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 are 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. 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, two characters have 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 an 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 for more damage.
We also got a gameplay trailer for Sojourn showing off more of this hero’s new moves. Aside from some brain upgrades, her legs also appear to be highly enhanced. We get plenty of shots of her sliding long distances along the ground, propelled by little rocket boosters on her thighs, then going back to launch and hovering a bit in the air. One arm as well is fully robotic, and her hand is able to transform into a cannon that launches some kind of glowing orb. This greenish ball of energy looks like it creates some kind of dome that does either AoE damage or some other effect that wiped out an entire enemy group caught within it.
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.
Junker Queen
Junker Queen was revealed during the Xbox and Bethesda showcase in 2022 and is a new addition to the game’s roster of tanks. Those who played Overwatch will recognize her name from the lore, but this is the first time we’ve ever laid eyes on her before, let alone had the chance to play as her. She hails from Junkertown, an abandoned robot factory in the Australian Outback, as the ruler. She’s transformed the remains into something of a Mad Max-style arena where combatants fight for survival. She wields a shotgun, as well as a massive battle ax for close encounters.
Her gameplay trailer shows off her magnetic abilities most. Aside from her primary shotgun, Junker Queen can throw a dagger into an enemy, then recall it to pull that enemy toward her so she can combo into a close-range blast with her gun or into environmental hazards. She also has a shout that acts like a buff of some kind, though the trailer doesn’t detail what exactly it will buff or how long it will last. Her ultimate has her summon three rotating battle axes around her gauntlet and propel forward in a cyclone of destruction.
Kiriko
After numerous leaks, Kiriko was revealed as the next confirmed hero coming to Overwatch 2. She will be part of the support class and be backed up by her spiritual fox. She will wield throwing kunai as a primary weapon, as well as be able to wall run via her passive ability to make her very mobile. If that wasn’t enough, she can also teleport to her teammates with her Swift Step ability. For support, she will throw healing ofuda to heal them or her protection suzu to grant them temporary invulnerability.
Finally, Kiriko’s ultimate is Kitsune Rush. This move summons her fox spirit to move in a forward line and create glowing stones and tori gates, granting speed, attack speed, and reducing cooldowns for all teammates that follow its path.
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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