Overwatch Dev Tracker

Defense Matrix Activated! Season 12 is just around the corner, launching tomorrow on August 20, and we have exciting news in our efforts to stop disruptive and harmful play in Overwatch 2. Defense Matrix is our initiative that works to make Overwatch 2 a fun, safe, and fair competitive Hero Shooter that is inclusive for everyone. So let’s jump into what’s been happening and what we have in store coming in Season 12 and beyond.

Cheaters Are NOT Heroes

Cheating is an on-going problem in every skill-based game, and Overwatch 2 is no exception.  Cheating is a premeditative behavior where a player deliberately intends to ruin the experience for others, and is not tolerated in our community. Cheats like aimbots and wallhacks wreck the experience for all players. Our team has been hard at work to stop the hacks and mods that enable cheating, plus remove cheaters and those who take advantage of cheaters. Today, we’re pleased to announce we have banned over 500,0...

Hey all, Gavin Winter here from the systems team.  You’ve probably learned at this point that if I’m talking, I’m explaining topics in more detail than anyone asked for and the tone will be at least slightly irreverent.  You can expect more of that in today’s Director’s Take!

In Season 9 we talked about how we wanted to make each new Competitive Year a big event for the game, but we also mentioned that our mid-year patches would be bigger than others too.

Over the past several months our Versus, Player Experience, and Features teams have built several systems that are designed to improve our core gameplay experience for Season 12.

Updates to Avoid a Teammate

Let’s start with a feel-good feature everyone will be excited about, avoiding more players we don’t like!

We talked about this feature in a Developer Update earlier this year, but we’ve used that time to push this feature even further since then!  The system now features 15 av...

Blast into action with the new Martian Support Hero Juno, a Mid-Year reset, Clash game mode featuring two new maps, divine Mythic Skins, and more.

Prepare yourselves for an interstellar adventure, as Overwatch 2 launches its highly anticipated Season 12! This season promises to be out of this world with Juno, the new Support hero from Mars. Get ready to brawl through two new maps in the Clash game mode and unleash the power of ancient Egyptian gods with the new Mythic Anubis Reaper Hero Skin and the upcoming Mythic Midnight Sun Ana Weapon Skin. And that’s not all—embark on this cosmic journey through the Premium Battle Pass and collect ancient wonders including the Legendary Bast Doomfist and Oni Ana skins, and more. Let's dive into the stellar features awaiting you in Season 12.

Juno Has Landed

Juno ...

Hey everyone! There's been a lot of talk about 6v6 lately, and it's only intensified in recent weeks since we posted our latest Director's Take and made a Twitter post with a promise to talk about it in the future. Well, now is the future, and this is that next piece! So, let's get into it! Wait. Let's not get into it quite yet…

This is a pretty complex and nuanced topic, and it gets to the beating heart of what makes this game tick. Our players have different opinions and preferences about the ideal number of players in an Overwatch match, and so does our team. We’re a microcosm of the broader community and discuss this internally. I’m hoping that this piece will serve as an introduction to our own discussions and a jumping off point to engage with all of you!

I'd also like to set a few expectations and ground rules. First, it's pretty long (creators are going to lose their voices reading this one aloud). If you'd like a tl;dr, the 'What's Next' section s...

Now you can burn through the competition with the Bound Demon Reinhardt Mythic Weapon Skin, available in the Mythic Shop. A first of its kind, the Bound Demon Mythic Weapon Skin comes alive as you battle through the front lines. Burning in the blackened steel of an ancient hammer, this Bound Demon awaits a powerful warrior to wield its might. Whether charging into battle or holding the line with every swing, the Mythic Bound Demon Reinhardt Weapon Skin will react to your every attack.

Some of the Overwatch 2 designers that helped forged this fiery weapon shared with us a bit of the process taking it from concept to modeling, to rigging and animation, and finally to the incredible visual effects that you’ll see in your games.

What were your goals when creating the concept for the Bound Demon Mythic Weapon?

Angela Song (Concept Artist): Our initial thought was to have the theme be magma, but once I...

You don’t need to use Recall to look back on all the good memories you’ve made since the launch of Overwatch in 2016. Instead, head over to your official Overwatch 2 Recap Video! 

To celebrate surpassing 100 million players—and to give thanks to the heroes who made that possible—we’ve put together a personalized recap tailored to your gameplay. Watch now to see your achievements honored, your teammates commended, and your contributions recognized!  

Access your Recap Video by visiting recap.overwatch.com*. There, you can view your awe-inspiring highlights and share your triumphs with t...

An exciting update for Overwatch 2 has arrived and with it brings new skins, new rewards, and fan-favorite ways to play. Roll out with unique cosmetics in a heroic collaboration with the TRANSFORMERS and forge your legend with the inaugural Mythic Weapon skin added to the Mythic Shop. Then break out the sunscreen as you hit the beach with the 2024 Summer Games event and all new Lifeguard themed skins to collect. Finally, get ready to choose new passives to power-up in a Quick Play Hacked event.

More than Meets the Eye

Calling all TRANSFORMERS fans, you’re needed in the Overwatch 2 universe for our newest collab event!  Join the epic battle between the AUTOBOTS and DECEPTICONS with Reinhardt as Optimus Prime, Ramattra as Megatron, Bastion as Bumblebee, and Illari as Arcee. Each hero bundle comes packed with additional TRANSFORMERS cosmetic effects including highlight intros, victory poses, player icons, and name cards. You can also unlock the entire colle...

Hey everyone! It's been a bit since our last Director's Take. We’ve missed a few of these in recent months. Sorry for the gap, speaking to all of you will continue to be a priority for the team.

Let's talk about tanks. Let me rephrase that… a lot of you are talking about tanks, I'd like to contribute from a developer point of view.

We've heard from players that the tank role is in a tough spot right now and has been since Season 8 ended. We agree. That's not to say that tanks were in a perfect spot before Season 9, but the problem now is that most of them just don't feel as 'tanky' as they should. Many times, both Support heroes need to focus solely on the tank just to keep them alive. In this scenario both the Tank and Supports can feel like they have limited options in their gameplay, as they are essentially tied to each other.

Our internal stats show this as well. We've come up with a new metric since Season 9 that we simply call "tankiness." It's roughl...

Season 11 is here, and with it comes a fun new way to play designed by some of your favorite Overwatch 2 content creators. We’ve teamed up with Emongg, TQQ, Custa, and ...

Gear up for an epic showdown as Ultrawatch faces Mythic Calamity Empress Ashe, plus celebrate 100 million heroes with the return of Pink Mercy, and much more. Overwatch 2 Season 11: Super Mega Ultrawatch arrives June 20!

Get ready to unleash your inner superhero with Legendary Ultrawatch skins, as you call upon their power to fight evil. The fallen Mythic Calamity Empress Ashe, alongside her no-good miscreant sidekick B.O.B., has risen to power, and it's up to Ultrawatch to stop her. But will the power of teamwork be enough to stand against the Empress’s wicked reign or will she conquer and rule the world?

Create Calamity with New Mythic Rewards

Being evil will never be more fun when you progress through the Season 11 Premium Battle Pass. This season, the wickedly magical Mythic Calamity Empress Ashe has emerged, wielding her dark magic as she looks to defeat Ultrawatch and any others who try to stand in her way. Experience enhanced visual effects, with h...

Update, June 27 - We communicated incorrect pricing for select regional currencies for this blog. These prices have now been updated appropriately to match the actual retail price for both the Pink Mercy skin and the Rose Gold Mercy bundle. We apologize for any error.

Overwatch would not be where it is without you. You’ve pushed the payload, fought to capture the point, and cheered your teams to victory. Whether you are a tank main, damage one-trick, or support superstar, you’re all heroes. Since Overwatch launched in 2016, we’ve had over 100 million players answer the call, and we’re celebrating this milestone with something very special.

One of our favorite memories from this history of Overwatch is when we all came together for a great cause and helped make a difference in the lives of those affected by breast cancer. In May 2018, we introduced the Pink Mercy skin, which helped raise $12.7 million USD for the ...

Every Pride Month, communities around the world celebrate and accentuate why it’s important to give visibility to everyone in the LGBTQ+ community. Overwatch Creator Dani Ellis— better known as Grandma—knows why Overwatch is a place where the LGBTQ+ community can feel openly represented in the game and be part of the gaming community. We talked with Grandma about why this matters, and how she expresses herself to her community on her stream at twitch.tv/grandma.

Hello Grandma! Can you introduce and share with us who you are?

My name is Grandma, though my actual name is Dani. I consider myself a veteran gamer, as I have been playing games since I was 4 years old. ...

Overwatch 2 strives to be a space that is fun and safe for all players of all backgrounds. Whether they are queer or an ally, many players in our community have made Overwatch 2 their game a place where they can express themselves authentically. We had the chance to talk with content creator Deshaawnn to find out why Overwatch 2 is his go-to game and positive place for him.

Hello Deshaawnn! Would you please introduce yourself and which heroes do you like to play?

Deshaawn: Hello, my name is Deshaawnn. I’m a cozy / slightly chaotic queer streamer in the Overwatch community. I’ve been streaming since 2018 and honestly, I just love shining love and positivity into people’s lives. That’s what I enjoy about this most of all.

My favorite hero to play? ...

Overwatch 2 wouldn’t be where it is without the amazing talent that goes into the various Esports programs that help showcase the best players in the game and the casting talent who call all the action. One rising star in that field is Ceebee, who brings you the action when you watch Calling All Heroes, the Esports program that provides a competitive space for players of marginalized genders to compete. We sat down to chat with CeeBee, who shared what it’s like to be involved in the growing community for Overwatch and how she is looking to make Esports a place for everyone.

Hello CeeBee, would you introduce yourself to our community?

CeeBee: Hello, my name is Ceebee. I am an Esports caster focusing primarily on competitive Overwatch. I found a  lovely home in the Calling All Heroes scene, where I get the opportunity to call the action and be an active part of that community to help support marginalized gender players...

Pride Month returns to Overwatch 2! Pride season is a time where folks across the globe gather to celebrate and bring visibility to both the challenges as well as the joys surrounding the LGBTQ+ community. The passion shared by the Overwatch community is a constant source of inspiration and support, as we recently witnessed with the welcome and love you extended our latest LGBTQ+ heroes, Lifeweaver and Venture. All of the time, we see amazing community created fan art and cosplay of our diverse heroes and their stories. Overwatch 2 would not be the game it is without heroes, and that includes our players who have the courage to stand up and show the world who they are. Which is why we’re celebrating Pride with you, the Overwatch 2 community.

Get to Know Our LGBTQ+ Creators

Throughout the month of June, we’re featuring some of our popular content creators from the LGBTQ+ community. We’ll sit down with a few of these creators in a series of blog posts to learn more...

Get ready to amp up your matches in style—Overwatch 2 and Porsche team up for a collaboration that will have heads turning.

The collaboration between Overwatch 2 and Porsche showcases the shared essence of these two high performance brands with themed cosmetics and Legendary skins featuring the iconic designs of Porsche and their new fully electric vehicle line. Read on to learn how you can add these Porsche inspired cosmetics to your collection today.

Drive to Victory

Electrify the battlefield when you snag the co-designed collab Porsche D.Va and Porsche Pharah Legendary skins from the shop, featuring exclusive paint textures and custom sound effects from the new all-electric Porsche Macan and Taycan.

D.Va drives to victory in her reimagined mech, inspired by the sleek design of the all-electric Porsche Macan Turbo.  The stunning new look integrates elements of the all-electric Porsche Macan Turbo, from its distinct headlights, coil susp...

Hey, everyone! I’m glad to see all of you digging into Season 10. We’ve loved seeing you welcome our newest hero, Venture, and enjoy the Mirrorwatch event (playable now in the Arcade!). However, this week, I want to look ahead to our midseason update and discuss some changes we have on the way for the Tank role.

In Overwatch 2, tanks are the imposing heroes who take the brunt of the fight while enabling their teammates to secure eliminations.  While tanks are a big target for opponents to focus on, many team comps aim to burn down a Tank’s HP quickly, or they get moved around a lot from displacement abilities. We’ve received feedback that tanks can either feel like they get taken down too quickly in a fight or that they’re impossible to take down.   

So, our midseason update is going to help balance how many hits tanks can take to stay in the fight better.  First, we’re specifically buffing the Tank passive to have a 25% damage reduction from head...

The familiar transforms into the unexpected when you embark on a journey through the looking glass with Mirrorwatch, Overwatch 2's latest limited-time event, now available through May 13. You’re invited to explore this parallel reality where the line between good and evil blurs as heroes and villains switch sides.

Glimpse into the Mirror

In this limited-time, non-canon event, Overwatch 2 introduces players to a mirrored universe where familiar faces adopt new personas, alignments, and abilities. You’ll be playing a 5v5 role queue in a world where Mercy leads Talon with a powerful rocket launcher, and Doomfist rallies Overwatch with a new Power Block shield. Try out the new Mirrorwatch event, where heroes swap teams and players must adapt to a whole new dynamic of gameplay.

In Mirrorwatch, not only are heroes swapping sides, but they’re also equipped with entirely reimagined abilities to reflect their new alignments. Experience your favorite char...

Hey everyone! Senior game producer Adam Massey and lead gameplay engineer Daniel Razza here, subbing in for Aaron this week. We’re going to share some updates on fair play for console players in Overwatch 2 regarding the issue of unapproved peripherals.

What are Unapproved Peripherals?

Our goal is for Overwatch 2 to be a great experience no matter what platform you play on. The game feels best when matches are close and competitive, and everyone plays on a level playing field. To help achieve this, we’ve tailored the game experience on console by adding console-specific features such as aim assist, which helps bridge the difference in precision of aim between a mouse and a controller.

Unfortunately, some players on console have been using devices that allow them to use a mouse and keyboard while tricking the console into thinking that the inputs are coming from a controller. While some use different peripherals for accessibility purposes, some pl...

We’re thrilled that Venture is finally in the hero lineup, and it’s been fun to see you get your hands on their groundbreaking kit and mechanics. Today two developers who were part of our newest hero's strike team will share a behind-the-scenes look at how Venture, became Venture.

Hero strike teams consist of many different disciplines across Team 4. There is no one formula for how heroes come to life, but it always starts with assembling a group of developers who will embark on the journey of creating a new hero together. Today, we’re going to hear from two of those developers – one concept artist and one narrative designer - to talk about how Venture’s art and aesthetic were created, as well as how their character and personality came to life.

Let’s get into it!

Venture’s Concept Art

Hi! I’m Daryl Tan, Lead Character Concept Artist on Team 4.

Being on the team that brought Venture to life was an incredibl...