Season 18 is coming and it’s sure to make a splash! We’re talking the biggest Stadium evolution yet, a brand-new aquatic Support Hero, a full PvP refresh with Perks update, two unique Mythic skins, and more. Then Summer Games bring the heat with third-person POV Lucio Ball, and we’ve got even more in store, so let’s ride the wave!
Stadium Report
Stadium is continuing to level up with Hero additions, all-new ways and places to play, fresh features, and a beefed-up Item pool!
Shake up your team comps as Winston, Brigitte, Pharah, and (later this season) Tracer join the Stadium Hero rotation. Quick Play Queue speeds up the action with a faster, lighter version of Stadium, bringing shorter matches, a rapid-fire economy, and Backfill & Cross Play support. Draft Mode works like your pre-game huddle, letting you counter-pick and outthink the other team before the first shots are fired.
Then push parallel payloads through checkpoints and fight to the finish line in the new Payload Race mode. But there will be no checkpoint wins here; you’ve got to take it all the way. Add in the Powder Keg Mine, Thames District, and Oasis Gardens new maps, an expanded Item pool (3 new items, 10 major reworks, 9 balance updates), plus Elite Rank rewards Epic Mei, Reinhardt, Ana & Legendary All-Star D.Va… and Stadium’s feeling more like the big leagues than ever!
New Support Hero: Wuyang
Wuyang is ready to rewrite the Support playbook! The aquatic prodigy from Wuxing University’s Water College bends the rules of healing with a kit built for sharp aim, quick thinking, and fluid movement.
His Xuanwu Staff launches guided mid-air water orbs that can be detonated on demand, delivering burst damage or disrupting critical moments. Guardian Wave knocks enemies back while boosting ally healing, and Restorative Stream adapts its healing over time to match the flow of battle. For rapid repositioning, Rushing Torrent lets Wuyang surf water currents to dodge danger or rejoin the team in an instant. His Tidal Blast Ultimate grants overhealth to a targeted ally—or himself—before erupting into a powerful knockback wave that can turn the tide in clutch moments.
With Perks like Overflow and Balance for steady regen, or Ebb and Flow and Falling Rain for high-impact plays, Wuyang is bringing a bold, adaptive style to the Support roster.
PvP Refresh & Perks Update
Season 18 will kick off with a full-system refresh that resets the Competitive landscape and supercharges strategy with over 50 new Hero-specific Perks, and numerous other changes. Every Hero gets at least one fresh Perk to play with, while updated and rebalanced options for Heroes like Lúcio, Winston, and Pharah open the door to smarter team comps and more creative builds.
And a full rank reset means everyone starts with fresh placement matches for a fair shot at their climb, backed by a soft MMR reset that tightens matchmaking from the very first game. Adjusted rank thresholds (especially in higher tiers) better reflect true skill, and tighter MMR ranges make it easier to squad up with friends in ranked. Built for experimentation, shifting strategies, and unexpected plays, this Competitive refresh sets the stage for a whole new meta.
Double Mythics
Season 18 has two exceptional Mythics on the way, made to evolve with you all season and beyond!
In a fallen future without Heroes, there was only one who could rise up against the specter of war. Using cutting edge cyber-light tech, Sojourn transformed herself into the Ultraviolet Sentinel: a shining figure that inspired others to join the fight. Sojourn’s Mythic Ultraviolet Sentinel Hero Skin levels up your loadout with four tiers of visual upgrades, including customizable hair styles and unique visual effects, sound effects, and colorways.
- Level 1 unlocks the base skin featuring a brand-new cybernetic outfit and new visual/sound effects for all key abilities, making her feel like she’s transformed with cutting edge cyber-light technology, paired with a slick white colorway and loc hairstyle.
- Level 2 changes Sojourn's look with a sleek, spiked hairstyle and a pink colorway, bringing extra energy to every match.
- Level 3 introduces long braids with a black and red colorway for a more commanding presence on the battlefield.
- Level 4 adds fully toggleable ambient VFX, letting you turn on extra visual flair and truly stand out.
Get set to show up blow your foes away, as Cassidy’s Mythic Blazing Sunsetter Weapon Skin responds to every trigger pull, heating up with reactive flair and a deadly flourish. The next evolution in Overwatch 2 cosmetics, the Blazing Sunsetter introduces a volatile revolver that grows molten throughout your gameplay. With brand-new overheat visuals that respond in real time to your fire, this weapon is more than just stylish, it’s literally heating up in your hands. And with four levels that heat up your game, plus a lethal kill effect, this revolver was made to show off!
- Level 1 unlocks Blazing Sunsetter with a high-tech tactical model designed for high noon standoffs.
- Level 2 activates dynamic reactivity. The weapon will overheat with your fire gameplay, ejecting pieces of the casings to reveal its molten core.
- Level 3 provides the weapon's custom flourish animation, giving Cassidy a whole new way to flaunt his style between fights.
- Level 4 brings the flex: a deadly kill effect that turns every final blow into a showstopper.
Battle Passes
The Season 18 Premium Battle Pass is delivering progression worth flexing—Mythics, streetwear, and summer-ready style are heading your way! Unlock Legendary skins for Kiriko, Lifeweaver, Pharah, Hanzo, & Lucio, with an array of cosmetics including emotes, souvenirs, charms, name cards, and voice lines. Plus, earn up to 80 Mythic Prisms to unlock the new Mythic Ultraviolet Sentinel Sojourn Hero Skin, Blazing Sunsetter Cassidy Weapon Skin, or other Mythic content.
Dive in with the Ultimate Battle Pass Bundle for everything in the Premium Pass + 20 Tier Skips, 2,000 Overwatch Coins, and two Legendary skins: Poolside Wuyang & Lily Roadhog.
As always, play for free to earn a Legendary Loot Box, 600 Coins, 1,500 Credits, plus two Epic skins.
Summer Games
Summer Games return with a slick new POV and a few extra tricks. Lucio Ball & Lucio Ball Remix will kick into third person for the first time, and the high-flying Winston Volleyball will be back to rally your squad on the court. Earn a new summer-colored World Cup Lucio skin and other seasonal rewards just by logging in and getting your reps. So, get ready to spike, slide, and score because the Summer Games heat up from September 2 to September 15!
Hero Skill Rating
Hero Skill Rating means to measure your performance on individual Heroes in Competitive, separate from your overall rank. Each Hero earns their own Skill Rating from 0 to 5000, complete with visual tiers and feedback after every match. You’ll unlock a Hero’s SR after playing five placement matches with them, and you’ll see your progress represented by both a numeric score and a tier bracket from Bronze to Champion. Even before your rating is official, Predicted SR gives you a preview while you place. After each Competitive match, your Top three most-used Heroes will show SR gains or losses, so you can track improvement in real time. Integrated directly into your Competitive Overview and Career Profile, Hero SR makes it easy to compare, refine, and grow. This system is for personal mastery, helping you sharpen your best picks or discover new favorites with data that keeps you climbing.
Hero Progression 2.0
Hero Progression 2.0 rebuilds the leveling system from the ground up with faster progress, a cleaner UI, and a permanent prestige feature that shows off your dedication. Each Hero now levels up individually, letting you track your growth and see exactly where you’ve invested your time. The new Ascended system awards animated portrait borders at milestone levels 20, 40, and 60, and these borders automatically display in Hero Select for everyone to see. Once you earn an Ascended border, it’s yours forever. Early levels come quickly, then settle into a steady pace of about 100 minutes per level after level 21. Along the way, you can earn Loot Boxes at key milestones, starting with a base Loot Box at level 5, Epic Loot Boxes at levels 25, 35, and 45, and Legendary Loot Boxes at levels 30, 40, and 50. While Ascended isn’t tied to Hero-specific cosmetics, it delivers lasting visual prestige across your roster, making every match part of a visible legacy.
Level up. Stand out. Become Ascended.
Advanced Info Panel
A new Advanced Info Panel will be available to help turn guesswork into game sense! You’ll see a clear, detailed breakdown of exactly what you (and your Hero) can do. From precise damage numbers and healing output to cooldowns and other critical stats, every value will be laid out for you to make smarter plays and master your kits. Whether you’re looking to fine tune your aim in Competitive or curious about the real impact of your abilities, the Advanced Info Panel will give you the numbers you need to level up your strats and play with purpose.
That’s not all… we’ve got a Hero Stats webpage in the works! You’ll be able to track even more data, with all your Hero Win and Pick Rates right at your fingertips, empowering you to level smarter and flex harder in the new Rating and Progression systems.
Whew! One of the biggest seasons ever required one of the biggest blogs ever—but congratulations, you got the whole scoop. Season 18 goes live August 26, so prepare to dive into Stadium, ride the wave with Wuyang, score big in Summer Games, and experiment with everything else. Make a splash, Heroes, a BIG one!