. During the fourth season of Overwatch, he dominated the competition with several different characters, making San Francisco Shock virtually unbeatable.

The thing that made Super stand out from his peers was his charisma. In fact, this is the main reason why he is beloved within the community even after his early retirement in 2022. Super was an incredibly competitive player and a respected leader.

Notable Achievements

• 2019 Overwatch League – Stage 1 Playoffs (2^nd place)
• 2019 Overwatch League – Stage 2 Playoffs (1^st place)
• 2019 Overwatch League – Stage 3 Playoffs (2^nd place)
• 2020 Overwatch League – Playoffs – Grand Finals (1^st place)
• 2021 Overwatch League – Playoffs (4^th place)

Earnings

• $346,114.69 (Ranked 4^th Overwatch earner)

4. Smurf

When we talk about the best Overwatch players, people rarely mention Smurf. However, it’s my firm belief that this savvy Korean gamer should be at the top of every list.

As Super’s former teammate on San Francisco Shock, Smurf managed to win just about every competition he played in. Although his critics might argue that he owes his success to other, more renowned players, the fact remains that he also won major tournaments with Ardeont and Seoul Dynasty.

Smurf’s main role is the tank, and he is especially proficient with Winston, Orisa, and Wrecking Ball. The main reason why I added him to the list, besides his great tournament results, is the fact that he’s the highest Overwatch earner.

Notable Achievements

• 2019 Overwatch League – Stage 1 Playoffs (2^nd place)
• 2019 Overwatch League – Stage 2 Playoffs (1^st place)
• 2019 Overwatch League – Stage 3 Playoffs (2^nd place)
• 2020 Overwatch League – Playoffs – Grand Finals (1^st place)
• 2021 Overwatch League – Playoffs (4^th place)

Earnings

• $346,114.69 (Ranked 1^st Overwatch earner)

5. JJoNak

An interesting trivia about JJoNak is that he’s the only flex support that New York Excelsior has ever signed. In other words, he has been with the organization for so long, until 2021, that they never had the opportunity to get a new player for this role. During his time with the team, he never missed a single match.

Currently inactive, JJoNak was famed for his aggressive play. Unlike most other support players who would settle with passive play, the Korean would rush headfirst into action. This made him highly unpredictable in clutch situations.

He destroyed the competition with Zenyatta during the first season of the Overwatch League. New York Excelsior used him as the focal point for their strategy, a decision that ultimately won the tournament.

Notable Achievements

• 2018 OWL – Inaugural Season Stage 2 Title Matches (1^st place)
• 2018 OWL – Inaugural Season Stage 3 Title Matches (1^st place)
• 2018 Overwatch League – Inaugural Regular Season (1^st place)
• 2018 Overwatch League – Inaugural Season Playoffs (3^rd to 4^th place)
• 2019 Overwatch League 2019 – Playoffs (3^rd place)
• 202 Overwatch League 2020 – Asia Playoffs (3^rd place)

Earnings

• $168,563.68 (Ranked 35^th Overwatch earner)

6. Profit

When we talk about Profit, it’s hard not to mention his teammate, Gesture. They changed several teams together, going from GC Busan to London Spitfire and Seoul Dynasty. The partnership lasted until October 2021, when Gesture officially announced his retirement.

Profit was always considered one of the best DPSs in the game. In fact, Saebyeolbe was the only Tracer better than him. Aside from this legendary hero, Profit had incredible performances on Junkrat, Roadhog, and Genji.

Another interesting thing about this young Korean gamer is that he’s the first player to score 10,000 eliminations in Overwatch League.

Notable Achievements

• 2017 Overwatch APEX Season 4 (1^st place)
• 2018 OWL – Inaugural Season Stage 1 Title Matches (1^st place)
• 2018 Overwatch League – Inaugural Season Playoffs (1^st place)
• 2020 Overwatch League – Playoffs – Grand Finals (2^nd place)
• 2022 Overwatch League 2022 – Kickoff Clash (1^st place)

Earnings

• $294,912.79 (Ranked 10/11^th Overwatch earner, sharing the spot with Gesture)

7. Gesture

Profit’s brother-in-arms, Gesture, was one of the best tanks to play Overwatch. He was amazing on Winston but also had solid results on Orisa and Roadhog. Analysts often praised his ability to “set the table” for his DPSs. When playing with London Spitfire, he was instrumental in the team’s pacing.

After retiring as a player in 2021, Gesture wanted to take a break from gaming. However, after a short hiatus, he decided to return as a coach for New York Excelsior. Aside from his tank prowess, peers often talk about his analytic mind, the very reason why he got the job as a coach.

 Notable Achievements

• 2017 APAC Premier (1^st place)
• 2018 OWL – Inaugural Season Stage 1 Title Matches (1^st place)
• 2018 Overwatch League – Inaugural Season Playoffs (1^st place)
• 202 Overwatch League – May Melee (2^nd place)
• 2020 Overwatch League – Playoffs – Grand Finals (2^nd place)

Earnings

• $294,912.79 (Ranked 10/11^th Overwatch earner, sharing the spot with Profit)

8. Mano

Mano is another Korean player whose career was halted for military service. He competed until 2021, with his last team being Philadelphia Fusion.

Mano will go down in history as one of the best tanks to play Overwatch. His favorite hero is Winston, closely followed by Reinhardt and Orisa. However, it’s interesting that he started his career as a support.

He was instrumental in New York Excelsior’s success, especially during 2018, which was the team’s breakout year. Mano knows how to think on his feet and is an extremely reactionary player.

Notable Achievements

• 2018 OWL – Inaugural Season Stage 2 Title Matches (1^st place)
• 2018 OWL – Inaugural Season Stage 3 Title Matches (1^st place)
• 2018 Overwatch League – Inaugural Regular Season (1^st place)
• 2018 Overwatch League – Inaugural Season Playoffs (3^rd to 4^th place)
• 2019 Overwatch League – Playoffs (3^rd place)
• 2020 Overwatch League – Asia Playoffs (3^rd place)

Earnings

• $176,686.56 (Ranked 32^nd Overwatch earner)

9. EFFECT

Although some of you might criticize this inclusion, I decided to add EFFECT because of his incredible mechanical skills. His career was a bumpy one, but if he was in the right situation, analysts would be mentioning him as one of the game’s greats.

Unfortunately, EFFECT’s career was plagued by various controversies, which is why most fans forget how good he was in his heyday. Mastering the DPS role, this Korean player had enormous success on Tracer, Cassidy, and Soldier: 76. Many streamers describe him as an atypical competitor with a unique hero pool.

During his career, EFFECT changed several teams going from Resunz to Meta Athena, Meta Bellum, Team EnVyUs, and ultimately, Dallas Fuel. Before Stage 4 of the Inaugural Season, EFFECT suddenly went back to South Korea, leaving his teammates behind. According to him, the reason for this decision was an internal conflict with his teammates.

EFFECT eventually returned to the team. In 2019, his career hit another bump in the road. He had to retire, citing mental issues and suicidal thoughts. Luckily for the talented DPS player, Dallas Fuel decided to keep him as a streamer. Today, he is a part of Unsold Stuff Gaming, where he also works as a streamer.

Notable Achievements

• 2017 Overwatch APEX Season 3 (4^th place)
• 2017 Overwatch Contenders Season 1: North America (1^st place)
• 2018 Overwatch League – Inaugural Regular Season (10^th place)

Earnings

• $20,781 (Not among top 100 Overwatch earners)

10. Sinatraa

Although Sinatraa is low on my list, taking the 10^th position, many people would have him much higher. This makes sense if we consider that this American is the only person to hold the Overwatch League title, the Overwatch World Cup title, and to win Regular Season and World Cup MVPs.

Sinatraa’s first team was Selfless Gaming, but he achieved the best results while playing for San Francisco Shock. He stayed with them until his retirement in 2020. During his Overwatch days, he was renowned for high-octane DPS play, decimating opponents with Tracer, Doomfist, and Zarya.

Unfortunately, Sinatraa is another player who had to deal with controversy. After quitting Overwatch, he started a professional Valorant career. After a brief stint with Sentinels, he was suspended from competitive play after his ex-girlfriend accused him of sexual abuse.

 Notable Achievements

• 2018 Overwatch League – Inaugural Regular Season (9^th place)
• 2018 Overwatch World Cup – Los Angeles Qualifier (1^st place)
• 2019 Overwatch League – Stage 1 Playoffs (2^nd place)
• 2019 Overwatch League – Stage 2 Playoffs (1^st place)
• 2019 Overwatch League – Stage 3 Playoffs (2^nd place)
• 2019 Overwatch League – Playoffs (1^st place)

Earnings

• $164,363.81 (Ranked 38^th Overwatch earner)

FAQs

Best Overwatch Players: Conclusion

Watching the best Overwatch players in action is a rewarding experience. Every hero feels like a juggernaut in their hands. Spectators are often in awe of their map maneuvering and the ability to dispose of equally skilled opposition.

For me, Ryujehong was and still is the GOAT. He turned this game upside down when he started pummeling opponents with aggressive support play. His gameplay had such a major impact on the meta, resulting in subsequent patches.