Overwatch Dev Tracker

Junker Queen joins the Overwatch 2 roster as the newest tank hero with a big axe and even bigger ideas. As we saw in The Wastelander cinematic, the Scrapyard’s sovereign is fierce, resourceful, and no stranger to survival. And now, she’s come to claim her rightful throne.

Junker Queen’s playstyle and kit were built from her pre-existing Overwatch lore. The Junkertown map showcases her tough, almost brutal, personality, and we wanted her abilities and playstyle to match that energy. This type of design—constructing a character’s kit to match their established identity—is called top-down design. Junker Queen was in Overwatch’s narrative well before we had a design for her kit, which meant she had big community expectations resting on her stately shoulders. Now, as she steps out of the lore and into the l...

The next Overwatch 2 Beta is on its way and will include console support, Junker Queen, and Rio—a hybrid map that’s home to Lucio’s “Clube Sinestesia!” This next phase of testing is slated to begin June 28 at 11:00 a.m. PDT and run until July 18. Please keep in mind the end date may be extended based on what our testing needs are at that time.

The beta will be available on PC, Xbox and PlayStation consoles. Because we’re expanding this beta to more platforms, all players, including those who previously had access, will need to opt-in again starting June 16 at 11:00 a.m. PDT. Players will need to specify which platform they would like to play on when they opt in for this beta. 

We are here to help and answer some of your most burning questions! 

Q. I had access to the first Overwatch 2 PVP Beta, will I automatically roll over to the next beta as well? 
A. Beta access does not roll over from the previous Overwatch 2 PvP Beta. For the u...

This week, we shared something near and dear to the team’s heart—Overwatch is back. 

Overwatch 2 is releasing on October 4 as a free-to-play live experience, and we'd like to explain exactly what that means for our game. Overwatch 2 will have seasonal updates on a regular cadence and a Battle Pass that will feature new content including new heroes, game modes, maps, cosmetics, and more! We’ll also be outlining Seasons One and Two and plans extending into 2023 with a roadmap for the game. 

A free-to-play, live experience

Making Overwatch 2 free-to play is a natural step forward for our game and our players. Overwatch, even since its debut, has always been a social game, and our community has always has the most fun when we come together. Free-to-play removes the barrier to entry, allowing anyone, anywhere to jump into the game, group up with friends, or find people to play with online. Along with this shift to free-to-play, we’ll be adding cross–progre...

Overwatch 2, launching on October 4, will be free-to-play on Windows® PC and Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, and Nintendo Switch™ consoles.

Anyone can join, and anyone can play and take part in our always-on, always-evolving live service. This is the most significant release in Overwatch history since its debut, and it will begin with early access to a new PvP experience, heroes, maps, and more with a new, free-to-play model.

At its core, we believe the game is a social experience that should be shared with everyone. This shift to free-to-play will open up and make the world of Overwatch available to more people than ever before, removing the barrier of entry and making it easier than ever to quickly jump into a match with friends. Inclusion is a strong driving force for this decision; when we stick together and work as a team, there's nothing that can stand in our way.

Save the Date for the Overwatch 2 Reveal Event 

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The Overwatch team has some exciting, fresh-off-the-press news to share with our community. We've been eagerly awaiting the moment we can show you all the things we have been creating, so mark your calendars, set your alarms, and don’t miss out! The Overwatch 2 Reveal Event will be on the PlayOverwatch YouTube and Twitch channels on June 16 at 10:00 a.m. PDT.

Up until now, we have introduced the new damage hero, Sojourn, Push, hero reworks, new maps, and a variety of new features all coming to Overwatch 2. The team is committed to being trans...

The Overwatch team has been ideating and experimenting with a handful of heroes since the PvP Beta wrapped up. Here’s a hint to one of the heroes we’ve been working on so far:

"The true struggle is for the superiority of ideas."

We’ve been cooking up some new ideas for Moira, and we’re considering how she will perform as we step into the future of the game.

Led by Associate Hero Designer Alex Kwok, the Hero Balance and Design Team is looking at how to best update Moira’s kit for Overwatch 2. She’s an effective support—sometimes too effective in certain metas like GOATS. However, we believe she lacks the play-making ability and utility possessed by other supports on the roster. To improve the feel of her gameplay, we’re iterating on fresh changes that will give her kit more depth; as we navigate toward this goal, we’re here to give you an inside look at how we ideate and iterate on hero design.

Hero Balance and Design Iteration Process

Heroes of Overwatch, let's talk data! Data is a valuable resource when it comes to game design. Data, player feedback, user research, internal discussion, and simply playing the game ourselves, all influence our design decisions. Data can give us a bird’s-eye-view, a close look at the smallest details, and it can illuminate larger trends in our game. Today we’re going to talk about what we can learn from the first Overwatch 2 Beta and how we use data to inform design decisions in-game.

Data and Design: Observing hero performance

The design team wanted to keep an eye on several things as the first beta began. We saw the community play Sojourn and explore the Sombra, Bastion, Doomfist, and Orisa reworks for the first time. We wanted to know how these heroes were performing in the beta and respond with quick changes if they were found to be lacking in effectiveness or too overpowered to play against.

When evaluating hero performan...

Our first Overwatch 2 PvP Beta has ended! We’ve been both humbled and inspired by the amount of interest and enthusiasm everyone has shown for Overwatch 2, and we can’t wait to share more with you about what comes next. Save the date for an Overwatch 2 Event on June 16!

In the meantime, as we wrap up this first testing phase, our Overwatch 2 Game Director, Aaron Keller, wanted to share a few words on Team 4’s behalf:

The Overwatch Team would like to take a moment to convey a heartfelt thank you to all the players that took part in our first beta. It was so exciting to see our community playing our game. The enthusiasm for this game and this universe means so much to us, it always has, and it always will.

Overwatch as a world, as a universe, is deeply personal to the team; something that we pour our time, creative energies and passion into. It can be scary putting something that means so much to you out there for other people to lo...

A renewed interest and excitement for the support role, improved queue times, improved survivability for support heroes, behind-the-scenes testing of Moira and Mercy, and thoughts around historical “shield-breaker” heroes are top of mind for our team as we reflect on the second week of the PvP Beta.  

Supports 

We’ve been closely monitoring the performance of the support role following last week’s balance patch that saw improvements for Baptiste, adjustments for Ana, and the introduction of a montage-worthy new passive ability for Zenyatta.  

As is often the case when we increase effective health for a hero, Zenyatta saw all-around improvements in performance over the weekend. Even with a higher pick rate, we saw our resident Omnic monk’s win rate improve by 5%, putting him in a healthy—albeit slightly strong—position. Perhaps not as surprising, the additional 25 shield health resulted in a 7% reduction in his death rate, with a...

Throughout week one of our first Technical Beta for Overwatch 2, our team has been galvanized by all the enthusiasm and positive energy from so many participating players. We’re carefully listening to your feedback during this Beta test. As we committed to more regular communication with our players, we plan to share a weekly update with you about what we’re learning and how that impacts our development plans. For this week's update, we have four main topics to cover. 

Progress on Beta 1 Goals  
The main goals for our first Beta were to test our shift to 5v5, the new maps and Push game mode, overall balance, and build and server stability. We believe 5v5 is a significant adjustment for players, and we have been happy to hear consistent and positive feedback about players having more fun, feeling a greater sense of impact in their matches, and enjoying a faster pace of combat and engagements. While we will continue to adjust the rules of Push, pla...

The Overwatch 2 PvP Beta is on the horizon! Starting April 26th at 11am PT, selected players will begin to receive invites to join the PvP Beta throughout the day. In advance of the PvP Beta beginning, we wanted to share more information and answer your questions.  

FAQ  

Q. How will I know if I'm selected to participate in the Overwatch 2 PvP Beta? 
A. Players selected to participate in the Overwatch 2 PvP Beta will receive a welcome email from the Overwatch team with instructions on how to gain access to the build. Starting at 11am, we will begin rolling out beta access to selected participants. While players selected initially should all receive access on the first day, we may extend invitations to more players at later periods in this test. 

Q. How can I opt-in to the Overwatch 2 PvP Beta and how are players selected? 
A. Visit the Overwatch 2 PvP Beta page t...

Two opposing forces—one a benevolent protector of Numbani, the other a mighty successor to the city's Scourge—are both receiving reworks just in time for the Overwatch 2 PvP Beta. Although the new 5v5 team composition will change the way tanks approach team fights, their primary objectives will remain the same: focus on making space for their team, initiate engagements, and peel for allies in trouble. Overall, they’re going to feel brawlier, dishing out damage while utilizing their strong defensive capabilities. Lead Hero Designer Geoff Goodman led the charge on Doomfist’s transition from damage to tank hero, and Senior Hero Designer Brandon Brennan took point on the Orisa rework. Let’s jump into how both heroes have been tailored to fit the changes coming in Overwatch 2!

DOOMFIST

Doomfist’s curren...

Sojourn is ready to deploy. As a former Overwatch Captain, Sojourn fields abilities designed to plan, lead, and execute strikes on her opposition.

The 33rd Hero on the roster, Sojourn offers a unique mid-range gameplay experience and a kit packed with some incredible mobility and artillery. Senior Hero Designer Josh Noh has been leading the charge on her gameplay development, while Narrative Designer Miranda Moyer wrote many of Sojourn’s in-game voice lines. They're both here to give us insight into her conceptualization and play style.

Railgun

The Railgun’s primary fire is a rapid projectile that generates energy on hit. The energy Sojourn generates from her primary charges up her secondary, which is a high-impact shot that consumes the stored energy. “The Railgun is where Sojourn started,” say...

There are many questions the team keeps in mind when creating a new Overwatch map, but ultimately, we want the art and aesthetics of any given map to add complexity and depth to the gameplay. We have made some changes to the maps to reflect broader Overwatch 2 shifts. One example includes adding cover to existing Overwatch maps to accommodate having one less tank. Another example includes the new daytime and nighttime cycles that make certain areas easier or more difficult to see, and it gives an overall different vibe to each map. This design philosophy and development inspiration is seen throughout the four new Overwatch 2 PvP maps debuting in the April 26^th Beta test —New Queen Street in Toronto, Colosseo in Rome, Midtown in New York City, and Circuit Royal in Monte Carlo!

New Queen Street and Colosseo are the first maps for the new...

IT’S PARTY TIME

Grab your gilded weapons and put on your most stylish skins–the sixth anniversary of Overwatch has arrived! To celebrate the occasion, we’re unlocking the skin vault and bringing back six limited looks that you might have missed out on–with an exclusive twist. The festivities are just getting started, so keep an eye out for the next installment of this three-volume event series.

THE BRAWLS ARE BACK

As part of the Overwatch Anniversary celebration, we’re unlocking season-exclusive brawls, giving you the chance to dive back into your favorite modes from previous seasonal events. Kick it back with Lúcioball, team up to defend Adlersbrunn from Dr. Junkenstein, relive past Archives missions, and more!

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Overwatch 2 is introducing the highly requested ping system to the game! We’re adding this quality-of-life feature because we are dedicated to improving players’ experiences and including the community in our development strategy. Let’s dive into the inspiration, goals, and an overview of the Overwatch 2 ping system! The inspiration behind the ping system came from a value the Overwatch team holds dearly: Every Voice Matters.

This is a core value at Blizzard, and the Overwatch team wanted to personify this value in our game. We wanted to create a system that would enhance voice communication as well as provide alternative ways to share information with your team,” says systems designer Gavin Winter. “One of our goals was to augment speech and give people a way to visually interpret voice communication. We also wanted to support all voices and create a system to communicate for players that would prefer to avoid voice chat.”

Your support has arrived!  
 
We are here to provide you with additional information following the most recent Developer Update with Game Director, Aaron Keller. The Closed PvP Beta is coming April 26th, and we have the answers to some of your burning questions!  
 

Q. How are Closed Beta participants selected? 
A. Beta testers are chosen based on a variety of factors, including (but not limited to) your Battle.net region, when you signed up, and your computer hardware specifications. We are also inviting select journalists and community contributors from around the world. 
 

Q. Do I need to own a copy of Overwatch 1 to access the Closed beta? 
A. Yes, you will need to own a Copy of Overwatch 1 to access the 1st Closed Beta.  
 

Q. I’m a console player, will I be able to play in the 1st Closed Beta? 
A. Our first Close...

Overwatch is evolving. In our first step towards increased communication and a consistent cadence of updates for our community, we are incredibly excited to share information about our plans for the upcoming months. We are changing our release strategy by decoupling Overwatch 2’s PvP and PvE experiences from one another to get new PvP content into your hands sooner, while we continue to work on PvE. Learn more about what’s happening through our most recent developer update with Game Director Aaron Keller: 

Closed alpha testing for Overwatch 2 PvP begins today in select regions, and includes Blizzard employees, Overwatch League pros, and a few other select groups to help us prepare for wider testing.

Then our first PvP Beta will begin in late April for PC in select regions. This closed beta will include a larger group of testers who we will ask to provide gameplay feedback. Our goal for this phase is to test our new features, content, and systems before...

The Overwatch Empowerment Cup is a place for women and other marginalized genders to compete and grow their skills in a safe environment. This is a community-led tournament and initiative sponsored by Vite Ramen, who are dedicated to being allies within the Overwatch community. Equity in esports has been a long-time value for Vite Ramen’s CEO Tim Zheng, a former Overwatch player with Aggie Gaming at the University of California-Davis. Every Overwatch Empowerment Cup organizer strives to provide the community with a space where players feel comfortable and can experience high-level competition. 

Presenting a brand-new era of competitive Overwatch, the Overwatch Empowerment Cup will host its first-ever tournament on February 26-27. Here's when you can tune in to watch the competition! 

Broadcast powered by ...

It was a long fall from Overwatch to Talon for Gabriel Reyes. The path from Solder 24 of Overwatch to Reaper of Talon was one of darkness, despair, and deception. To tell this haunting story, The Overwatch Team collaborated with community artist NIRA to create some haunting in-game sprays.  

NIRA joined us for an interview about their experience working with the Overwatch team on the ...