The mid-Season 17 update forOverwatch 2has arrived, bringing with it hero balance adjustments for both core and Stadium, reworks to the New Junk City and Suravasa Flashpoint maps, and several limited-time events. This patch, which marks the halfway point between Season 17 and 18, is live inOverwatch 2right now.
On June 24,Overwatch 2began Season 17, Powered Up. This update introduced some exciting features to the game, including the Map Voting system, the Aatlis Flashpoint battlefield, and tons of new cosmetics in the Battle Pass refresh.
Now,Overwatch 2has put out a big midseason update to mix things up for the second half of Powered Up. One of the biggest parts of this patch came in the form of facelifts to New Junk City and Suravasa, the two original maps for Flashpoint. Both of thesebattlefields have received significant reworks inOverwatch 2, inspired by the more modern design philosophy of Aatlis, and featuring more open layouts, fairer choke points, and more rich and detailed environments.
This update also brought a batch of hero balance adjustments to the game. In coreOverwatch 2, Reinhardt, Winston, Bastion, Hanzo, Junkrat, Widowmaker, and Zenyatta all received buffs to their base kits or Perks, D.Va, Orisa, Reaper, Tracer, and Lucio caught nerfs, and Sigma, Ashe, Freja, and Juno got a little bit of both. Specific to Stadium, D.Va, Mei, Ana, and Juno got a few buffs, while Orisa and Kiriko received nerfs – albeit alongside a few Power reworks that will help them in the long run.
Three limited-time events were also revealed in these patch notes as well. From July 29 through August 25, players who complete up to six games in a group can earn three Loot Boxes in the Better Together challenge. Then, on August 1, 2, and 3, Junkrat’s Loot Hunt returns, offering up to nine free Loot Boxes to fans who complete daily win challenges over the weekend. Lastly,Competitive Drives return toOverwatch 2August 19 through 26, which fans will be able to complete in either core Competitive or Ranked Stadium.
The mid-Season 17 update notes made no mention of the impending Wuyang hero trial, which is supposed to take place soon ahead of his Season 18 launch. Gamers can expect to learn more about this new Support hero, including his backstory and kit, within the next few weeks. There was also no mention of therumoredOverwatch 2x Nerf collaboration, so it remains to be seen if this potential collaboration will happen before the end of Season 17.
Overwatch 2 Mid-Season 17 Patch Notes – June 08, 2025
Better Together Challenges
Overwatchis always better with backup! From July 29 to August 25, you’ll get rewarded for rolling with your crew. Complete 2, 4, and 6 games with a group to unlock up to three Loot Boxes, with each milestone paying out once. Simply completing the games is all it takes, but wins and Stadium matches count double, so bring your A-game. Buddy up and battle it out again to finish the season strong, whether that’s rallying old friends or queuing with new ones. Have some fun, it’s Better Together!
Junkrat’s Loot Hunt
From August 1 to August 3, Junkrat is back with another blast of chaos and it’ll be raining loot again…and also probably shrapnel. Junkrat’s Loot Hunt is bringing daily match challenges that will unlock 3 Loot Boxes per day and up to 9 Loot Boxes total. Play 2, 5, and 10 matches each day to hit your milestones and stack the rewards. Progress resets daily at 11AM PT, so you’ve got a fresh chance to go boom every morning.
New Tag Improvements
Drives
Competitive Drives return from August 19 to 26 with a new challenge curve and the Season 17 Signature. Rack up wins, checkpoint your progress, and master your climb. Squad wins earn bonus Drive Score, and if you completed the last Drive, you’ll see a shiny Prestige upgrade waiting at the top. Before the first checkpoint you won’t lose any Drive Score for losses, and the amount you lose now scales up to last season’s rate as you climb the Checkpoints, making it easier than ever to claim these awesome rewards.
Hero Updates
Developer Comments: The meta has been in a steady state for most of Season 17 so we are using this Midseason patch to take a look at less desirable perks, make adjustments based on hero ban trends, and tweak a few heroes in reaction to the Season 17 changes and the more powerful Damage Role Passive. With Season 18 including many Perk changes, we wanted to bring up a handful of our least picked/less powerful perks so that they are competitive options that cut through your standard gameplay loops. As players have gotten fairly settled in their perk choices on particular heroes, some of these changes are beyond where we would’ve started for perk balance in Season 15. Over time we’ve learned what’s necessary for perks to stand out as an interesting choice and make a marked change in how you approach engagements.
Below you’ll also find some adjustments that are related to hero ban trends or the current meta. Orisa has seen her matchup spread shift since the introduction of Hero Bans, particularly when it comes to facing beam-based weapons. Being able to dodge heroes like Zarya has brought up her popularity and performance, so we are pulling back a bit on her survivability and cooldown cycle. For Freja and Tracer, we are pulling back slightly on their damage capabilities and attempting to find a good middle ground for their current standing in the damage roster. Zenyatta also sees his Harmony Orb healing increased as it has been lacking in an environment with a more powerful Damage Role Passive.
Core Map Updates
Developer Comments: Flashpoint has always sparked a range of passionate opinions, and with the new map Aatlis, we felt that we applied a lot of learnings from Suravasa and New Junk City—so it’s only fitting that we go back and update those maps as well. These changes focus on three areas: Readability, Stronger Themes, and Flow.
Navigating and understanding where you are (and where you need to go) should now be easier. Entrances to Points have been highlighted more clearly, and the layouts and cover surrounding many entrances have been reworked. Building heights have also been reduced to help keep the focus on points of interest and spawn rooms. Understanding these maps is crucial, and having a clear visual distinction between areas is key. Many themes have been improved to ensure each area feels stronger, more distinct, and easier to recognize in the heat of battle. Objective Points are now less contained. The chokes are, as the team puts it, “less choky.” Various pieces of cover, new flank routes, and updated connecting paths have been added to give players more options—and a better shot at pushing onto and capturing points successfully.
TANK
D.Va
Developer Comments: D.Va has been having a tough time in early rounds, especially against beam-heavy heroes that counter her defensive tools. To address this, we’re introducing a new hero item aimed at improving her effectiveness in those matchups. Additionally, her solo survivability has been lagging behind other tanks, so this patch includes improvements to help her stay in the fight longer and thrive even without immediate team support.
Orisa
Developer Comments: Orisa’s javelin-focused build has been effective at disrupting enemies, but it also came with some clunky interactions that impacted its reliability and clarity. This patch addresses those rough edges to smooth out the experience and help her disruption tools to feel more responsive and intuitive to use.
DAMAGE
Mei
Developer Comments: This update improves its consistency so you’re able to land those chilly plays more reliably. Enjoy freezing the competition!
SUPPORT
Ana
Developer Comments: Ana has struggled to make an impact in the late game with unscoped weapon power build. This new epic item is designed to address that, giving her the tools to become a more reliable formidable threat.
Juno
Developer Comments: Stellar Focus lacked a clear standout strength compared to other power options, often feeling underwhelming in practice. This update aims to give it a more defined impact, helping it stand out as a meaningful and competitive choice in your build.
Kiriko
Developer Comments: Kiriko’s clone is reworked to serve a more utility-focused role, rather than functioning as the overly lethal auto-turret it once was. This change should help her contribute more reliably to team utility and generate Stadium Cash more consistently. In addition, Fleet Foot has been updated based on popular feedback, requiring a bit more commitment when diving into the backline, reinforcing the risk-reward dynamic of aggressive plays.
ARMORY
Developer Comments: Ironclad Exhaust Ports have been too powerful on certain heroes with low base ability cooldowns and crowding out other survival options at that price point. We’re making this more consistent with other Overhealth stacking effects to bring the payoff down to a healthier level.
