Home News Overwatch 2 Unveils Sweeping Changes: Loot, Perks, and New POV

Overwatch 2 Unveils Sweeping Changes: Loot, Perks, and New POV

Author : Gabriella Feb 26,2025

Overwatch 2 is undergoing a major transformation in 2025. While new content is on the horizon, the core gameplay is receiving a significant overhaul, most notably the introduction of hero perks.

Nearly nine years after the original Overwatch's release and two and a half years after Overwatch 2's launch, Season 15 (February 18th) introduces perks, fundamentally changing how the game is played.

Game director Aaron Keller and the Blizzard team announced numerous updates, including new collaborations, heroes, and a completely revamped gameplay experience. These changes aim to revitalize Overwatch 2, particularly in the face of competition from titles like NetEase's Marvel Rivals.

Hero Perks in Overwatch 2

Each hero will have two selectable perks—minor and major—unlocking at specific levels throughout a match. Minor perks offer subtle upgrades (e.g., Orisa's primary fire refunding heat on critical hits). Major perks drastically alter gameplay (e.g., replacing Orisa's Javelin Spin with her Barrier). These are mutually exclusive choices, similar to Heroes of the Storm's talent system.

Overwatch 2 Perks Images

4 Images

Stadium: A New Round-Based Mode

Season 16 (April) introduces Stadium, a 5v5, best-of-7 round-based competitive mode. Players earn and spend currency between rounds to enhance their heroes' attributes or unlock significant alterations (e.g., flying Wraith Form for Reaper). While perks aren't initially included in Stadium, future integration is possible. Stadium also features a selectable third-person camera perspective. It launches with 14 heroes, with more to be added.

Overwatch 2 Stadium Screenshots

11 Images

Overwatch Classic and 6v6 Updates

Blizzard continues experimenting with 6v6 modes, including a competitive open queue with a two-tank limit. Overwatch Classic, arriving mid-Season 16, revives the "GOATs Meta" (three tanks, three supports) from Overwatch 1.

Seasonal events (April Fools', Summer Games, Dr. Junkenstein's) are also planned.

New Heroes: Freja and Aqua

Freja, a crossbow-wielding bounty hunter, arrives in Season 16. Concept art for Aqua, a water-bending hero, was also revealed.

Overwatch 2 New Heroes Screenshots

7 Images

The Return of Loot Boxes

Loot boxes are returning, obtainable through the free battle pass track and weekly rewards. Transparency regarding drop rates is a key change.

Competitive Updates

Season 15 resets competitive ranks, offering rewards like Galactic weapon skins. Season 16 introduces hero bans and map voting.

Overwatch 2 Season 15 Screenshots

9 Images

Cosmetics and Collaborations

Numerous new cosmetics are planned, including Mythic skins for Zenyatta, Widowmaker, Juno, Mercy, Reaper, and D.Va. A second collaboration with LE SSERAFIM is also in the works.

Overwatch 2 New Cosmetics

12 Images

Competitive Expansion

Overwatch's competitive scene is expanding with a new stage in China, increased live events, Face.it league integration, a new tournament system, and in-game team items.

Latest Articles More
  • Top Marvel Snap Meta Decks for September 2024

    If you're diving into *Marvel Snap* (Free), this new season brings fresh opportunities and challenges alike. With a brand-new month comes a brand-new season, which means the meta is shifting once again. While things were relatively balanced last month, the introduction of new cards and mechanics—esp

    Jul 17,2025
  • Yoko Taro Fears AI Will Jobless Game Creators, Reducing Them to 'Bards'

    The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the gaming industry has become a growing topic of discussion in recent years. Among those raising concerns is Yoko Taro, director of the *NieR* series, who has voiced fears that AI could eventually replace human game creators. His thoughts were sh

    Jul 16,2025
  • "Save $848 on Samsung The Frame 55\" TV and Get Free Teak Bezel for Prime Day"

    If you're searching for a television that doubles as a stylish art piece or digital photo frame, look no further than Samsung's "The Frame" series. For this year's Prime Day, Amazon is offering the 55-inch Samsung The Frame 4K QLED Smart TV—including a Teak-style bezel—for just $797.99, with free sh

    Jul 16,2025
  • MCU Star Challenges Critics: 'Thunderbolts Will Make You Eat Your Words'

    If you're looking to enhance the SEO performance and readability of this article while maintaining its original structure, here's the optimized version. It’s crafted for better engagement and improved compatibility with Google search algorithms:Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) star Wyatt Russell, bes

    Jul 16,2025
  • Gizmoat: A Quirky New Addition to iOS App Store

    Every so often, while navigating the vast and unpredictable world of mobile gaming, we stumble upon a peculiar title that seems to exist in near-total obscurity. One such example is *Gizmoat*, a curious little game currently available on the iOS App Store. At first glance, it appears straightforward

    Jul 15,2025
  • Top Atlan Crystal Classes: Best for PvE and PvP

    If you're searching for the most powerful class in Crystal of Atlan, you've come to the right place! The game features a rich and flexible class system, where players begin with a base class and gain access to subclasses at level 15. These subclasses can be changed until level 45, after which your c

    Jul 15,2025