Blizzard has officially pulled the plug on the “2” in Overwatch 2, confirming a full rebrand back to just Overwatch starting with the next season in February 2026.
The move from the studio comes right as the game hits its 10th anniversary. Game Director Aaron Keller dropped the news in the Overwatch 2026 Spotlight Event, calling it a “new era, a new chapter” for the franchise.
“We realized Overwatch is a game that transcends any single number. So, moving forward, we’re dropping the 2 and continuing simply as Overwatch,” Aaron continued.
The decision stems from years of internal talks among Blizzard leaders, who saw the “2” as outdated baggage from unfulfilled promises like the major PvE campaign that never fully materialized.
Aaron Keller explained that it positions Overwatch for big annual updates, such as expansions, building long-term trust after the rocky 2022 launch. President Johanna Faries backed it as a “bold step” to match the game’s evolution into its “best state ever,” with free heroes, Stadium mode, and 5v5 PvP refinements proving sequel-worthy changes. Dropping the number also cleans up the franchise’s branding.
Why did Blizzard make the change now?
Overwatch 2 launched back in 2022 with hype around story missions and a true sequel vibe, but Blizzard scrapped most of that PvE dream amid rocky updates and player drop-off.
What stayed were solid PvP tweaks, like 5v5 chaos, Stadium mode, and mythic weapons that keep things fresh. So, dropping the “2” sheds the baggage, as this rebrand syncs with more content drops down the line, positioning the game for new players who skipped the sequel mess.
What’s next for Overwatch?
You can expect Season 1 to pack heat with a new Battle Pass with mythic Cassidy skin, lore ramps on Sombra’s Talon plot, and potential hero teases like Anran. Blizzard promises no big balance shakes from the rename, with just polished PvP and events to celebrate year 10.
With this rebrand or rename, the upcoming season, which was supposed to be Season 21, will now be called Season 1, on Feb. 10, 2026, as a way to signal it’s a “forever game” without sequel numbering, similar to other live-service titles such as League of Legends.
