Overwatch drops “2” from its name and reveals FIVE new heroes coming next week

Overwatch 2 is going back to just being called ‘Overwatch’ as Blizzard revealed major plans for the hero shooter.

The big news was revealed during the Overwatch spotlight at the Blizzard Showcase as part of the publisher’s 35th anniversary.

Overwatch is looking to tell a “multi-faceted, fully-connected story” throughout 2026 in an event called “The Reign of Talon.”

Here is everything revealed in the massive drop of news from the Overwatch Spotlight.

Overwatch gets 10 new heroes in 2026 with five released at once

In even bigger news than the name change, Blizzard has revealed that a massive number of new heroes are coming to the game.

Overwatch ‘2’ only got three new champions last year in Vendetta, Wuyang and Freya.

Meanwhile, this year, Overwatch is planning on adding a staggering 10 new playable characters.

And five of them are going to release all at the same time, on February 10th, when Season 1 kicks off.

Those five upcoming heroes are:

Domina – Tank

First Look at Domina in #Overwatch 🦾

What are your first impressions of this Tank hero? 💭 pic.twitter.com/xf7hH6Q0BP

— Overwatch Cavalry (@OWCavalry) February 4, 2026

Domina is the heiress and vice president of Vishkar Industries, the fictional company from the backgrounds of Lucio and Symmetra.

Domina is going to be the first true ‘poke tank’ released in the game since Sigma, with a playstyle favouring long-range control and zoning.

Emre – DPS

Overwatch Spotlight - Emre's kit (Damage)

Weapon // Synthetic Burst Rifle
- Medium-range beam
// Secondary — Take Aim
- Hold to zoom, tightening accuracy, and extending damage falloff range.

Ultimate // Override Protocol
Initiate an override, transforming into a living weapon.… pic.twitter.com/zQsKVtP9Ms

— X0XLEAK (@X0X_LEAK) February 4, 2026

Emre, a former member of the Overwatch Strike Team, has had his body altered with cybernetic modifications.

He will supposedly feature a kit made for fast-paced, run-and-gun gameplay.

Mizuki – Support

MIZUKI NEW SUPPORT I LOVE HIM#Overwatch pic.twitter.com/Lw8CwvdVpS

— Nelajus (SANDBINA ⚙️🌙) (@jNelajus) February 4, 2026

Mizuki is a member of the Hashimoto clan criminal group in Japan, which works together with Talon.

The support has a healing aura which can be boosted by other abilities, the ability to teleport back to where he was, and a healing and projectile blocking Ultimate.

Anran – DPS

Overwatch New DPS Hero: Anran 🪭🔥 pic.twitter.com/fBhonmfMNx

— Naeri X 나에리 (@OverwatchNaeri) February 4, 2026

The older sister of the playable hero Wuyang, Anran uses fire instead of her brother’s water abilities.

Uniquely, she has two Ultimates. One sees her dash forward to explode and ignite enemies. The second revives her after she’s dead with a large explosion.

Jetpack Cat – Support

JETPACK CAT CONFIRMED!!!! 🐱🚀🎉🔥 #OWSpotlight2026 pic.twitter.com/gXNw6ADlcA

— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) February 4, 2026

Last but not least is Jetpack Cat, literally a cat that flies around with a jetpack.

She has unique mobility with the ability to permanently fly and an Ultimate which sees her dive to the ground and tether the nearest enemy to herself.

The remaining five unannounced heroes will be released throughout the year, one with each season.

Three of the heroes releasing next week, Domina, Emre, and Mizuki, are aligned with Talon as part of the new overarching story.

Overwatch gets Switch 2 version

Blizzard has confirmed that Overwatch is getting an upgraded version for the Nintendo Switch 2.

The new version of the game will release later this year alongside the start of Overwatch Season 2 2026.

New Overwatch sub-roles

Tank, Damage, and Support Roles are getting brand new passives with Sub-Roles 💪 #OWSpotlight2026 pic.twitter.com/50PpZJagir

— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) February 4, 2026

Additionally, Overwatch is adding a sub-role system that adds passive bonuses within each main role.

Every Tank, Damage, and Support hero now belongs to a sub-category with a built-in gameplay perk.

Damage sub-roles

• Sharpshooters: Reward precision with critical hits reducing cooldowns of movement abilities
  • Heroes: Ashe, Cassidy, Hanzo, Sojourn, Widowmaker
• Flankers: Gain increased healing from health packs.
  • Heroes: Anran, Genji, Reaper, Tracer, Vendetta, Venture
• Specialists: Briefly gain faster reload speeds after eliminations.
  • Heroes: Bastion, Emre, Junkrat, Mei, Soldier: 76, Symmetra, Torbjörn
• Recon: Heroes can temporarily see enemies below half health through walls after damaging them.
  • Heroes: Echo, Freja, Pharah, Sombra

Support Sub-Roles

• Tacticians: Can overcharge their Ultimate meter, with excess charge carrying over after an Ultimate is used.
  • Heroes: Ana, Baptiste, Jetpack Cat, Lúcio, Zenyatta
• Medics: Heal themselves when healing allies with their weapons.
  • Heroes: Kiriko, Lifeweaver, Mercy, Moira
• Survivors: Trigger passive health regeneration after using movement abilities.
  • Heroes: Brigitte, Illari, Juno, Mizuki, Wuyang

Tank sub-roles

• Bruisers: Take reduced critical damage and gain a burst of movement speed when at low health.
  • Heroes: Mauga, Orisa, Roadhog, Zarya
• Initiators: Receive light healing while airborne
  • Heroes: D.Va, Doomfist, Winston, Wrecking Ball
• Stalwarts: Reduce knockbacks and slow effects.
  • Heroes: Domina, Hazard, Junker Queen, Ramattra, Reinhardt, Sigma

Hello Kitty Overwatch skins

https://twitter.com/OverwatchNaeri/status/2019117470314033358

In the latest addition to Overwatch’s long list of collaborations, Overwatch is getting a Hello Kitty skin line.

Lucio, Juno, Mercy, Kiriko, Widowmaker, and D.Va will all be getting Hello Kitty-inspired cosmetics.

The new skins will release on February 10th with the start of Season 1 and the release of the five new heroes.