A fresh start for Overwatch: New name, 10 new heroes, and a stronger story focus

Blizzard’s hero shooter Overwatch launched in 2016 to strong reception and maintained its momentum for several years. The shift to Overwatch 2 marked a pivotal moment – much of the announced story content failed to materialize, and for many players the new content felt more like DLC than a true sequel. It is a chapter Blizzard now appears eager to leave behind. Still, Overwatch is far from forgotten. On the contrary, recent announcements suggest Blizzard is preparing to refocus heavily on the game in the near future.

At the end of 2025, Blizzard introduced Stadium Mode to Overwatch, adding MOBA-style build and progression mechanics that helped breathe new life into the game. But that was only the beginning. As announced on February 4, Blizzard has ambitious plans for the hero shooter in 2026. The new season, The Reign of Talon, launches on February 10 and marks a major turning point. The most striking change – the “2” will be dropped from the title. From that day on, the game will once again be called Overwatch, a clear signal that Blizzard intends to leave the troubled Overwatch 2 era behind.

A renewed story focus

Blizzard now aims to finally deliver on the deeper story previously promised for Overwatch 2. The Reign of Talon centers on the open conflict between Overwatch and the terrorist group Talon, with players even able to choose a side. The narrative will unfold across six seasons over the course of roughly a year. It will not be confined to in-game content – the story will also be told through motion comics, animated trailers, short stories, new voice lines, and evolving map designs.

10 new heroes

While Overwatch players saw only three new heroes in 2025 – Freja, Wuyang, and Vendetta – Blizzard plans to introduce ten new characters throughout 2026. The first five will arrive with the launch of Season 1 and will include both Overwatch operatives and Talon agents. Among them are Dominia, Emre, and Mizuki for Talon, alongside Anran and Jetpack Cat for Overwatch. A playable preview of Anran, the new damage hero, will be available starting today, February 5.

New systems, events and quality-of-life updates

Beyond new heroes and a stronger narrative focus, Blizzard has a wide range of updates planned to refresh Overwatch over the long term. These include expanded sub-roles designed to better differentiate between tank, damage, and support heroes, as well as major upgrades to Stadium Mode – with new maps, game types, and a turn-based build system in development. Players can also expect a revamped interface featuring a redesigned lobby and animated hero selection. In addition, a polished version of the game is currently in development for the Nintendo Switch 2 (currently priced at $450 on Amazon).