Overwatch 2 Drops the “2,” Adds Five New Heroes to Start Year-Long Story Arc

Overwatch 2026 roadmap showing new heroes and the Reign of Talon story arc.

Blizzard is making yet another major shift to its live-service hero shooter as Overwatch 2 ditches the “2” and reverts back to simply being called Overwatch. This change comes alongside a new year-long story arc called Reign of Talon, with Season 1 introducing five new heroes, new sub-roles, and more.

Five New Overwatch Heroes

Blizzard is introducing five new characters when Season 1 of Reign of Talon goes live next week, with one of them (Anran) being available via Hero Trial starting today, February 5.

Here’s a breakdown of the new characters and their abilities courtesy of Blizzard.

Domina (Tank)

Heiress and vice president of Vishkar Industries. Though Domina is not a formal member of Talon, a partnership with Vendetta has granted Vishkar Industries lucrative redevelopment rights for territories under Talon control.

Using advanced Vishkar technology, Domina is the first true poke tank since Sigma—an elegant long‑range controller with deadly zone dominance.

  • Photon Magnum (Primary Fire) - Medium-range beam that culminates in a high impact shot.

  • Barrier Array - A segmented hard‑light barrier deployed in front of Domina. Each segment must be individually destroyed, creating dynamic defensive angles.

  • Crystal Charge - Project an explosive crystal and reactivate to denotate it.

  • Sonic Repulsors - Push enemies back, stunning them if they hit a wall.

  • Ultimate — Panopticon - Fire a hard-light barrier that imprisons enemies and detonates on expiration.

  • Passive – Reconstruction - Dealing damage with abilities restores shields.

Emre (Damage)

Emre is a former member of the Overwatch Strike Team. He once stood as an example of Overwatch’s ideals, but as Overwatch lost sight of its mission, Emre chose to leave. Freja tracked him down and discovered that his body has been altered with cybernetic modifications. His mind appears to be in conflict; sometimes he behaves like the person he once was, and other times he seems detached.

Now aligned with Vendetta, Emre brings a fast-paced, run‑and‑gun damage style.

  • Synthetic Burst Rifle (Primary Fire) - Three-round burst weapon.

  • Take Aim (Secondary Fire) - Hold to zoom in, tightening accuracy and increasing fall off range.

  • Siphon Blaster - Temporarily wield a semi-automatic pistol with life stealing explosive rounds. Move faster and jump higher while wielded.

  • Cyber Frag - Throw a grenade that detonates shortly after bouncing.

  • Ultimate — Override Protocol - An override initiates, transforming you into a living weapon. Fires rapid explosive blasts or charged mega‑shots capable of wiping teams.

  • Passive – Altered Vitals - Passive health regeneration activates sooner and instantly restores 30 health when activated.

Mizuki (Support)

Mizuki is a member of the Hashimoto clan, which is aligned with Talon. He has endured years of misfortune and pressure within the clan’s hierarchy. Some believe he may not be suited for the life he has been raised into, but through dedication and influence from senior clan members, he has become a key player. Mizuki has been tasked with infiltrating the Yokai near Kanezaka, but there is concern that he may be influenced by them or potentially drawn to Overwatch.

  • Spirit Glaive (Primary Fire) - Throw a spinning blade that can bounce off walls, impact enemies and rapidly deal damage.

  • Healing Kasa - Throw your hat to heal an ally, bouncing to nearby allies and healing you when it returns.

  • Katashiro Return - Leap forward, leaving behind a paper doll. Reactivate to return and gain increased movement speed while active.

  • Binding Chain - Launch a tethering chain that hinders the first enemy hit.

  • Ultimate — Kekkai Sanctuary - Create a sanctuary that heals allies and absorbs enemy projectiles from outside the area.

  • Passive – Remedy Aura - Heals nearby allies. Healing scales with resources generated by dealing damage and healing.

Anran (Damage)

The older sister of Wuyang, Anran harnesses the power of Fire when in the heat of battle. She is confident and hardworking, holding others to the standards she maintains for herself. Anran joins Overwatch with the intent to save the world and to keep Wuyang out of trouble.

  • Zhuque Fans (Primary Fire) - Hand fans that shoot fiery projectiles.

  • Fan the Flames (Secondary Fire) - Hot wind blast that amplifies burning damage.

  • Inferno Rush - Propel yourself forward and damage enemies you impact.

  • Dancing Blaze - Strike nearby enemies while dodging all damage.

  • Ultimate — Vermillion Ascent (Alive) - Charge forward, exploding on impact and instantly igniting enemies.

  • Ultimate — Vermillion Revival (Dead) - When dead, revive yourself in a fiery explosion.

  • Passive – Ignition - Hit enemies with fire attacks to burn them.

Jetpack Cat (Support)

Yup. Jetpack Cat is finally joining the lineup.

Found as a stray in Gibraltar, little is known about Jetpack Cat other than how dangerous she is in fights, with quick reflexes and a kit befitting a feline Hero.

  • Biotic Pawjectiles (Primary Fire) - Mid‑range projectile spread that heals allies and damages enemies.

  • Lifeline - Toggle into transport mode, allowing an ally to be towed. Increases movement speed and heals your ally.

  • Frenetic Flight - Accelerate in your movement direction. Fuel recovery is slower while carrying another player.

  • Purr - Pulsing area heal that increases in frequency over time. Knockback nearby enemies when activated.

  • Ultimate — Catnapper - Dive towards a ground location, knocking down enemies and tethering the nearest one to you.

  • Passive – Jetpack - Permanent flight.

Overwatch Adding Sub-roles

The new season isn’t just about new heroes and a new story arc, they are also deepening the roles of each hero in the game through what they are calling sub-roles.

Tank Role

  • BRUISER: Reduces critical damage received. While at critical health, gain movement speed.

    • Mauga / Orisa / Roadhog / Zarya

  • INITIATOR: Staying airborne lightly heals you.

    • D.Va / Doomfist / Winston / Wrecking Ball

  • STALWART: Reduces knockbacks and slows received.

    • Domina / Hazard / Junker Queen / Ramattra / Reinhardt / Sigma

Damage Role

  • SHARPSHOOTER: Critical hits reduce your movement ability cooldowns.

    • Ashe / Cassidy / Hanzo / Sojourn / Widowmaker

  • FLANKER: Health packs restore more health.

    • Anran / Genji / Reaper / Tracer / Vendetta / Venture

  • SPECIALIST: Eliminating an enemy briefly increases your reload speed.

    • Bastion / Emre / Junkrat / Mei / Soldier: 76 / Symmetra / Torbjorn

  • RECON: You detect enemies below half health through walls after damaging them.

    • Echo / Freja / Pharah / Sombra

Support Role

  • TACTICIAN: You can gain excess ultimate charge, which carries over after using your ultimate ability.

    • Ana / Baptiste / Jetpack Cat / Lucio / Zenyatta

  • MEDIC: Healing allies with your weapon also heals you.

    • Kiriko / Lifeweaver / Mercy / Moira

  • SURVIVOR: Using a movement ability activates passive health regeneration.

    • Brigitte / Illari / Juno / Mizuki / Wuyang

Conquest Meta Event will be 5 Weeks Long

The new season will also come with a 5-week meta event where the Overwatch community can pick to side with either Overwatch or Talon. This results in players completing missions tied to the game’s ongoing story, as the faction with the most missions completed will be rewarded at the end of the event. Thankfully, you are not locked into one faction after picking a side.

This event will feature these rewards:

  • 75 Base Lootboxes

  • 12 Epic Lootboxes

  • 7 Legendary Lootboxes

  • 9 new Voice Lines

  • 31 2D Cosmetics

  • 2 Weapon Charms

  • 1 of 2 faction-themed Legendary Echo skins

  • Exclusive new Rare, Epic and Legendary titles (and a secret hidden one!)

The new season also includes a UI/UX update following the removal of the sequel branding, a competitive reset with unique rewards, and a large batch of new cosmetics. This includes a new Mercy Mythic Skin, with a Mei Mythic arriving mid-season.

Overwatch 2026 Roadmap

Blizzard also shared a glimpse of the game’s roadmap, promising a new hero for each of the next three seasons following Season 1’s launch on February 10, 2026.


About the Author - Carlos Hernandez

Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.