'Overwatch' Season 3 Is Almost Here: Start Time, New Hero, Battle Pass, and Every Major Addition

Overwatch has been on the rise since the game's rebranding back in February, which saw the simultaneous release of five new heroes, the "2" dropped from the title, and the announcement of a Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game. Thanks to competition from its direct competitor, Marvel Rivals, fans seem to be cautiously optimistic about the game's future. The next season begins later today, and here is everything we know so far.

Season 3 of Overwatchwill be called Into the Tiger's Den. Narratively, the season will continue the year's story of The Reign of Talon and focus on Genji's capture, the arrival of Shion--a Hashimoto clan elder--and the summoning of Overwatch to Japan by Mizuki, Hanzo, and Kiriko.

Season 3 of Overwatch will begin today at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT. The season itself, of course, and the rest of the game, remains free-to-play.

The most notable addition this season is the introduction of a new hero, Shion. Shion is a Damage character, armed with dual pistols and a motorcycle that she can throw. A new Hybrid map, called Neon Junction, will also be added to complement the Japan-focused theme.

Revealed in the season trailer, there will be quite a few new additions to the game. A new Battle Pass will be put into play, featuring unlockable skins for Winston, Hazard, Shion, Lucio, Domina, and more. A new tier of skin rarity is being added, called Ultra.

New packs of cosmetics will be available during the season, too, including the OWCS Team Partner pack, Street Rebels pack, and Spellcasters skins.

A new event, the Anima Strike Meta Event, will be added, allowing players to choose different paths to earn the rewards they want.

There will also be a new Community Crafted Mode, the return of Summer Games, an update to the competitive ban system, and hero reworks for Stadium.

Overwatch is available now as a free-to-play game for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 16, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published June 16, 2026 at 11:39 AM.