Blizzard confirmed Season 2 will go live at 11 am PT, 2 pm ET and 7 pm GMT, and overwatch patch notes lay out the update's details and timing for PC and console players. Players are able to preload the update ahead of launch to be ready when servers flip.
The headline addition is Sierra, a Recon class DPS built around target marking and aerial repositioning, and her kit rewards patient accurate play over raw aggression. Her abilities center on an Anchor Drone, a Helix Rifle and a Tracking Shot that can combo with the rifle for automatic tracking.
Sierra's minor perks are Full Flight and Tight Grip, which increase drone flight and grapple range while changing Helix Rifle spread behavior. Her major perks are Medi Drone and Locked In, giving anchor drones small health packs or boosting attack speed after a Tracking Shot.
The Tracking Shot into Helix Rifle auto track combo is already drawing comparisons to Jetpack Cat mechanics, and some players expect Sierra to face heavy bans in ranked play early in the season. Blizzard also applies fresh sounds and animations to several hero updates to match new perks.
Season 2 adds new perks for Mercy, Reaper and Pharah, and expands Stadium mode with Ramattra at launch, a Juno Stadium rework, and Jetpack Cat planned for a mid season arrival. The season also brings tweaks that affect competitive play and queue feel.
Map Voting Changes Preload And Events
The map voting system receives a meaningful overhaul so any map that gains six or more votes will always win, removing some minority win outcomes that frustrated players. A random map option is added, and attacking or defending icons will appear during the vote so players know the side they will play.
Competitive players receive a small protection when losing on new or reworked maps, with reduced rank progress penalties for those matches. Season 2 also marks Overwatch's ten year anniversary and includes a three week Operation Grand Mesa event following Sierra's conflict against Talon, as described in Blizzard's season roadmap.
The Antarctica map is getting a full rework, post match accolades from the original Overwatch return with new visuals, and Blizzard is experimenting with lobby voice chat during the accolades screen, including cross team communication with the opposing side. Cosmetic updates include mythic tier additions and a collaboration skin.
The mythic tier gains a Volted Overdrive Soldier 76 skin and the Sumi ichimonji Genji weapon, and a Diablo collaboration skin for Ramattra is expected in the mid season update. Players should finish any remaining battle pass tiers before the seasonal reset to claim outstanding rewards.
Players can pre download the Season 2 patch through Battle.net, and esports.gg outlines the steps to do so by signing in, selecting Overwatch, pressing the gear icon next to Play, and choosing Check for Updates. To enable automatic updates, open Game Settings, go to Downloads, select Apply latest updates and download pre release content for recently played games, then press Done, as reported by esports.gg.
