It’s that time again for another new season of Overwatch 2. But this one feels bigger than your ordinary, run-of-the-mill entry in the franchise.
Season 16: Stadiumfeatures a new hero, which is always awesome, but the biggest addition may be an all-new mode that combines features from other games like MOBAs and competitive FPSs to create something truly exciting and new.
Read on below to learn all about what’s new and changing inOverwatch 2season 16.
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OW2 season 16 patch notes
Season 16 is full of new content inOW2, including an awesome new mode, a new hero, a new limited-time collaboration, and special skins and updates galore.
New mode: Stadium
Stadiumis a truly refreshing new mode inOW2, bringing new maps and a new third-person perspective to the tried and true formula of the game, along withmid-game items and power-ups, a best-of-seven format, and more.
The new mode is purely for ranked enthusiasts, offeringexclusive rewardsfor those who dive in.
New hero: Freja
The newest Damage hero inOW2joins the roster to kick off the season. Freja is a bounty hunter who wields a crossbow and has gotten some changes from feedback already given from her playtest last month.
Below, you can learn more about Freja’s abilities:
Hero nerfs and buffs
Any new season inOW2comes with its fair share of buffs and nerfs to existing heroes, and season 16 brings the heat, too, including a lot of changes to Perks introduced last season, along with the removal of underperforming ones and all-new ones entirely.
Zenyatta
Hero Bans in Competitive Play
Finally, the long-awaited ability to ban heroes from Competitive Play ranked matches is here, allowing for a new wrinkle to the strategy that goes into each match.
“The battlefield just got more dynamic,” Blizzard said. “With Hero Bans, you can influence matchups in Competitive Play through team-based voting to remove key counters from the game, leading to fresh strategies. You can remove up to two heroes per match per team, so coordinate with your team, adapt your plans, and shape the meta your way.”
New battle pass
New season means new battle pass means new skins. There are eight new skins to earn in the pass, along with others coming in the store throughout season 16, for Genji, Venture, Ashe, Mauga, Lifeweaver, Brigitte, Tracer, and Moira to begin with.
Gundam Wing collab
Mobile Suit Gundam-themed skins are coming for the 30th anniversary of the classic manga and anime series, with Mercy being the first teased to get a new costume as part of the collaboration. Which other heroes will be getting new skins? Stay tuned to learn more before the collab goes live on April 29.
Dokiwatch skins
D.Va, Brigitte, Freja, Kiriko, Widowmaker, and Juno are all getting adorable Dokiwatch-themed skins in season 16. These have been anticipated for some time, so their debut is sure to be a hit in the store.
Mythic Juno skin
Speaking of a hit, this season’s Mythic skin is for Juno, everyone’s newest favorite support hero inOW2. Heart of Hope is as adorable as it gets. But there’s also Mercy’s Mythic weapon, Merciful Magitech, and new Iridescent Aspects in the Mythic Shop as well.
This article will be updated with more information when it becomes available.
