Overwatch 2 Season 2 is available now. In the spirit of preparing for victory, here's a guide with everything you need to know before moving on to the next round of updates, skins, and heroes.
Where has all the time gone? Overwatch 2 has been out for two months and we're already into Season 2. Blizzard won't be slowing down any time soon; is packed with loads this season, with even more content scheduled to arrive later. Like the previous season, we will have two months of fun that last from December 6 but also 7 February
As we move away from the familiarity of classic Overwatch and follow Blizzard down the rabbit hole, even minor changes will be crucial to understand as you head into your matches. We'll be updating this guide regularly with all the information you need, so with that in mind, let's jump into this new season.
Theme of the season: Greek mythology
For fans of Greek mythology (or anyone who thinks it sounds cool), this season is for you. This theme will run through the Battle Pass, with most of the voice lines, sprays, and skins having an obviously divine quality.
Your reward for completing the Battle Pass will be a Mythic Junker Queen Zeus skin. Like the Mythic Genji skin from the first season, it will also be customizable, with unique voice lines, special effects, and new weapon models.
Junker Queen will not be the only hero to attract the attention of the old. There will also be a Legendary Poseidon Ramattra skin and a Legendary Hades Pharah skin that you can unlock in the Battle Pass.
According to the Blizzard blog (opens in a new tab), "These heroes and many more will be imbued with awesome godlike powers in our new Battle for Olympus game mode." This limited-time event will take place from January 5 a January 19. While we don't yet know what this will entail, there may be hints of its design scattered among the new skins released this season. We'll let you know if we find anything.
New Map: Shambali
This season will also bring us a new must-have card in the form of Shambali. This Nepal location will be built around the three existing maps of Nepal: Village, Sanctuary, and Temple, so if you look at it from a bird's eye view, you can see how they all connect.
Shambali Monastery will be an escort map with a payload. Blizzard's blog page details how you can follow the path "trodden by countless Omnics who have sought refuge within its walls." This highlights the pivotal role Nepal will play in the story, as well as the relationship between Zenyatta and the new hero, Ramattra.
This monastery is where the characters meditated and reflected together, where they decided the path they will take to ensure the survival of the omnic people, one peaceful and the other destructive. While we can play this card our way, we also expect to see it in comics or friendship-focused animations of Omnics.
New rotation maps
Some eagle-eyed viewers may have also noticed the strange disappearance of some well-known Overwatch maps. If you missed Blizzard World or Rialto, you'll be happy to know that they're entering the map rotation for Season 2.
What is a map rotation? This feature is new to Overwatch 2. As new cards are added, they will enter the free-for-all rotation, which will change each season. This time, Blizzard World and Rialto will replace Hollywood and Gibraltar (although these two maps are still accessible in custom games). Oasis and Nepal will also appear at different times of the day.
New Hero: Ramattra
(*two*)
(Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)Ramattra is the new tank hero for Season 2, which was announced during the Overwatch League Finals. We've got a Ramattra guide ready before he unlocks his character in season 2, where you can read about his origin story, abilities, and the effect he can have on other heroes. For example, Ramattra can make Doomfist redundant.
All you need to know is that those who purchase the Premium Battle Pass will see Ramattra instantly unlocked for you to play. Those who refuse to pay the reward will be able to obtain this tank hero at level 45 of the battle pass. Initially, he was kept at level 55, but a few days before Season 2, Blizzard lowered the level requirement.
Recovery Hero Challenges
A new Challenge Mode is also being introduced in Season 2. Hero Recovery Challenges are for old players who were unable to unlock previous heroes like Kiriko in Season 1, or new players who haven't had the opportunity.
You start by selecting the challenges of the hero you want to unlock, who will send you to the training ground so you can learn their skills. You will then be challenged to win certain Overwatch 2 games under specific conditions. This will help you protect all the new heroes added to Overwatch 2.
If this all sounds too complicated, there is an option to unlock all new heroes in the in-game store.
Events: Winter Wonderland and Lunar New Year
Season 2 will also include two seasonal events. We got a taste of how Blizzard plans to celebrate them with their approach to the Halloween event early in Season 1. From there, we can expect to see a little PVE gameplay featured, as well as just skins and cosmetics added to the store.
The Winter Wonderland event will take place from December 13 a January 4. By comparison, the Lunar New Year event will take place January 17 a 1 February. Luckily, both will have everything promised in the Halloween seasonal event and more. This time around, Blizzard has promised certain skins that you can collect by completing game and event-specific challenges. This includes Epic Ice Queen Brigitte, Legendary Winged Victory Mercy, and Legendary Kkachi Echo.
You can also earn rewards and skins by watching Overwatch 2 streams on Twitch. Despite a shaky start to these Overwatch League material view rewards, Blizzard appears to be working on a fix.