This, pretty much 100% straight, is the reason why Mei hasn’t been made into a tank in overwatch the primary reason people oppose it:
When you look at mei, you don’t see an upfront character, most people just see a Moe shrinking violet anime girl: The stereotype of a tank is someone who’s incredibly confident and gungho and charges into the thick of battle to lead their team and protect their allies: Like Rheindhart or Muradin.
On the other hand, Mei’s personality is characterized by uneasiness/newness to her role and a kind of self doubt that she’s shown having to overcome and fight against in her origin video and her general self in cutscenes. Her personality screams “Support” in most people’s minds.
THAT BEING SAID, her abilities all point to a defensive style: In cutscenes her contributions are things like creating defensive structures or bracing objects together to prevent either damage or things falling apart.
Moreover, this is HOTS, NOT overwatch, and hence they have alot more leeway to make people play how they best make the game FUN and not for how they fit lore: Kharazim is a healer and Zarya is a support for example.
I think this is the PERFECT opportunity to cut lose, say “Screw it!” and go with a more defensive Tank mei. The MOBA style even lends itself better to her kit than an FPS IMO.
I’d post my old Character concept suggestion for a tank mei, but I don’t want to clutter this thread up XD
(That being said, I WILL suggest that her Iceblock needs to be an ult, not a basic ability due to the massive difference in how a MOBA and overwatch play: An ability that puts you in stasis to avoid damage while also self healing is HUGE in this game, freaking huge. Look at Kerrigan’s chrysalis and how it has the counterplay of being killable. Now imagine a chrysalis that DOESN’T take damage)
put it on 60 second CD as well even AS an ult)
I think you could still keep them very unique: arthas is a Root based tank with a Bruiser feel to him. Mei, by contrast, could be more of a hard CC/low damage hero, that is squishier and with less self healing than arthas.