Overwatch: Reign of Talon season 1 patch notes – 5 new heroes, nerfs and buffs, plus much more

Season one of Overwatch in 2026. Sounds weird, but it’s happening.

This year’s big update for the hero shooter includes a return to the beginning and a massive overhaul of how the game’s story and live service is deployed. With five new heroes on day one, and five more to be added throughout 2026, Overwatch feels like it’s back in a big way. No more Overwatch 2, we’re back to the roots.

Here’s a quick rundown of everything new (there’s a lot) in Overwatch: Reign of Talon season one.

Overwatch Reign of Talon season 1 patch notes

5 new heroes

Domina (Tank)

Ability	Description
Photon Magnum (Primary Fire)	Medium-range beam that culminates in a high-impact shot.
Barrier Array	A segmented hard‑light barrier is deployed in front of Domina. Each segment must be individually destroyed, creating dynamic defensive angles.
Crystal Charge	Project an explosive crystal and reactivate to detonate it.
Sonic Repulsors	Push enemies back, stunning them if they hit a wall.
Reconstruction (Passive)	Dealing damage with abilities restores shields.
Panopticon (Ultimate)	Fire a hard-light projectile that imprisons enemies and detonates on expiration.

Anran (Damage)

Ability	Description
Zhuque Fans (Primary Fire)	Hand fans that shoot fiery projectiles.
Fan the Flames (Secondary Fire)	Hot wind blast that amplifies burning damage.
Inferno Rush	Propel yourself forward and damage enemies you impact.
Dancing Blaze	Strike nearby enemies while dodging all damage.
Ignition (Passive)	Hit enemies with fire attacks to burn them.
Vermilion Ascent (Ultimate – Alive)	Charge forward, exploding on impact and instantly igniting enemies.
Vermilion Revival (Ultimate – When Dead)	When dead, revive yourself in a fiery explosion.

Emre (Damage)

Ability	Description
Synthetic Burst Rifle (Primary Fire)	Three-round burst weapon.
Take Aim (Secondary Fire)	Hold to zoom in, tightening accuracy and increasing fall off range.
Siphon Blaster	Temporarily wield a semi-automatic pistol with life-stealing explosive rounds. Move faster and jump higher while wielded.
Cyber Frag	Throw a grenade that detonates shortly after bouncing.
Altered Vitals (Passive)	An override initiates, transforming you into a living weapon. Fires rapid, explosive blasts or charged mega‑shots capable of wiping teams.
Override Protocol (Ultimate)	Passive health regeneration activates sooner and instantly restores 30 health when activated.

Jetpack Cat (Support)

Ability	Description
Biotic Pawjectiles (Primary Fire)	Mid‑range projectile spread that heals allies and damages enemies.
Lifeline	Toggle into transport mode, allowing an ally to be towed. Increases movement speed and heals your ally.
Frenetic Flight	Accelerate in your movement direction. Fuel recovery is slower while carrying another player.
Purr	Pulsing area heal that increases in frequency over time. Knockback nearby enemies when activated.
Jetpack (Passive)	Permanent flight.
Catnapper (Ultimate)	Dive towards a ground location, knocking down enemies and tethering the nearest one to you.

Mizuki (Support)

Ability	Description
Spirit Glaive (Primary Fire)	Throw a spinning blade that can bounce off walls, impact enemies, and deal damage.
Healing Kasa	Throw your hat to heal an ally, bouncing to nearby allies and healing you when it returns.
Katashiro Return	Leap forward, leaving behind a paper doll. Reactivate to return and gain increased movement speed while active.
Blinding Chain	Launch a tethering chain that hinders the first enemy hit.
Remedy Aura (Passive)	Heals nearby allies. Healing scales with resource generated by dealing damage and healing.
Kekkai Sanctuary (Ultimate)	Create a sanctuary that heals allies and absorbs enemy projectiles from outside the area.

New Sub-Roles

Tank

• Bruiser
  • Reduces critical damage received. While at critical health, gain movement speed.
    • Heroes: Magua, Orisa, Roadhog, Zarya
• Initiator
  • Staying airborne lightly heals you.
    • Heroes: D.Va, Doomfist, Winston, Wrecking Ball
• Stalwart
  • Reduces knockbacks and slows received.
    • Heroes: Domina, Hazard, Junker Queen, Ramattra, Reinhardt, Sigma

Damage

• Sharpshooter
  • Critical hits reduce your movement ability cooldowns.
    • Heroes: Ashe, Cassidy, Hanzo, Sojourn, Widowmaker
• Flanker
  • Health packs restore more health.
    • Heroes: Anran, Genji, Reaper, Tracer, Vendetta, Venture
• Specialist
  • Eliminating an enemy briefly increases your reload speed.
    • Heroes: Bastion, Emre, Junkrat, Mei, Soldier: 76, Symmetra, Torbjorn
• Recon
  • You detect enemies below half health through walls after damaging them.
    • Heroes: Echo, Freja, Pharah, Sombra

Support

• Tactician
  • You can gain excess ultimate charge, which carries over after using your ultimate ability.
    • Heroes: Ana, Baptiste, Jetpack Cat, Lucio, Zenyatta
• Medic
  • Healing allies with your weapon also heals you.
    • Heroes: Kiriko, Lifeweaver, Mercy, Moira
• Survivor
  • Using a movement ability activates passive health regeneration.
    • Heroes: Brigitte, Illari, Juno, Mizuki, Wuyang

Hero nerfs and buffs

Tanks

• D.Va
  • Base Health reduced from 375 to 325. (5v5)
    • Total reduced from 700 to 650
  • Base Health reduced from 300 to 250. (6v6)
    • ○ Total reduced from 600 to 550
• Mauga
  • Kinetic Bandolier – Minor Perk
  • Ammo generation now grants 150 ammo instantly instead of over time.
• Orisa
  • Protective Barrier – Major Perk (6v6)
    • Cooldown increased from 8 to 10 seconds.
  • ● Charged Javelin – Major Perk
    • Fixed animation issues when charging Javelin.
• Reinhardt
  • Barrier Re-Charge – Minor Perk
    • Removed.
  • Crusader’s Resolve – Minor Perk
    • While using Barrier Field, passive health regeneration triggers 75 percent sooner.
• Roadhog
  • Take a Breather (5v5)
    • Resource maximum duration increased from 2.5 to 3 seconds.
  • Pulled Pork – Major Perk
    • Overhealth maximum increased from 250 to 300.
• Sigma
  • Experimental Barrier
    • Barrier health reduced from 700 to 650.
  • Hyper Regeneration – Minor Perk
    • Barrier health conversion rate reduced from 50 percent to 40 percent.
• Winston
  • Barrier Toss – Minor Perk
    • Removed.
  • Electric Charge – Minor Perk
    • Winston gains 10 percent movement speed for each enemy damaged by his primary fire, up to 30 percent.
• Wrecking Ball
  • Pack Rat – Minor Perk
    • Removed.
  • Multi-Ball – Minor Perk
    • Press Ultimate within 5 seconds after using Minefield to deploy 7 additional mines.
• Zarya
  • Particle Cannon
    • Primary fire maximum damage per second reduced from 190 to 175.
  • Energy Converter – Minor Perk
    • Removed.
  • Spotter – Minor Perk
    • Moved from Major to Minor.
    • Movement speed bonus reduced from 25 percent to 20 percent.
  • Energy Lance – Major Perk
    • No longer requires being above 50 energy.
  • Extra Oomph – Major Perk
    • While a Barrier is active, dealing damage with Particle Cannon’s beam generates energy.

Damage

• Ashe
  • Sidewinder – Minor Perk
    • Removed.
  • Double-Barreled – Minor Perk
    • Knocking an enemy back with Coach Gun briefly allows it to be used again with 25 percent reduced knockback.
• Anran
  • Fan the Flames
    • Impact damage increased from 4 to 5.
    • Maximum ammo increased from 8 to 10.
  • Inferno Rush
    • Maximum vertical height reduced by 20 percent.
    • Added “hold to use Inferno Rush” hero option.
  • Dancing Blaze
    • Cooldown decreased from 10 to 8 seconds.
    • Cleansing effect removed.
• Cassidy
  • Combat Roll
    • Cooldown reduced from 6 to 5 seconds.
  • Gun Slingin’ – Major Perk
    • Removed.
  • Rollin’ Round-Up – Major Perk
    • Combat Roll heals 15 health for each bullet reloaded.
• Echo
  • Focused Rush – Minor Perk
    • Movement speed bonus increased from 10 percent to 20 percent.
• Freja
  • Hunter’s Instinct – Minor Perk
    • Removed.
  • Relentless Barrage – Minor Perk
    • Moved from Major to Minor.
  • Rising Winds – Major Perk
    • Updraft gains an additional charge but has 20 percent reduced height.
• Hanzo
  • Lunging – Minor Perk
    • Removed
  • Dragon Fury – Minor Perk
    • Moved from Major to Minor.
    • Attack speed reduced from 25 percent to 20 percent.
    • Duration reduced from 2 to 1.5 seconds.
  • Frost Arrow – Major Perk
    • Press Reload to ready an explosive frost arrow that slows enemies by 35 percent for 3 seconds.
• Pharah
  • Sky Spy – Major Perk
    • Removed.
  • Rocket Salvo – Major Perk
    • After using a movement ability, the next primary fire shoots two spiraling mini-rockets, each dealing 40 damage.
• Reaper
  • Shadow Step
    • No longer cleanses on use.
• Soldier: 76
  • Tactical Salvo – Minor Perk
    • Added: Using Helix Rockets no longer interrupts primary fire during Tactical Visor.
  • Recycled Pulse Munitions – Minor Perk
    • Removed.
  • Helix Propulsion – Minor Perk
    • Helix Rocket projectile speed increased by 50%.
• Sombra
  • Opportunist
    • No longer detects enemies below half health.
    • Now reveals enemy ultimate abilities on nameplates.
  • Healthy Hacker – Major Perk
    • Removed.
  • High-Speed Bandwidth – Major Perk
    • Hacked health packs grant allies 25% movement speed and 50 overhealth for 4 seconds.
• Torbjörn
  • Fully Loaded – Minor Perk
    • Removed.
  • Pre-Heated – Minor Perk
    • Molten Core activates Overload.
• Tracer
  • Pulse Pistols
    • Damage reduced from 6 to 5.75.
    • Gains the increased global projectile size (0.04 meters).
  • Chronal Dash – Minor Perk
    • Blink distance increased by 20 percent.
  • Flashback – Major Perk
    • Removed.
  • Blink Packs – Major Perk
    • Moved from Minor to Major.
• Vendetta
  • Health increased from 150 to 175.
  • Armor reduced from 125 to 100.
  • Soaring Slice
    • Cooldown increased from 6 to 7 seconds.
  • Extra Edge – Minor Perk
    • Projected Edge costs 25 percent less energy.
  • Relentless – Major Perk
    • Moved from Minor to Major.
  • Swift Vengeance – Major Perk
    • Removed.
• Widowmaker
  • Seeker Mine – Major Perk
    • Damage increased from 50 to 75 over its duration.
  • Escape Plan – Major Perk
    • Removed.
  • Widow’s Bite – Major Perk
    • Scoped shots can charge up to 125%, piercing enemies when fully charged.

Support

• Baptiste
  • Assault Burst – Minor Perk
    • Moved from Major to Minor.
    • Attack speed reduced from 25 percent to 20 percent.
  • Biotic Reloader – Minor Perk
    • Removed.
  • Expanded Field – Minor Perk
    • Immortality Field radius increased by 30 percent.
  • Automated Healing – Major Perk
    • Moved from Minor to Major.
    • Healing per shot increased from 25 to 40.
• Illari
  • Solar Rifle – Secondary Fire
    • Resource regeneration reduced from 43 to 35.
  • Outburst
    • Cooldown increased from 7 to 8 seconds.
  • Solar Flare – Major Perk
    • No longer costs resource.
    • Now has a 10-second cooldown.
• Kiriko
  • Healing Ofuda
    • Projectile speed increased from 18 to 24.
  • Swift Step
    • No longer cleanses on use.
  • Foxtrot – Major Perk
    • Removed increased cooldown recovery buff
    • Movement speed buff duration increased from 2 to 4 seconds
• Lifeweaver
  • Tree of Life
    • Overhealth conversion rate from overhealing increased from 50 percent to 100 percent.
  • Lifeweaving – Minor Perk
    • Removed.
  • Cleaning Grasp – Minor Perk
    • Removed.
  • Petal Power – Major Perk
    • Removed.
  • Petal Protection – Minor Perk
    • Allies heal 20 health per second while standing on Petal Platform.
  • Dashing Escape – Minor Perk
    • Rejuvenating Dash distance increased by 30 percent.
  • Sow the Seed – Major Perk
    • Quick Melee with Healing Blossom equipped tosses a seed forward.
    • Allies who pick up a seed gain 75 overhealth and 25 percent movement speed for 5 seconds.
• Mercy
  • Sympathetic Recovery – Passive
    • Removed.
  • Swift Recovery – Passive
    • Health regeneration begins sooner.
• Moira
  • Destruction’s Divide – Minor Perk
    • Focused healing/damage bonus increased from 25 percent to 30 percent.
• Wuyang
  • Restorative Stream
    • Passive healing reduced from 25 to 20.
    • Beam healing increased from 50 to 55.
• Zenyatta
  • Transcendent Condemnation – Minor Perk
    • Removed.
  • Discordant Repair – Minor Perk
    • Zenyatta gains 10 percent lifesteal against enemies affected by Discord Orb.

Season 1 reset

With Reign of Talon, everything is being reset back to season one. And each year in February, with a big new update, season one will begin anew along with a new year-long narrative substantial quality-of-life changes.

Revamped UI

Overwatch’s big update includes a new UI experience, pictured above, overhauling the existing UI that has been similar since the original game in 2016.

New focus on narrative

Vendetta has slain Doomfist and taken over Talon, and it kicks off a new narrative era in the game universe. With an in-game narrative viewer for players to keep up, Reign of Talon will contain an evolving narrative as Talon and Overwatch face off throughout the year. New heroes, new comics and animated shorts, and more will keep things fresh throughout the year.

An in-game event in season one kicks things off with over 90 loot boxes to earn when players choose to side with Talon or Overwatch.

Hello Kitty collab

Sanrio is invading Overwatch with adorable skins for six heroes, available from Feb. 10 to 23:

• Juno – Hello Kitty
• Kiriko – Cinnamoroll
• Mercy – Pompompurin
• D.Va – My Melody
• Widowmaker – Kuromi
• Lucio – Keroppi

New Mythics

New Mythic skins in 2026 include Mercy, Mei, Soldier: 76, Ana, Illari, Mauga, and Genji, along with Mythic weapon skins such as Juno’s in season one.

Competitive and Stadium updates

Competitive mode and Stadium mode are both receiving big changes, including a rework of some heroes and many store items and power-ups.

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For the full OW season one patch notes, including all new Stadium changes and further details about bug fixes and more, check out the Overwatch website.

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