Overwatch 2 launched on October 4, 2022, expanding on Blizzard Entertainment's classic hero shooter gameplay with new features and a major rework. One of the biggest changes in Overwatch 2 is the removal of Loot Boxes and the addition of a Battle Pass, allowing players to unlock new cosmetics, emotes, and even Heroes by earning XP in-game.
Each Overwatch 2 Battle Pass will cover a Season, a period of roughly two months. Players have that time to advance as far in the Battle Pass as they can, earning rewards all way up to a final Legendary Skin. In Season 1, this is the Cyberdemon Skin for Genji, the first Skin in Overwatch that can be customized. Season 2 will follow the end of Season 1, offering new rewards and a fresh Battle Pass.
When Does Season 2 Start in Overwatch 2
Season 2 of Overwatch 2 will begin on Tuesday, December 6, 2022. On that day, the Season 1 Battle Pass will be replaced by the Season 2 Battle Pass, and the other changes of the new Season will come into effect. Players can expect a period of downtime while Blizzard makes the necessary changes, but fans hope to avoid the connection issues that plagued Overwatch 2's launch.
Players who didn't manage to reach Level 55 of the Season 1 Battle Pass, and didn't pay for the Premium upgrade, will not unlock the new Support Hero Kiriko. Similarly, any player who didn't complete all 80 Levels of the Battle Pass will lose their chance to unlock Genji's Cyberdemon Skin for free. Kiriko and the other rewards from the Battle Pass will almost certainly remain available to buy/earn in some way, though this system hasn't yet been confirmed.
What's New in Overwatch 2's Season 2
The biggest addition coming in Season 2 of Overwatch 2 is a new Hero, as Blizzard has announced that each even-numbered Season will always coincide with the release of a new character for players to master.
For Season 2, that will be Ramattra, a Tank Hero and leader of the villainous Null Sector Omnics. As seen in Ramattra's origin story and previous reveal, the ruthless leader of Null Sector has ties to both Zenyatta and Doomfist in his backstory.
In terms of gameplay, only a little information on Ramattra's kit and Abilities has been released so far. The new Tank Hero in Overwatch 2 will have two different modes that he can switch between, each with its own Abilities, Armor, and HP values. One mode seems to be focused on poking damage from medium-range, while the other is more of a brawl-focused mode similar to Winston or Reinhardt.
Along with Ramattra, Season 2 is expected to include a new map that is themed to the Null Sector leader, as well as the return of the Winter Wonderland seasonal event. Finally, players can expect to see some major balance changes in Season 2, with Blizzard having already confirmed that the DPS passive Ability will receive a serious rework.
Overwatch 2 is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.