Overwatch 2 season 6 begins Aug. 10, bringing a brand new help hero, new maps, and the long-awaited arrival of recent story content material for Blizzard’s free-to-play hero shooter. It’s an enormous content material drop, with a few of it free, and a few of it requiring a purchase order.
To assist make sense of what’s new in Overwatch 2: Invasion, right here’s a rundown of the content material.
New hero: Illari
![Illari uses her Outburst ability, pushing back Sombra and Soldier: 76, in a screenshot from Overwatch 2](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/gjqt-rbUXkGIbaVEvtxoY2ZEfjg=/0x0:3840x2160/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:3840x2160):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24842109/OVR_Press_H39Illari_015.jpg)
Picture: Blizzard Leisure
Overwatch’s thirty eighth hero, the solar-powered healer Illari, brings a much-needed replace to the help roster. Armed with a Photo voltaic Rifle that makes use of charged pictures and fires a therapeutic beam, Illari additionally has a therapeutic turret and a flashy, damage-dealing final. Illari hails from Peru, and her identify derives from the Quechua language, apparently that means “daybreak” or “new starting” — or in its extra trendy utilization, “digital.” You’ll be able to learn extra about Illari’s weapon, talents, and supreme on this submit, which additionally particulars her skins at launch.
Flashpoint
![Winston, Ramattra, Lifeweaver, Ana, and Pharah battle over a control point in Suravasa in Overwatch 2](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/VSxuinq-Uw44Ra5vCWU_5zkcQTE=/0x0:3840x2160/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:3840x2160):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24842142/OVR_FlashpointGameplay_India_003.jpg)
Picture: Blizzard Leisure
A brand new core PvP sport mode, Flashpoint sees groups battle to manage factors throughout massive maps, with the objective being to seize three factors earlier than the opposing workforce does. It’s corresponding to Name of Obligation’s Headquarters Professional mode, in that gamers might want to seize and defend a number of factors throughout the map.
Flashpoint will launch with two maps, described as “Overwatch 2’s largest PVP maps to this point”: Suravasa, a sun-drenched map set in India, and New Junk Metropolis, an Australian metropolis with a makeshift Junkertown aesthetic and a central fight area known as The Hammer Mill.
Flashpoint might be playable as a part of the final rotation in function and open queue. Initially, it can launch in Quickplay modes, then come to Aggressive modes “a pair weeks after the season begins,” Blizzard says. The developer mentioned it plans to introduce extra Flashpoint maps in future updates.
PvE Story Missions
![Reinhardt, Torbjorn, Brigitte, and Bastion defend against Null Sector forces in a screenshot from Overwatch 2’s story missions.](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/rBJ8xPIyPATVagCoAr2rFTa4NfI=/0x0:3840x2160/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:3840x2160):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24842392/OVR_Season6_PVE_Gothenburg_002.jpg)
Picture: Blizzard Leisure
Overwatch 2’s formidable Hero Missions and elaborate expertise bushes have been scrapped, however the sport’s PvE lives on in a sequence of recent Story Missions. These missions are much like a few of the limited-time PvE content material Blizzard has launched throughout earlier occasions, pitting heroes from the Overwatch workforce towards Null Sector ’bots in structured, replayable ranges. Three story missions arrive with season 6, sending heroes like Reinhardt, Lúcio, Mei, Winston, Genji, and Tracer to areas like Rio de Janeiro, Toronto, and Gothenburg (an all-new location) to fend off the Omnic invasion.
Story Missions will be performed solo (with AI-controlled allies) or cooperatively in groups of 4. Based mostly on some early hands-on time with Overwatch 2’s new Story Missions, they’re simply clearable on base problem by your self, however you’ll positively want some flesh-and-blood teammates for increased difficulties.
And in case you’re questioning, Story Missions do present expertise towards your battle go.
The Story Missions set in Rio de Janeiro, Toronto, and Gothenburg are paid content material; Blizzard is promoting entry to these missions for $15. (An Invasion Bundle consists of entry to these missions, an earnable Sojourn pores and skin, and 1,000 Cash.) Individually, a limited-time free occasion co-op mission known as King’s Row: Underworld might be out there from Aug. 10 to Sept. 5.
Hero Mastery and Development
![A first-person screenshot of Sojourn’s Hero Mastery level in Overwatch 2](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/K61hpuOR5owN81FdI0WiH0B-_6Q=/0x0:2519x1417/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:2519x1417):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24842393/Sojourn_06.jpg)
Picture: Blizzard Leisure
Gamers trying to hone their expertise can sort out the single-player Hero Mastery experiences, that are sort of like hero-specific follow ranges with particular challenges. Solely a subset of Overwatch 2’s general roster is playable in Hero Mastery mode, with extra to return in future seasons, Blizzard says. Hero Mastery has its personal leaderboards as nicely, bringing a brand new stage of competitors to Overwatch 2.
Blizzard can also be bringing again a model of development to Overwatch 2. Gamers will have the ability to earn emblems, badges, and upgradeable identify playing cards for heroes as they spend time enjoying with every character on the Overwatch roster.
Season 6 and Battle Go
![Ana’s Null Sector Mythic skin from Overwatch 2](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6KL2fJJEeniRezn8sFqTAGtnFO0=/0x0:1920x1080/1200x0/filters:focal(0x0:1920x1080):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24842546/AnaMythic_21x9.jpg)
Picture: Blizzard Leisure
Overwatch 2’s latest battle go is themed across the general Invasion DLC. By way of the premium battle go, gamers will have the ability to unlock skins for heroes like Ashe, Zarya, Winston, Pharah, Symmetra, and Ana — who’s the recipient of this seasons’ Mythic pores and skin, a Null Sector-inspired look.
Season 6 will run via mid-October, and can embrace the Overwatch 2 Anniversary occasion. That occasion will function the return of earlier limited-time sport modes Battle for Olympus, Starwatch, and Mischief & Magic — and every occasion’s related cosmetics.
Right here’s a fast take a look at every thing coming in Overwatch 2 Invasion and season 6, in useful infographic type.
Overwatch 2 on Steam
Yep! The PC model of Overwatch 2 is now on Steam, making it the primary title from Blizzard Leisure to broaden past Battle.web and onto Valve’s digital storefront. You’ll nonetheless want a Bnet account to play Overwatch 2, however the Steam model gained’t open up Blizzard’s launcher.