Blizzard confirms Overwatch will drop the “2,” launching a year-long Reign of Talon story arc with new heroes and seasons through 2026.
During the Overwatch Spotlight on February 4, Blizzard announced that not only are they launching the first year-long story for Overwatch with the “Reign of Talon” plot, but moving forward, the game would simply be known as Overwatch again. Season one of the new format begins on February 10. This arc will run through 2026, with five additional seasons, after which a new story arc will begin with season 1 in 2027.
Along with the new season will come the launch of five new heroes. Three of the heroes will be Talon-aligned: Domina, a tank hero; Emre, a damage hero; and Mizuki, a support hero. There will also be two Overwatch-aligned heroes: Anran (damage) and Jetpack Cat (support).
The Reason for the Shift Away From Overwatch 2 Explained
In a press release, the Overwatch team explained that they’re dropping the “2” from the game title because they believe the game is more than a number or an expansion; it’s a living universe, and this year marks a turning point in development.
“This year marks a huge turning point in how the development team envisions the future of Overwatch, so we are officially dropping the ‘2’ and moving forward as Overwatch,” they said.
Overwatch officially became Overwatch 2 in 2022, shifting to a 5v5 PVP-style game. In May 2023, Blizzard canceled planned hero missions for the game, which were to have RPG-style skill trees. The cancellation was due to the risk of diverting too many development resources from the live service game.
Now, the game again shifts focus and makes a new attempt to reach more players while still giving current players something to look forward to.
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