Blizzard Entertainment has rebranded Overwatch 2 simply as Overwatch and announced Season 1, launching on February 10, 2026, with five new heroes. The update introduces a year-long Reign of Talon storyline and marks a significant revitalization for the game ahead of its 10th anniversary. Developers previewed the heroes at a media event in Irvine, California.
Blizzard's Overwatch Spotlight event in late January at the Blizzard Theater in Irvine, California, unveiled ambitious plans for the hero shooter as it approaches its 10th anniversary in May 2026. The company is dropping the "2" from the title, returning to just "Overwatch," to signal a fresh start. "Overwatch is more than just a digit: it's a living universe that keeps growing, keeps surprising, and keeps bringing players together from around the world," the Overwatch team stated.
Season 1 begins Tuesday, February 10, introducing five new heroes tied to the ongoing Reign of Talon narrative, the first fully connected annual storyline in the game's history. This arc explores upheaval in the villainous Talon organization, with map changes like a damaged Watchpoint: Gibraltar reflecting the conflict. Character interactions and voice lines will evolve to advance the plot, ensuring "every single character … is pertinent to the overall plot," said Lead Narrative Designer Miranda Moyer.
The heroes include Jetpack Cat, a support with permanent flight who tows allies via her Lifeline ability and uses the ultimate Catnapper to drag enemies. "We'd rather this be a collaborative thing," Game Designer Scott Kennedy noted about the opt-in feature. Domina, a Talon-aligned tank from Vishkar Industries, deploys a curved barrier and beam weapon for ranged control. Mizuki, a Talon support from the Hashimoto clan, heals via a ricocheting hat and hinders foes with chains. Anran, sister of support hero Wuyang and an Overwatch recruit, is a fire-flanking damage hero available for trial from February 5; her ultimate allows explosive leaps or self-resurrection. Emre, a former Overwatch agent now with Talon, wields a hitscan rifle and life-stealing pistol, with a flying bombardment ultimate.
Blizzard plans 10 heroes in 2026, one every other month, alongside subroles with shared passives, a five-week Conquest meta event, interface overhauls, and a Nintendo Switch 2 port in April. Developers emphasized improved tools enabling faster hero design without compromising quality. Associate Game Director Alec Dawson acknowledged balancing challenges: "It's good to have an impactful launch. It's not good if your hero is banned in almost every match you're in."
President Johanna Faries described the changes as setting up "a much broader conversation on where the future of this universe [is] and where these characters are going to go."
