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For a long time, I had little interest of multiplayer games. I played plenty of them with my friends, but none kept my attention. My aim was poor, and felt like more of a hindrance than help to my teammates. Subsequently, 2016’s Overwatch happened and presented me with a character and an skill that's been stuck in my mind ever since.

At first glance, D.Va, a gamer girl turned child-soldier who commands a MEKA, didn’t seem the type that should have appealed to me. Widowmaker was more my style, with her dark aesthetic and monotone drawl. However D.Va possessed the advantage of being my favorite class: a defender. The one who soaks up all that incoming fire while shielding attackers and healers. Additionally, D.Va has dual modes: her pilot form, in which she moves with a blaster, and her MEKA configuration, in which she’s strapped into her MEKA. This duality make her quite distinctive, but there’s something else that sets her apart among her fellow tanks, and is why I ultimately adored her: her melee and movement ability, Boosters.

Thrusters represent a skill that enables the MEKA pilot (in her MEKA form) launch into the air, providing a velocity increase and letting her advance through the air for a set distance. But you can also alter course while airborne, opting to rise onto a elevated position or veer entirely and head around obstacles like turns or the payload. It gives D.Va a dynamism and freedom of movement that none of the other tanks can truly emulate — including Reinhardt with his charge ability. Her Thrusters is ideal for my approach: I like to soak up the damage and defend allies, while having the option to retreat if the situation intensifies so I may reassemble – it creates a sense of invincibility, even though that’s never really the case.

D.Va’s Boosters is not just for travel; it also inflicts damage to enemies in its path.

There’s even a damage element to the Thrusters skill. When opponents obstruct the path as you’re using Boosters, they are knocked back for 25 damage. Let me tell you, there’s nothing more satisfying than finishing off a pesky Ashe by bopping her on the nose with your MEKA. That serves as a lesson to try and snipe you from afar.

D.Va may not be the top defender in Overwatch 2 currently, particularly with characters like Orisa and Ramattra whose pure defensive skills make them a superior choice for present strategies. But she’s also among the most original heroes I have experienced in a multiplayer game. It seems unlikely there really is a D.Va equivalent, and trust me, following experiences like Marvel Rivals since leaving Overwatch 2, I have sought my next D.Va, and a similar mobility skill, for a long time. In reality, with extensive time as her, I feel like there isn’t ever going to be as enjoyable and groundbreaking to play as D.Va. Despite any issues Overwatch 2 might have, hero creation and skills are certainly not among them.

• The MEKA Pilot shines at movement and interference.
• Her Thrusters provide superior flight maneuverability.
• The hero can absorb attacks while creating opportunities for allies.
• Despite meta shifts, D.Va stays a fan-favorite for her unique playstyle.