Overwatch 2 gamers have been enjoying a full season of Greek and Roman mythology that also introduced the game's newest hero, Ramattra. It was also a season of Roadhog dominance that resulted in one of the sequel's first balance tweaks outside of the usual initial and midseason offerings.
When season three of Overwatch starts on February 7, no new heroes will be introduced, but the absence appears to have freed the development team to correct community problems, add more mythological flair, and bring back some of the lighthearted fun that made Overwatch what it is.
The season three theme is once again inspired by ancient mythology, but this time the design team has gone to the other side of the globe. Tales from Korea, China, and Japan will be represented in skins available inside and outside the battle pass, and the team believes some have "lore connections" that will excite fans.
Amateratsu Kiriko, the Mythic skin for this season, is inspired by "various deities in Japanese mythology." Players can customize the skin to suit Kiriko's kitsune familiarity, as well as season three's battle pass.
The new Control map for the season, Antarctica, is less related, taking players to the same freezing labs where Mei and her coworkers worked for almost a decade.
Overwatch 2 players were dissatisfied with the Lunar New Year event this past month, claiming it was merely a repeat of previous events with little incentive to grind for existing skins. Developers apparently took that as seriously and went off the rails in the best way possible for season three.
The game's first Ultimate Valentine's Day event will run from February 14 to February 28 and includes a four-versus-four mode centered around Hanzo as well as "Support-themed challenges." Multiple epic skins will be available as well as other rewards.
When the Loverwatch dating sim launches on February 13, players will also get to add a little love to their lives, aided by a Cupid-like character "who looks suspiciously like Hanzo."
Pachimarchi, the Pachimari festival that celebrates all things Pachimari, will be reinstated on March 21. Players will get a second chance at earning the Pachimari Roadhog skin, but can also get other round and fuzzy rewards, including player icons and a name card.
Overwatch 2 will finally get its first real crossover in season three. One Punch Man is a popular anime character that can defeat any opponent with a single punch. Doomfist will be given the collaboration skin, making him the world's best Saitama cosplayer.
The development team repeated stated that they've been hearing the criticism and feedback from fans in a series of developer blogs posted last week, and that they'll make changes in season three to improve the player experience.
Overwatch 2 fans reveal the one thing they're looking forward to the most in season 3.
When season three starts, players will only have to win five games (or lose 15) to see a rank change, compared to seven previously required. This means Gold support will no longer have to fight a Masters Mercy.
The whole patch notes will be posted later today and Seagull, a former Overwatch League player, will be discussing them on his stream at 2pm CT. Ramattra gets an extremely necessary boost to his ultimate, while the maximum ultimate charge retention for all heroes will be reduced to 25 percent from the current 30.
In season 3, workshop mode will be reinstated, as will enhanced moderation tools to make those lobbies more secure. As previously announced earlier in the week, streamers will also finally have protections in place if they choose to use them, like hiding their BattleNet tag and the names of those in the lobby.
The development team has heard loud and clear that Overwatch 2 should be more enjoyable. As a result, additional goodies are scattered throughout the game, especially for free-to-play enthusiasts.
For logging in from February 7 to February 14, players will receive the first five free tiers of the battle pass that they will receive just for entering the site. Five additional tiers of rewards will be added to the free path of the battle pass, and 500 additional credits will be available on the paid side.
In season three, credits are returning to the game, allowing thousands of original Overwatch skins to be purchased at any time with coins or credits. An additional 1,500 credits will be available in the free path of the battle pass to unlock any previously unavailable skins.
Season three of Season Three will begin on February 7 and will last nine weeks, culminating in April.