It’s been a long time coming, but Overwatch 2 is closer than ever to release. That being said, we still have plenty of waiting to do, and plenty of heroes yet to be revealed. Unlike most sequels, Overwatch 2 is basically a major expansion to the first game rather than a fresh restart. Essentially all the content from the first game will be included in the game, along with some bigger changes and additions, such as maps and modes. However, the most exciting thing for fans is the new additions to the bright, colorful, and expressive character roster.
Overwatch‘s cast has been growing steadily ever since it was first released in 2016. Even though each character falls into either the tank, DPS, or support role, Blizzard has managed to make nearly all of them competitive in their own way, and certainly unique in terms of design and personality. At launch, the game had 21 heroes, which is already a high number for a game like this, but 11 more have been added, with even one more coming just before Overwatch 2’s release. While we don’t know much about the new faces yet, here’s every character we know of that’s coming to Overwatch 2.
Further reading
- Overwatch 2: Everything we know about the release date, new heroes, and more
- Overwatch pros weigh in on the sequel’s shift to five-player teams
- Overwatch 2 developers explain how the game’s dynamic maps work
New characters
Since the announcement of Overwatch 2, only one character has been officially confirmed to join our cast of heroes in the anticipated sequel. We don’t know exactly how many new characters will be introduced at launch, but if the original game’s rollout of heroes is anything to go off of, we can expect there to be a consistent drop of new characters over the game’s lifetime. Let’s dive into everything we know about the new characters for Overwatch 2.
Sojourn
Sojourn was the first new character revealed for Overwatch 2 alongside the announcement of the game itself back in 2019. Since then we haven’t gotten a ton of concrete info, but do know some interesting background details. Sojourn was previously a captain of Overwatch who joined during the Golden Age, is from Canada, and has received some cybernetic brain upgrades. Her primary weapon appears to be some form of energy-based machine gun with two firing modes. The primary mode is a simple automatic weapon, while the second turns it into a concentrated bolt you can charge up for more damage.
Unfortunately, none of Sojourn’s abilities have been shown off yet, with the exception of a tiny glimpse at what appears to be her ultimate. Based on what little we’ve seen, it appears like her ultimate will allow her to shoot these charged bolt shots with almost no cooldown, but whether that’s actually the case, or if there’s more to it, has yet to be confirmed. Still, it feels safe, for now, to pit her as being added into the DPS class of characters based on what we know so far.
All returning characters
Taking a cue from Smash Ultimate, everyone is back in Overwatch 2! That’s right, every single character, new and old, will transfer right into the sequel. They may not be exactly the same, with some getting some gameplay tweaks, others visual updates, or both. Broken down by their roles, here’s every returning character you can play in Overwatch 2.
DPS
The dominators of the play-of-the-game clips, the most fast-paced, and probably the most popular role in the game are the DPS characters. Perhaps that’s why the number of DPS characters is equal to the other two roles combined. These characters, as their designation so aptly summarizes, are designed to be the damage dealers on your team. Whether they have machine guns, rockets, or shotguns, these characters, while light on health, can rip through enemies faster than any other role. Here are all 15 of the DPS characters coming back:
- Ashe
- Echo
- Tracer
- Reaper
- Phara
- McCree
- Soldier: 76
- Genji
- Sombra
- Doomfist
- Widowmaker
- Torbjorn
- Hanzo
- Bastion
- Junkrat
- Mei
- Symmetra
Support
No team could function without solid support players. These are essential for healing, buffing, and debuffing the enemy. They aren’t useless in a fight but are not meant to be on the front lines all by themselves. They are sometimes thought of as unsung heroes of the game, making sure everyone else on the team can accomplish their roles. Here are all seven returning support characters:
- Ana
- Baptiste
- Brigitte
- Lucio
- Mercy
- Moira
- Zenyatta
Tank
Last up we have the big boys and girls, the tanks. These characters are meant to absorb tons of damage while disrupting the enemy’s position and choke points. When your team needs to capture a point, tanks shine by drawing aggro, blocking damage, and letting the DPS characters have a chance to pick off the enemy. We have eight returning tanks coming to Overwatch 2:
- D.Va
- Orisa
- Reinhardt
- Roadhog
- Sigma
- Winston
- Wrecking Ball
- Zarya
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