Blizzard Entertainment's long-running, free-to-play PvP hero shooter Overwatch 2 has had a rough few years since it relaunched across Xbox, PC, and PlayStation in late 2022, but that may change with the gigantic overhaul the studio just announced for the once globally dominant FPS.
In the developer's new Overwatch Spotlight showcase (you can watch the full presentation here or with the embed below), Blizzard announced that it's officially dropping the 2 from Overwatch 2, meaning it will once again be called Overwatch. Accompanying that change is the introduction of major annual story arcs that drive the universe forward, with numbered seasons resetting every year; essentially, think of every year as a story, and its seasons as its chapters.
When Season 1 launches, Blizzard is also introducing new subroles that each damage, tank, and support character will fall into, with each one getting distinct subrole passives that provide some intrinsic benefits. The studio is adjusting and reworking several heroes over the course of 2026, too.
Additionally, Season 1 is bringing the first of Overwatch's new meta events where players have to pick allegiance to Overwatch or Talon and complete missions over the course of several weeks to earn rewards. Whichever faction completes more missions in total will earn some additional goodies.
Skins are a massive part of the Overwatch experience, and plenty of those are coming too. A wild Overwatch x Hello Kitty collab is launching alongside Season 1 and bringing themed skins to D.Va, Widowmaker, Juno, Mercy, Kiriko, and Lucio, and faction-themed skins are coming as well, along with new Mythic-tier cosmetics. Skins from the last six seasons that were previously microtransaction shop exclusives are being added to loot boxes, also.
Some other noteworthy additions on the way include two new maps in Season 1, a completely revamped UI, a reset for competitive play, the return of end-of-match player commendations, and engine upgrades that improve the visuals. Overwatch is also coming to Switch 2 at the start of Season 2.
Ultimately, Blizzard is kicking off an entirely new era for Overwatch after controversially reworking it into Overwatch 2 and scrapping its long-awaited PvE content. Only time will tell if the game's new structure and live-service cadence will bring players back, but one thing is clear: the studio is all-in on Overwatch moving forward.
How do you feel about Blizzard's new direction for Overwatch? Are you a fan of how they're reshaping its live-service structure? Let me know how you're feeling in the comments.
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