Overwatch 2 rebrands to “Overwatch” as part of its major overhaul for 2026. Check out the upcoming changes for Overwatch, starting with its first season, and the new heroes coming on February 10.
Overwatch 2 Major Revamp and 2026 Overview
Dropping "2" and Going Back To Just "Overwatch"
Overwatch has dropped the "2" from its title, marking a symbolic transition toward its major 2026 overhaul. As announced by Blizzard during a press conference on February 4, the popular arena shooter will undergo a massive revamp with its upcoming season.
Back in 2022, Overwatch 2’s release was met with mixed reactions and criticisms, with fans noting that the game had lost its identity and was too focused on PvE. Despite numerous collabs with different IPs and significant gameplay and quality-of-life updates, the community seemed to have moved on from the futuristic first-person shooter.
However, Blizzard Live Service Head Walter Kong saw this as a necessary step towards Overwatch’s future. Looking back, he wished they hadn’t called it "Overwatch 2," but he thought it was still a positive period for them, as they had made a difficult transition.
"It was a necessary period of challenge that we had to get through to get to where we are today. I don't think we could jump straight here. Just thinking back to what we experienced during those years makes me feel a bit exhausted, but it is what's allowed us to take Overwatch into the future," Kong stated.
Meanwhile, Game Director Aaron Keller noted that dropping the "2" serves as a promise to players that Overwatch won't be replaced by another sequel anytime soon. That said, he didn’t completely rule out the possibility of an Overwatch 3 in the future, but reiterated their commitment to supporting the current title.
"Never is a big word to say, but our intention is to continue supporting this game, this competitive hero-based, team-based shooter, for as far into the future as our players will continue playing," Keller explained.
The Reign of Talon Begins
The upcoming first season will kick off Overwatch’s year-long story arc titled "The Reign of Talon." This narrative saga will span across six seasons, becoming Overwatch’s first "fully connected annual storyline."
The Reign of Talon focuses on a global takeover by the terrorist organization called "Talon." In the story, Vendetta has overthrown Doomfist, taking control of Talon and shifting the group from a shadow organization into a loud, aggressive worldwide threat.
The developers elaborated that the Talon storyline will unfold dynamically, utilizing everything from real-time map evolutions and fresh hero interactions to a 'fully integrated' narrative viewer. The narrative will also expand through traditional media, including cinematics, short stories, and digital comics.
Five New Heroes
Aside from introducing the Reign of Talon storyline, Overwatch will also add five new heroes to jumpstart the first season. These characters are Domina, Emre, Mizuki, Anran, and the long-awaited Jetpack Cat.
The upcoming heroes are woven directly into this year’s narrative, with Domina, Emre, and Mizuki bolstering Talon’s ranks, while Anran and Jetpack Cat enlist with Overwatch to combat the rising terrorist threat.
As part of Talon’s growing influence in the world, they sought a connection with Domina, a Vishkar executive who plays as a poke Tank using her advanced hard-light technology to dominate zones with a segmented barrier and a high-impact "Photon Magnum" beam.
Joining her on the Talon side are Emre, a cybernetically enhanced former Overwatch member with a burst rifle and life-stealing "Siphon Blaster," and Mizuki, a support from the Hashimoto clan who utilizes a "Healing Kasa" that bounces between allies to mend wounds while he strikes with a spirit glaive.
To counter this uprising, Overwatch is enlisting the fire-wielding damage hero Anran, the older sister of Wuyang, who can ignite enemies with her fans and even resurrect herself in a fiery "Vermillion Revival." Additionally, the long-rumored Jetpack Cat has finally arrived as a "Tactician" support, offering unique utility through her "Lifeline" ability, which allows her to tow allies to safety or better positioning.
Featuring Sub Roles
With the new heroes comes an update on the game’s core roles, specifically for Tank, Damage, and Support. To fully distinguish their prowess on the battlefield, they will now be divided into sub-roles, clearly defining how they function, and to better understand their team synergies.
Tanks are now divided into Stalwarts, who gain high resistance to knockbacks and slows; Bruisers, who receive reduced critical damage and gain a speed boost when their health is low; and Initiators, who receive passive healing while airborne. These changes are designed to ensure that a tank's passive benefit actually aligns with how they interact with the enemy frontline.
The Damage role is segmented into four distinct categories: Sharpshooters, whose critical hits reduce their movement ability cooldowns; Flankers, who receive significantly more healing from health packs; Specialists, who gain a massive reload speed burst after securing an elimination; and Recon heroes, who can see enemies through walls if they are below half health.
Finally, Support heroes are categorized as Medics, who heal themselves by healing others; Survivors, who trigger health regeneration simply by using a movement ability; and Tacticians, who can carry over up to 25% of their excess ultimate charge after using their Ult, allowing them to build their next one much faster.
Menu Redesign
As part of Overwatch’s overhaul, the developers highlighted changes to the game’s lobby interface. The new 3D Hero Lobby replaces static backgrounds with fully rendered, lore-driven environments, further focusing on the ongoing narrative with the Reign of Talon arc.
Blizzard also introduced an Integrated Narrative Viewer, a dedicated hub where players can track the year-long saga through animated shorts, motion comics, and intelligence reports, while also viewing live map updates that show how the game's world is physically changing in response to the war.
Navigation is now more intuitive, featuring a top-level bar for quick access to social features, the shop, and a revamped Hero Gallery with a 3D "Loadout" system. A new Notification Hub consolidates all alerts into a clean sidebar, while enhanced audio settings offer deeper control over lobby music and "Focus Mode." These updates transform the UI from a standard menu into a sleek tactical command center.
Hello Kitty Crossover and New Mythic Hero Skins
Beyond the Reign of Talon arc, Overwatch will collaborate with Hello Kitty & Friends to bring six Legendary skins that reimagine iconic Sanrio characters through the lens of Overwatch’s heroes. The lineup includes Hello Kitty Juno, Kuromi Widowmaker, Cinnamoroll Kiriko, My Melody D.Va, Pompompurin Mercy, and Keroppi Lucio, offering a playful contrast to the year's darker, villain-focused narrative.
The collaboration also includes a variety of themed cosmetics such as weapon charms, player icons, and name cards, which players can earn through event-specific challenges. Running until February 23, the crossover is integrated into the game’s new UI, allowing players to showcase their Sanrio-themed loadouts in the revamped 3D hero lobby.
Moreover, Overwatch will add two new mythic skins for each season this year. Starting with Mercy’s "Celestial Guardian" Mythic, which marks a major milestone as the first time a hero has received a second Mythic skin. This celestial-themed outfit features multiple tiers of customization, allowing players to evolve her look into a high-fantasy protector with unique wing effects and sound cues.
Accompanying the hero skin is the "Star Shooter" Mythic Weapon for Juno, a cosmic-themed armament that visually upgrades as the match progresses, eventually emitting starry particle effects and unique elimination flourishes.
Fans can also look forward to upcoming skins, which include a Mei Mythic arriving this Spring, followed by skins for Soldier: 76, Illari, and Mauga. Mythic weapon skins are also slated for Genji, Hanzo, and Sojourn.
Yearly Expansions Moving Forward
Despite describing the update as the game’s most ambitious yet, Keller is hesitant to label the 2026 changes as a formal 'relaunch.' He views the move as an evolution of the existing platform, emphasizing that much more is slated for the franchise in the succeeding years.
Keller stated, "If you look at the year we're just jumping into, yes, we have this massive moment at the start, and we do want to do something big next year." He confirmed that Blizzard will release a new hero every season, bringing the total additions for the year to ten.
Ultimately, the studio views Overwatch as a foundational pillar for the company, with a strategic roadmap extending over the next decade. "We have this wonderful pantheon of heroes. We have the set of values that I think are fairly timeless, that fit today as well as they did 10 years ago - hope and optimism - and we want to be able to tell more stories and set up more experiences within that franchise, but it's something that we're not rushing," Kong concluded.
Overwatch begins its first season on February 10, 2026, on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC (Steam, Battle.net). To stay up to date with the latest information about the game, check out our article below!
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Overwatch 2026 Spotlight | New Heroes, Cosmetics, Gameplay Updates, & More
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