The average Overwatch 2 match has a lot going on at any one time. There are usually a lot of projectiles flying toward the player, some healing beams or orbs being thrown around, some turrets being placed, explosives being set off, and payloads being pushed. There's a lot for players to take in, and that can be pretty overwhelming at first. So, naturally, it might take a while before new players really know what their end-of-match Overwatch stats actually mean, and it might take even longer to realize just how important MIT really is.
At the end of an Overwatch 2 match, players are presented with the final scoreboard. Along with the number of eliminations, assists, and death the player has achieved throughout the match, this scoreboard details how much healing and damage the player has done. But there's another statistic bolted onto the end of Overwatch 2's scoreboard, MIT, and even long-time Overwatch fans might be a little unsure of what this means, and how vital it is in winning a match.
Overwatch 2: MIT's Meaning and Why it Matters
A brand new statistic for Overwatch, MIT refers to the amount of damage that a player has mitigated during a match. Unlike the "Damage Blocked" stat in the original Overwatch that detailed any damage just blocked by shields, MIT refers to damage mitigated by any defensive ability, not just shields. This covers everything from Reinhardt's barrier to Orisa's Fortify to Kiriko's Protection Suzu. Any ability that stops damage of any type counts towards Overwatch 2's MIT stat.
MIT may not be the most important factor when it comes to winning an Overwatch 2 match, but it can be a great indicator of whether tank heroes are pulling their weight or not. While not all tanks should strive to achieve a high MIT score, there are certain heroes where this should be expected. Reinhardt, for instance, is a tank who's primarily designed to push objectives and protect his team using his barrier, which means a high MIT score should appear on that final scoreboard.
Similarly, Zarya's abilities all revolve around the use of barriers, since her primary weapon becomes more powerful the more enemy projectiles she absorbs with the barriers. If a Zarya isn't earning a high MIT score by the end of the match, then they're simply not doing their job as efficiently as they could be. Taking note of an MIT score can teach players where they might be going wrong during a match, and where they can improve their performance to better help the team in future matches.
While tanks are the main heroes that MIT affects, there are plenty of damage and support heroes that should still be earning a decent amount of MIT during a match. Though damage-focused heroes like Sojourn, Pharah, Cassidy, and Reaper get a pass, many Overwatch 2 heroes have some form of damage-mitigating ability. Ana's Nano Boost and Brigitte's barrier, for instance, are both capable of mitigating high amounts of damage, and players choosing these characters should be getting a relatively high MIT score once those final scoreboards are released. Of course, Overwatch 2 is a deceptively complex game, and a player's MIT score doesn't necessarily reflect their performance. There are more than a few ways to win an Overwatch 2 match. That being said, it's always a good idea for players to keep track of all their stats, just to make sure they're getting the most out of each character.
Overwatch 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.