Tank is a term that refers to a character’s characteristic in a game, where they have high health or high defense, which makes them very resilient, especially in the late game. Tank characters are usually the ones that initiate or lead the fights, by attracting and taking the enemy’s attention and attacks, and by shielding or healing their teammates. Tank characters are often the backbone of the team, who try to create and maintain space and control for their team.
Tank is a common term and feature in many esports games, especially in the genres of MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game), FPS (first-person shooter), and MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena). Some examples of games that have tank characters are World of Warcraft, Counter-Strike, League of Legends, and Valorant. Each game may have its own name, criteria, and format for tank characters, but the concept is generally the same.
Games have tank characters in esports for various reasons, such as:
Variety: Tank characters add variety and diversity to the game, by creating different and unique roles and positions that players can choose and play. Tank characters also add variety and diversity to the game’s combat and gameplay, by presenting different and challenging situations and scenarios that players have to deal with and adapt to.
Balance: Tank characters help to balance the game’s difficulty and fairness, by giving players a trade-off between survivability and damage, and by giving players a counter or a counterplay to certain characters or strategies. Tank characters also help to balance the game’s resources and rewards, by giving players a cost and a benefit for playing tank characters.
Fun: Tank characters add fun and excitement to the game, by providing a dynamic and interactive gameplay, where players can see and feel the impact and the effect of their characters. Tank characters also add fun and enjoyment to the game, by providing a casual and relaxed gaming atmosphere, where players can play for fun, not for precision.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of Tank characters in esports?
Tank characters in esports have both advantages and disadvantages, depending on the game, the player, and the situation. Some of the advantages and disadvantages of tank characters are:
Advantages:
The characters can increase the team’s or the player’s performance and confidence, by giving them more survivability and control, and by giving them more feedback and experience to play the game better and smarter.
The characters can enhance the team’s or the player’s skill and strategy development, by giving them more options and choices to play the game differently and creatively, and by giving them more opportunities and incentives to learn and improve their skills and abilities.
The characters can improve the team’s or the player’s social and community aspects, by enabling and facilitating more interactions and communications between players, and by forming and joining more groups, clans, or teams, and by participating in more events and activities.
Disadvantages:
The characters can decrease the team’s or the player’s fairness and balance, by giving them an unfair and undeserved advantage or disadvantage over other players, and by affecting the game’s outcome and performance in a negative and harmful way.
The characters can reduce the team’s or the player’s enjoyment and satisfaction, by creating and causing frustration and disappointment for players, who are killed or missed by tank characters, and by ruining the game’s fun and thrill for players, who are looking for a fair and competitive game.
The characters can induce the team’s or the player’s toxicity and negativity, by encouraging and provoking bad and disrespectful behaviors from players, such as flaming, trolling, or quitting, and by generating and escalating conflicts and disputes among players.
Where did the term Tank come from?
The term tank comes from the gaming culture and community, where it was first used to describe the character class that has high health or high defense in a game. The term tank is derived from the word tank, which means a heavy armored vehicle that can withstand enemy fire. The term tank later became popular and widely used in the esports industry and community, where it is used to describe the character that is designed to absorb damage and protect teammates in a video game.