All Overwatch Season's Start and End Dates: 2016 to 2026

If you are looking for a list of all Overwatch Season's start and end dates, you came to the right place! Our article covers three distinct periods: Overwatch 1 era (2016-2022), Overwatch 2 era (2022–early 2026), and the new Overwatch 2026 era, which uses yearly story arcs and reintroduced the original Overwatch name.

Disclaimer: "Season" structure vs official Blizzard terminology

Blizzard officially adopted the seasonal model with Overwatch 2 in October 2022, with most seasons lasting between 56 and 70 days, matching their stated nine week target with occasional one week shifts to align with events.

From the Overwatch 2026 Spotlight onward, Blizzard reverted the game's name back to Overwatch and reorganized content into yearly story arcs, treating the Overwatch 2 era as a closed set of 20 seasons. The current 2026 arc, Reign of Talon, is divided into six seasons that follow the same live service model and keep the same approximate cadence.

However, it can't be ignored that the original Overwatch 1 already used the same rationale: competitive seasons that ran roughly every two months, included rank resets, and tied to events and balance updates. Given that, and for the purpose of this article, those 35 Overwatch 1 competitive periods are going to be labeled as Seasons so readers can see the full evolution of Overwatch's seasonal structure from 2016 through the current 2026 arc.

All Overwatch 1 Seasons' Start and End Dates (2016-2022)

The original Overwatch client ran 35 competitive seasons between June 2016 and 2022:

All Overwatch 2 Seasons and Dates (2022–2026)

The table below lists every Overwatch 2 season released, with its official English name (when it has one) and its start and end dates. Dates follow the schedule documented and cross checked against dedicated season date trackers and news coverage.

Seasons 1 through 5 had the seasonal structure without a named theme, while Season 6 Invasion was the first to adopt an official label tied to PvE story content and new modes. Later themes such as Champions, Venture Forth, and Super Mega Ultrawatch coincided with mythic battle pass skins, collaborations like One Punch Man and Transformers, and experimental modes like Hero Mastery Gauntlet and Clash.

The final stretch of the Overwatch 2 era moved toward the 2026 revamp. Stadium, Powered Up, Stadium Quick Play, Haunted Masquerade, and Vendetta placed more focus on the Stadium mode, hero upgrades, and cross promotion events while maintaining the same approximate nine week cadence. Season 20 Vendetta closes the Overwatch 2 branding window, with its end date aligned to the start of the new 2026 story arc and the shift back to the Overwatch name.

New Overwatch Seasons in 2026: Reign of Talon arc

After Season 20, Blizzard transitioned away from numbered Overwatch 2 seasons and launched the Reign of Talon arc, which divides 2026 into six planned seasons following a unified narrative. These Reign of Talon seasons run under the Overwatch name and keep the same live service model, so they function as a direct continuation of the seasonal calendar for players and for esports scheduling.

As of mid June 2026, three Reign of Talon seasons have defined dates. Season 1 in 2026 started on February 10, 2026, Season 2 Summit began on April 14, 2026 and Season 3, Into the Tiger’s Den launched yesterday, June 16, 2026 and runs through August 2026.

Overwatch’s 2026 wiki entry lists Reign of Talon as a six season arc, so players can expect three more 2026 seasons on a similar rotation, although Blizzard has not yet published exact dates for seasons 4 to 6. For more details about the current Season 3 and all its details, refer to our dedicated article.

Season length and scheduling summary

Across the 20 Overwatch 2 seasons, most runs lasted around 63 days, matching Blizzard’s nine week target. Season 7 and Season 9 were about 56 days, while Season 8 reached 70 days to align with events like Halloween Terror, Winter Wonderland, or major system changes.

Competitive resets in seasons 9, 12, 15, and 18 marked bigger gameplay or progression shifts, including new top ranks, cosmetic reward tracks, and Stadium specific rating systems. The 2026 arc continues this pattern by tying season boundaries to OWCS events and anniversary content, giving tournament organizers and players clear breaks for practice blocks, travel, and roster decisions.

Season 3: Into the Tiger’s Den confirms the shift to the new Overwatch 2026 arc while keeping the same nine week rhythm that defined the Overwatch 2 era. Together, the Overwatch 1 competitive seasons (35 total from 2016 to 2022), the 20 Overwatch 2 seasons (2022 to early 2026), and the six Reign of Talon seasons in 2026 provide a complete timeline for anyone tracking season windows, competitive resets, or event schedules across the full history of the game.

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Featured Image Credit: Blizzard Entertainment