All New Overwatch Heroes Arriving In 2026

During the recent Overwatch Spotlight, Game Director Aaron Keller announced plans to introduce 10 new Heroes in 2026. The first half of this cohort, comprising five Heroes, is scheduled to release with Season 1, starting February 10. The remaining five Heroes will be released throughout the year, one per season.

Furthermore, the game is undergoing a rebrand with the removal of the "2" from its title, and a suite of other updates is planned, including system updates, UI overhaul, new collaborations, and more Mythic skins.

5 New Overwatch Heroes in Season 1: Conquest

In Season 1, we have five new Heroes joining the Overwatch roster: Domina, Emre, Mizuki, Anran, and Jetpack Cat. Each of their backstories is directly tied to the season's core narrative.

Domina (Tank)

The heiress and VP of Vishkar Industries, Domina is a Tank who hails from the same corporate environment as Symmetra. She wields a Photon Magnum, which, while visually similar to Symmetra’s Photon Projector, functions on a completely different principle. Her primary fire is the longest-range beam in the game, allowing her to deal consistent medium-range damage and establishing her as the first true Poke Tank since Sigma. Domina also deploys a unique wide-area shield. Unlike traditional barriers in Overwatch, it comprises individual segments that can be destroyed piece by piece.

• Photon Magnum (Primary Fire) - Medium-range beam that culminates in a high-impact shot.

• Barrier Array - A segmented hard‑light barrier 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.

• Ultimate — Panopticon - Fire a hard-light barrier that imprisons enemies and detonates on expiration.

• Passive – Reconstruction - Dealing damage with abilities restores shields.

Emre (Damage)

Emre introduces a fast-paced, run-and-gun playstyle to Overwatch. His primary weapon fires high-speed three-round bursts, ideal for challenging aerial heroes like Pharah and Echo. He can also aim down sights using secondary fire without sacrificing mobility. While his ultimate ability appears visually similar to Illari's, it deals significantly greater damage. In short, Emre possesses a high-damage arsenal that positions him as a major threat to multiple hero types. 

• 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.

• Ultimate — Override Protocol - An override initiates, transforming you into a living weapon. Fires rapid, explosive blasts or charged mega‑shots capable of wiping teams.

• Passive – Altered Vitals - Passive health regeneration activates sooner and instantly restores 30 health when activated.

Mizuki (Support) 

Mizuki is a Support hero who thrives on aggression. His core healing mimics Lucio's aura, but he can charge and enhance it by healing with other abilities or dealing damage. Furthermore, he has a movement skill that serves a dual purpose: as both an escape and an outplay tool. Mizuki's ultimate creates a stationary zone that provides a continuous healing stream (similar to Lifeweaver or Juno) while also absorbing incoming enemy projectiles.

• Spirit Glaive (Primary Fire) - Throw a spinning blade that can bounce off walls, impact enemies, and rapidly 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.

• Binding Chain - Launch a tethering chain that hinders the first enemy hit.

• Ultimate — Kekkai Sanctuary - Create a sanctuary that heals allies and absorbs enemy projectiles from outside the area.

• Passive – Remedy Aura - Heals nearby allies. Healing scales with resources generated by dealing damage and healing.

Anran (Damage)

Wuyang’s elder sister, Anran, joins the Overwatch roster in Season 1. The fire-wielding assassin-style DPS thrives on mobility and flanking. Her primary fire allows her to set her enemies on fire and deal bonus damage. The true highlight, however, is her ultimate, which has a dual function depending on her state: she can use it aggressively while alive or self-resurrect in the midst of battle.

• 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.

• Ultimate — Vermillion Ascent (Alive) - Charge forward, exploding on impact and instantly igniting enemies.

• Ultimate — Vermillion Revival (Dead) - When dead, revive yourself in a fiery explosion.

• Passive – Ignition - Hit enemies with fire attacks to burn them.

Jetpack Cat (Support)

Animal heroes are a beloved part of Overwatch, so a cat causing chaos with a jetpack feels like a natural addition. Jetpack Cat introduces a unique utility, capable of airlifting allies and transporting them across the map. Her abilities lean into her feline nature, as her ultimate lets her pounce on an enemy, knocking them down before carrying them skyward. This lets her forcibly disengage a key target or even secure an elimination by dropping them out of bounds.

• 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.

• Ultimate — Catnapper - Dive towards a ground location, knocking down enemies and tethering the nearest one to you.

• Passive – Jetpack - Permanent flight.

Anran Hero Trial Ahead of Season 1

Overwatch continues its pre-release Hero trials in 2026. Players can test Anran in Unranked from February 5-10. This could be a great chance to learn the character and provide feedback before her permanent addition with Season 1.

New Sub-Roles and Passives

Tank

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

Damage

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

Support

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

Stay tuned to Strafe Esports for more updates on the latest season of Overwatch. You can also follow us on our X account for the latest content and coverage.

Featured Image Credit: Blizzard Entertainment

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