Overwatch 2 recently revealed some big plans for Perks in the future, including buffs and nerfs coming in the mid-Season 15 update, some new ones in Season 16, and a major refresh for Season 18. Though Perks only recently arrived in Overwatch 2, it seems Blizzard has no intention of letting the system stagnate.
Perks are a game-changing feature Overwatch 2 added in Season 15. Each hero has four Perks to choose from – two minor Perks at level two, and two major Perks at level three. These upgrades range from stat boosts and passives to completely reworked or brand-new abilities.
All Hero Perks in Overwatch 2
Overwatch 2's Season 15 introduced a brand new Hero Perks system. Discover all Perks in the game through this guide.
However, it seems like Overwatch 2 is far from finished with Perks. During a recent AMA on Reddit, several Overwatch 2 developers, including lead gameplay designer Alec Dawson and senior game producer Kenny Hudson, fielded questions from the community, many of which pertained to Perks. Hudson confirmed there were some Perks balance changes coming in the mid-Season 15 patch, including buffs to Roadhog’s Hog Toss and Juno’s Re-Boots, and nerfs to Bastion’s overperforming Self-Repair Perk in Overwatch 2. What’s more, Season 16 will start to see some less-popular Perks rotated out in favor of completely new ones.
The Future of Perks in Overwatch 2
Were that not exciting enough, Dawson revealed even more overhauls are already in the works. Overwatch 2 is planning a major refresh for Perks in Season 18, with every hero getting at least one new Perk in the update. While the numbers are subject to change, he claimed 25-50% of Perks would be replaced at that time, aiming mostly at choices of middling popularity over fan favorites. Season 18 is also when Overwatch 2 hopes to evaluate the Perks system as a whole and may include changes to catch-up mechanics, adjustments to progress gains, or a starting level choice.
The AMA also covered several other topics involving Perks, including that counterswapping is down 25% since the inclusion of the system, and that Overwatch 2 is currently not planning on adding a way to change Perks once one has been selected – though it could add safeguards for players who pick the wrong one in the heat of the moment. All considered, it seems like Overwatch 2's current focus is to make Perks a way to keep character kits fluid, adjustable, and fresh, all while keeping hero selection impactful.
The Overwatch 2 mid-Season 15 patch will likely drop sometime in mid or late March, with Season 16 expected to arrive on April 22. This would put Season 18 – along with the Perk refresh and the second hero of Overwatch 2 in 2025 – in late August. Between Perks, Stadium mode, and all the other content revealed during the recent Spotlight, 2025 is shaping up to be a big year for Overwatch 2.
Overwatch 2
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 77 /100 Critics Rec: 65%
WHERE TO PLAY
Overwatch 2 is an always-on and ever-evolving free-to-play, team-based action game set in an optimistic future, where every match is the ultimate 5v5 battlefield brawl. Power up your railgun and disrupt the battlefield as Sojourn, or yield your axe and command attention as Junker Queen. Battle to take control of a robot and move it toward the enemy base in the new Push Mode. Bring the fight to new destinations across the globe in iconic locations like New York, Rome, Monte Carlo and Rio. Daily challenges and frequent updates mean there is always something new to play.
- Cross Save
- yes
- Franchise
- Overwatch
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- n/a
- Early Access Release
- October 4, 2022
- PC Release Date
- August 10, 2023
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- August 10, 2023
- PS5 Release Date
- August 10, 2023
- Nintendo Switch Release Date
- August 10, 2023
- Genre(s)
- Shooter
- How Long To Beat
- 35 hours
- X|S Optimized
- n/a
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
