Overwatch’s 2026 overhaul does a lot more than just drop the 2 from the title. It’s totally changing how hero roles work.
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The passive abilities for each hero role (Tank, Damage, Support) will now be broken up into different sub-roles, meaning your main’s ability is likely changing quite a bit. Depending on the hero’s kit, their sub-role and passive may be very different than what you’re used to, but we’ve got the info you need.
Here’s what to know about all of the new sub-roles and their passive abilities in Overwatch: Reign of Talon.
Table of contents
Overwatch new Role Passives and Sub-Roles
Tank
- Bruiser
- Reduces critical damage received. While at critical health, gain movement speed.
- Heroes: Magua, Orisa, Roadhoag, Zarya
- Reduces critical damage received. While at critical health, gain movement speed.
- Initiator
- Staying airborne lightly heals you.
- Heroes: D.Va, Doomfist, Winston, Wrecking Ball
- Staying airborne lightly heals you.
- Stalwart
- Reduces knockbacks and slows received.
- Heroes: Domina, Hazard, Junker Queen, Ramattra, Reinhardt, Sigma
- Reduces knockbacks and slows received.
Damage
- Sharpshooter
- Critical hits reduce your movement ability cooldowns.
- Heroes: Ashe, Cassidy, Hanzo, Sojourn, Widowmaker
- Critical hits reduce your movement ability cooldowns.
- Flanker
- Health packs restore more health.
- Heroes: Anran, Genji, Reaper, Tracer, Vendetta, Venture
- Health packs restore more health.
- Specialist
- Eliminating an enemy briefly increases your reload speed.
- Heroes: Bastion, Emre, Junkrat, Mei, Soldier: 76, Symmetra, Torbjorn
- Eliminating an enemy briefly increases your reload speed.
- Recon
- You detect enemies below half health through walls after damaging them.
- Heroes: Echo, Freja, Pharah, Sombra
- You detect enemies below half health through walls after damaging them.
Support
- Tactician
- You can gain excess ultimate charge which carries over after using your ultimate ability.
- Heroes: Ana, Baptiste, Jetpack Cat, Lucio, Zenyatta
- You can gain excess ultimate charge which carries over after using your ultimate ability.
- Medic
- Healing allies with your weapon also heals you.
- Heroes: Kiriko, Lifeweaver, Mercy, Moira
- Healing allies with your weapon also heals you.
- Survivor
- Using a movement ability activates passive health regeneration.
- Heroes: Brigitte, Illari, Juno, Mizuki, Wuyang
- Using a movement ability activates passive health regeneration.
For more on Overwatch: Reign of Talon, check out all of Destructoid’s coverage:
