Overwatch has received its biggest update since, well, Overwatch 2. Which wasn’t actually an update, but a new game. Sort of. Now Overwatch 2 has dramatically transformed into Overwatch, sans number, and added five new heroes, along with the kickoff of its new story line and season.
While the basic hero shooter action is the same, the new change kicks off a new “multi-faceted, fully-connected story” called Reign of Talon. The new year-long storyline pits the two major factions, the villainous Talon and heroic Overwatch, against each other, as player actions and events shape how the story unfolds.
In addition to in-game events, Blizzard will present the ongoing story through new trailers, short stories, motion comics, and in-game voice lines.
The five new heroes are Anran, a Damage hero armed with flaming fans, Domina, a power-hungry Tank with a laser pistol, Emre, a formerly mind-controlled soldier, Mizuki, a cybernetically-enhanced Support, and Jetpack Cat.
Who is a cat.
With a jetpack.
And mounted cannons called Biotic Pawjectiles.
Regin of Talon will last through six seasons, beginning with Season 1: Conquest. Aside from adding the five new heroes above, Season 1 also subdivides the three core classes of heroes, into multiple subclasses. For example, Tanks are now organized into Bruisers, Initiators, and Stalwarts, to further define their roles on a team.
Season 1 also kicks off a new competitive season, and an overarching meta event. For the next five weeks, players choose between Overwatch and Talon, and complete specific missions tied to their faction.
The new season also adds fresh new menu, including a fancy 3D lobby.
The full 2026 roadmap teases five more heroes coming throughout the year, along with new maps. Plus, this year marks Overwatch’s 10th anniversary, which will be celebrated during Season 2 later this Spring.
Despite these big changes, the community is reacting, well, passionately. Steam user ratings are all over the place, with recent reviews bumping up the Mostly Negative rating up to Mixed.
Blizzard had taken some major heat ever since releasing the sequel-slash-replacement with promises of a full PvE mode, which never materialized. Not to mention the shift from loot boxes to a battle pass, with locked heroes.
But the biggest stake in the heart was the released of a successful competitor in the same genre: Marvel Rivals, in December 2024.
So far, the Reign of Talon update has brought players back to Overwatch, eclipsing concurrent players of Marvel Rivals (100,000 compared to Rivals’ 80,000), which is currently in its sixth season.
Overwatch is available on PC, PlayStation, Switch, and Xbox platforms, and rated T for Teen.
