Tuesday, April 22, is set to be a massive day forOverwatch 2, as Blizzard’s hero-shooter is expected to hit the ground running with a variety of new features.Overwatch 2is currently nearing the end of Season 15, which introduced Perks, ranked 6v6 Open Queue, and a fresh collaboration with South Korean K-pop group LE SSERAFIM. Alongside balancing changes, a Mythic Zenyatta skin, and a limited-time trial for Freja, the next playable damage hero, there has been plenty of content to delve into.
Since the game’s launch in 2023, Blizzard has steadily introduced new features that have helped earn the ‘2’ in its name. In particular,Overwatch 2keeping 6v6 in Season 16is a massive win for players who prefer an extra teammate on the field. Beyond that, the season is set to deliver a host of exciting additions, including a fresh competitive mode called Stadium, a new playable hero, and more.
Every Major Feature Coming in Overwatch 2 Season 16
Stadium Mode Comes to Overwatch 2 On April 22
Perhaps the most widely anticipated feature isOverwatch 2’s Stadium mode, which will debut on April 22 and will be limited to Competitive only. With its best-of-seven format, each match is expected to last about 40 minutes. A trailer for Stadium will be released on the officialPlayOverwatch YouTube channelon April 14, but based on information from the February Spotlight event, it’s already confirmed that the mode will include all the following:
Overwatch 2 Will Keep 6v6 Open Queue in Season 16
According toOverwatch 2’s April Director’s Take, 6v6 Open Queue was the third most popular game mode in Season 15 until the April Fool’s ‘Totally Normalwatch’ mode arrived. Data collected by Blizzard through Season 15 indicates that, on average, there’s a 3:1 ratio of players choosing 5v5 competitive over 6v6 competitive, but 6v6 has retained steady interest. As such,Overwatch 2will continue to experiment with 6v6, with 6v6 Open Queue here to stay in Season 16.
Hero Bans Make Their Debut in Overwatch 2
In an interview withGames Radar, Game Director Aaron Keller commented that the team had been talking about hero bans for years, but there was always some resistance. It was only after seeing hero bans inMarvel Rivalsthat Team 4 realized the previous “objections were valid, but they were given way too much credence.” Keller went on to amend that, “[Blizzard was] planning on doing [hero bans] anyways” but that they “feel a lot better about its release.“Hero bans inOverwatch 2will feature three slots to ban heroes under a priority system, and after all 10 players have made their selections, the four heroes who receive the most votes will be banned from the match.
Map voting is also in development but will not be released in tandem with Season 16.
Overwatch 2 is Adding Its 43rd Character
Freja, a damage character, will be the newest addition toOverwatch 2’s growing roster, following Hazard’s release in Season 14. She marks the third DPS to be added to the hero-shooter since its launch. As a former search and rescue Overwatch operative turned bounty hunter, Freja is equipped with a deadly crossbow and impressive mobility options. Additionally, though Blizzard doesn’t balance around Quick Play data, based on her test weekend, her lower winrate of about 43% will see her debut with buffs to the following:
Overwatch 2 Season 16 Embraces Magical Girl Vibes with Dokiwatch
First unveiled at theOverwatchSpotlight Eventin February, the announcement of a mahou shoujo-inspired battle pass in the game’s sixteenth season had some fans ecstatic. With a fitting name like Dokiwatch, which is a nod to magical girl vibes and glittery charm, Season 16 is set to deliver some standout in-game cosmetics for characters like Brigitte, D.Va, Freja, Kiriko, and Widowmaker.
Juno, the most recent support hero, will receive a fully customizable and magical Mythic skin at the start of the season. This should cost about 80 Mythic Prisms for all four levels. Similarly,Mercy will be getting a Mythic Weaponduring the midseason patch, which will include special Sound, Reactivity, and Kill Effects.
Perk Adjustments Arriving in Overwatch 2 Season 16
Last but certainly not least, Blizzard is continuing to monitor how Perks alter the balance of its PvP modes. With several Perks getting a tune-up duringOverwatch 2Season 15’s midseason update, Season 16 is also set to roll out with a few changes. For instance, one of Sombra’s Major Perks, Stack Overflow, will be replaced with Viral Replication, which will allow her Virus to spread to nearby enemies.
Mercy is also gaining a new Minor Perk to replace Angelic Recovery. With Angelic Resurrection, she will now be able to gain 100 overhealth when casting Resurrect, which could be a game-changer when paired with her Super Jump. One ofJuno’s Major Perksis also being fine-tuned, with Hyper Boost being exchanged for Locked On, an ability that grants a lower cooldown for Pulsar Torpedoes for every enemy hit.
Though unconfirmed, Blizzard hinted at changes to Tracer’s triple-blink reset from her Major Perk, Flashback, as well as the addition of a new Perk for Mei.
