Was Doomfist Originally a DPS? Yes, and Here‘s Why He Became a Tank Instead
As an avid Overwatch player since the very beginning, Doomfist‘s change from a Damage (DPS) hero into a Tank in Overwatch 2 shocked me. When he first crashed into the game back in 2017, Doomfist brought a unique assassin playstyle focused on mercilessly executing key targets. So why did the developers decide he was better suited as a Tank rather than his original DPS design?
Doomfist‘s Original Kit Made Him a Flanking Menace
Doomfist‘s initial design empowered him to play as a high-risk, high-reward solo flanker. His abilities enabled him to aggressively dive backline supports and dps:
- Rocket Punch: A charged dash that knocked an enemy back, dealing high damage
- Rising Uppercut: Launched enemies upwards, juggling them to secure kills
- Seismic Slam: Granted leaping mobility and moderate AoE damage
- Ultimate – Meteor Strike: Allowed him to ambush from the sky upon multiple foes
This pure DPS toolkit let Doomfist terrorize unprepared teams. But he was heavily reliant on cooldowns for both damage and escape tools. Getting caught alone or missing key shots left him easily focused down.
| Year | Pick Rate | Win Rate | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 1.2% | 46% | Damage |
| 2021 | 1.7% | 49% | Damage |
From Flanker to Brawler – The Tank Rework
Come Overwatch 2‘s launch in late 2022, Doomfist was radically reconfigured into a Tank:
- Seismic Slam lost its damage, instead enabling mobility
- Rising Uppercut deleted altogether, replaced with Power Block to reduce incoming damage
- New passive ability granting temporary personal shields per ability hit
- Ultimate changed to empower Doomfist‘s punching to batter surrounding enemies
No longer an isolated assassin, Doomfist became a frontline brawler. Hisupdated kit improved his survival through increased health, shields, and damage mitigation to allow sustained engagement. He still plays aggressively, just with more emphasis on disrupting the enemy formation over securing solo kills.
| Date | Pick Rate | Win Rate | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 15, 2022 | 5.2% | 48% | Tank |
| Dec 1, 2022 | 2.3% | 46% | Tank |
Why The Swap From DPS To Tank Occurred
The developers felt Doomfist‘s playstyle better matched the Tank role than Damage. Tanks specialize in initiating fights and creating space for their team, which fits Doomfist‘s dive-in disruption. The reduced team size of 5v5 in Overwatch 2 also benefited from Tanks bringing more frontline pressure.
Doomfist‘s initial Damage kit lacked enough team synergy as well. As a Tank, his survivability and crowd control tools better support winning objectives.
The community reacted with mixed opinions though…
Fans Split Over Losing Doom DPS
Many players lambasted the decision to delete Doomfist‘s Damage playstyle after years of investment into mastering his combos. They felt his hybrid DPS/Tank rework satisfied neither role properly. Why take away his lethal flanking rather than simply introduce a new Tank?
However, others welcomed the change to reduce the headache of being instantly erased by Doomfist ambushes. Tankfist still retained his mobility and outplay potential, just with more counterplay. For myself, the change felt jarring after maining Doom as a dps, but his Tank role has grown on me over time.
Could Doomfist Return To DPS In The Future?
Doomfist fulfilling either a Damage or Tank role aligns with his disruptive capabilities. Since other heroes like Symmetra have switched classifications before, could Doomfist potentially revert to a DPS one day?
The developers have teased additional hero reworks down the road. If Tankfist struggles with balance issues or a modified Damage style better stabilizes 5v5, reverting him to his original flanking assassin roots remains possible.
Doom Swaps Roles, But Keeps His Aggressive Charm
At the end of the day, Doomfist‘s kinetic playstyle persists whether built for Damage or Tanking. While my muscle memory needed rewiring after maining him as a lethal DPS, I‘ve come to enjoy Tankfist bullying enemies just the same.
His reclassification caught everyone off guard, but enables fresher team compositions without the oppressiveness of his early Damage design. Doomfist continues wreaking havoc, just now with more emphasis on empowering his team rather than solely fragging out.
So was Doomfist originally a DPS? Absolutely. And perhaps one day he may return to that role. But for now, his unique brand of aggressive disruption is better balanced as an earth-shaking Tank.
