Overwatch has ebbed and flowed in recognition over the previous decade, and with the discharge of Season 1, it is clear that the longer term has by no means regarded brighter for Blizzard’s hero shooter. Not solely is Blizzard dropping 5 new characters, however it’s additionally planning to launch new seasons each two months, every that includes a brand new hero, skins, and stability modifications to maintain the sport contemporary.
In hindsight, it is truthful to say that the discharge of Overwatch 2 was a catastrophe. The transition to a free-to-play reside service multiplayer sport arrived with many shortsighted kinks, alongside the promise of a PvE mode that by no means got here to go, tarnishing Overwatch’s repute. To make issues worse, Marvel Rivals launched in late 2024, setting new requirements for the hero shooter style with character launches occurring each two months. To place that into context, after lower than two years, the Marvel Rivals characters checklist is nearly the identical dimension because the Overwatch roster.
Blizzard actually kicked into gear in 2025 by specializing in the weather that make Overwatch particular. The addition of perks gave gamers methods to counter tough match-ups on the fly, the three heroes launched all year long had been all positively acquired, and the introduction of the Stadium sport mode is actually a model new sport. Essentially the most tough facet that usually will get ignored is the sport’s balancing, an space that Blizzard has labored onerous on, to make sure that gamers aren’t simply choosing the identical heroes each single match.
Whereas I attempted my greatest to persuade my pals that Overwatch was legitimately good once more, the injury had already been finished. In any case, even our very personal Lauren Bergin highlighted the sport’s inefficiencies when she marked the sport with a disappointing 6/10 rating in our Overwatch 2 overview. “Do I nonetheless want to purchase the battle go to unlock the brand new hero?” and “Did they add again in 6v6?” are a number of the questions I am pressured to reply, understanding deep down that it is subsequent to inconceivable to persuade individuals who have made up their minds.
With the discharge of Season 1, it is immediately lots simpler to elucidate why Overwatch is value enjoying once more. All 5 of the brand new characters seem like they’ve the potential to shake up the meta, and the truth that they’re launching on the identical time means we’ll see a direct shift over the following month. I am notably to see what influence Jetpack Cat goes to have on our Overwatch tier checklist, on condition that she’s the primary character who can disrupt fights by hauling gamers out of fight.
Overwatch Season 1 represents every little thing Overwatch 2 ought to have been when it launched again in 2023. The messaging is crystal clear this time round: Overwatch is a well-balanced PvP shooter with substantial updates arriving each two months. The sweeping modifications in 2025 proved that Overwatch was actually again, and this newest season makes that message unmistakable to the broader gaming world because it kicks off the yr with a bang.
Elsewhere on PCGamesN we’ve the most recent on the Anran controversy and a full Overwatch characters checklist with all the brand new heroes.
