Summary
Though its legacy is still marred by false promises related to PvE modes and some shady monetization practices,Overwatch 2has still managed to have a pretty decent year so far. 2024 has brought a handful of fun collaborations toOverwatch 2, along with some exciting new heroes, and a vital change that finally unlocks all heroes for everyone off the bat. AndOverwatch 2still has plenty in store for the year.
On August 20,Overwatch 2will receive its 12th season. Officially titled “New Frontiers,“Season 12 ofOverwatch 2could end up being the hero shooter’s biggest and best to date, with it offering a slew of well-themed Battle Pass skins, a new mode, two new maps, some important balancing tweaks, and, of course, a new Support hero.
Overwatch 2 Season 12 Begins on August 20
Juno Comes to Overwatch 2 on August 20
Probably the most exciting addition coming toOverwatch 2Season 12 on August 20 is thenew Support hero Juno. A Mars-residing space ranger, Juno’s rocket boots allow her to double jump and glide-boost horizontally, while her homing rockets heal allies and damage foes, and her Hyper Ring increases the movement speed of any ally who charges through it. Juno’s primary weapon is her Mediblaster, which – much like Ana’s sniper – heals teammates and damages enemies. Juno’s Ultimate sends out an Orbital Ray that slowly moves forward, healing allies in its area of effect and giving them a 30% damage boost.
Overwatch 2 Season 12’s Battle Pass is Packed With New Skins
Just like every season before it,Overwatch 2Season 12 is coming with a new Battle Pass, and this time it’s packed to the brim with interesting skins and cosmetics:
The general theme of this season’s Battle Pass is “Ancient,” with a particular focus on Egyptian mythology. Illari, Doomfist, and Reaper all have skins referencing an Ancient Egyptian god, while Ana’s references the Oni of Japanese mythology.Ashe and Sigma’s Season 12 Battle Pass skinsare outliers, however, with the former’s referencingThe Wizard of Oz, and the latter’s being yet another nautical-themed skin.
From September 17 until October 21, those who link their Battle.net account to their Xbox Game Pass account will receive 30 Mythic Prisms and six hero skins for no additional charge.
Important Competitive Updates and Hero Balances Are Coming with Overwatch Season 12
On August 20,Overwatch 2’s Competitive ranksare being refreshed, meaning that every player’s rank will be reset back down to Bronze. This update will also come with some changes toOverwatch 2’s Avoid as Teammate feature. A bevy of hero balance changes are also set to hitOverwatch 2in the coming weeks. In an attempt to combat high-mobility heroes, Blizzard is reducing multiple Damage and Support heroes' health pools. Lifeweaver is getting a handful of changes all to himself, including reworks to his Petal Platform and Rejuvenating Dash.
Overwatch Season 12 Is Adding a New Game Mode and Two New Maps
After a brief two-week test in April, Blizzard is officiallyadding the Clash game mode toOverwatch 2in Season 12. This Clash game mode sees two teams of attackers attempt to capture and defend five control points at once. Two new maps revolving around this mode will also be added toOverwatch 2in Season 12, with those being Throne of Anubis and Hanaoka, new takes on two classicOverwatchmaps.
