In addition to dropping the '2' from its name, Overwatch is now expanding its lore season by season, similar to Marvel Rivals

 

It’s a massive buzz that has left Overwatch 2 fans buzzing with excitement! A major overhaul has been announced for Overwatch after a long period of stagnation since the '2' was first added. For a while, the community has been jokingly asking, 'Is this really a sequel?' because very little seemed to change—from the gameplay mechanics to the story progression.

While Overwatch has always boasted a compelling lore told through new hero releases, it was never quite enough to satisfy fans craving a deeper narrative. However, that changed on February 5th during the Overwatch Spotlight 2026. Among the many big reveals, the game is officially dropping the '2' from its name and launching a fresh narrative direction.

Moving forward, instead of the usual themed events, Overwatch will integrate core story content directly into each season—a seasonal storytelling approach similar to what we've seen in Marvel Rivals. Let’s dive into the details

To clarify what this shift means for those who might be confused: since the launch of Overwatch 2, each season has primarily focused on 'Themes' rather than 'Story.' For instance, Season 12, titled 'New Frontiers', was mostly about the Battle Pass skins featured on the cover. The actual 'core lore' of the game was barely mentioned, progressing only through minor events or new hero releases, which many felt led to a total standstill in the narrative.

This stands in stark contrast to its competitor, Marvel Rivals. In that game, each season is driven by its own distinct storyline, detailing exactly what is happening in that universe through the introduction of new characters. Their Battle Pass skins are promoted separately and may or may not link back to the main plot. It appears Overwatch is now pivoting to adopt a similar seasonal narrative model

Season 1, kicking off this February 10th, will mark a fresh start for the narrative. It picks up right where the original Overwatch story left off—specifically after the 'Recall' animated short (video above). You might remember Reaper raiding the old Overwatch base where Winston was stationed, leading Winston to finally hit the button to recall the team.

Since that moment, we’ve been left in the dark about what happened next, until Overwatch 2 showed the heroes reuniting for the Paris mission in the 'Zero Hour' animated short (video below). But even then, the story hit another dead end. We know the team is back together, but then what? What are they doing now? What has happened since that reunion? This new direction aims to finally answer those long-standing questions

Most recently, Johanna Faries, President of Blizzard, stated during a press conference at the headquarters last week:

'The decision to overhaul the content is the result of extensive discussions with the team. We’ve talked about this a lot over the past year. About 20 to 30 people on the team said, Hey, we want to try something different... and let’s drop the "2" while we’re at it. Everyone agreed that, yes, this is the perfect time for the universe to undergo a major shift. I fully support this decision; it was a very easy one for me to get behind.'

And that was the catalyst for this massive transformation.

During the latest Overwatch Spotlight, the development team officially kicked off the next chapter of the lore with the 'Overwatch Vendetta' Cinematic Trailer (Reign of Talon). This trailer introduces Vendetta, who is rising to take command of Talon in place of Doomfist (video above). In a chilling conclusion, Vendetta declares that Talon will no longer hide in the shadows; they are stepping out to rule the world—a bold departure from their previous secretive operations.

The story for this inaugural season is titled 'Conquest: Reign of Talon.' What twists and turns await us in this new era? We’ll find out when it launches on February 10th. One thing is for sure: this is going to be an epic ride you won't want to miss!