Along with trying to deliver tight, fun, and frenetic gameplay, Blizzard typically loads its games with tons of lore to give the respective game universe life, even if the game itself may be lacking in story. Overwatch embodies this concept the most, especially in its colorful cast of characters with backstories that range from fun to tragic and everything in between. One player who took interest in this narrative has given their thoughts on how powerful the game’s characters are within said lore, deciding where they may rank.

Overwatch, which was released in 2016, is a competitive multiplayer shooter from Blizzard and was the studio’s first wholly original new IP since 1998’s StarCraft. The game originally pit two teams of six against each other in objective driven multiplayer modes, though more traditional options like free-for-all and team deathmatch were added over time. Blizzard would also add co-operative PvE events, providing a break from the competitive multiplayer, and looks to expand on this with story and hero missions in Overwatch 2. All of these modes display the characters’ power. though the game’s lore makes their individual strength even more clear.

As mentioned above, Blizzard was also keen to load the game with Easter eggs about the characters’ stories some of which were expanded upon with digital comics and various animated shorts. It was this lore Reddit user TorpidT used to create their in-lore power rankings for the game’s current roster, meaning new characters like Sojourn and the Junker Queen are absent. D.Va sits at the very bottom as the weakest character, though TorpidT notes this is the pilot herself without her mech, while Talon’s leader Doomfist stands above all others.

TorpidT’s in-lore power ranking caused plenty of discussion in the post’s comments, with other users debating character placement and the overall accuracy of the list. Some users argue the genius gorilla Winston should be higher given his previous narrative victories over Doomfist and Reaper, both of whom are ranked above him on the list. Other users argue, given the base power of some characters like the light and matter-bending Symmetra and gravity-manipulating Sigma, they should rank higher on the list.

Ultimately, TorpidT’s list and the ongoing debates in the comments can be seen as a testament to the universe Blizzard managed to create in a multiplayer-focused shooter. The dedication to the Overwatch universe was evident in the very first trailer in 2014, where players were introduced to this colorful world and the characters they would get the chance to play as, such as Widowmaker and the cover star Tracer. Players have connected to these characters and will go to bat for them in debates such as this, and these conversations will likely continue as more heroes join the roster.

Overwatch is currently available on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.