Overwatch 2 recently teased that 2026 would see some major developments not only for the game itself, but for the universe of the IP as a whole. Fans can expect things in Overwatch 2 to “ramp up” in the second half of the year leading into 2026, starting with Season 18.
This year, Overwatch 2 took some big swings that have paid off immensely. Between the Perks feature, the Stadium game mode, and systems like Hero Bans and Map Voting, Blizzard has added some much-needed player agency to Overwatch 2, with plans to expand on these and other systems for the rest of the year.
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PostsNow, Overwatch 2 has given fans the first glimpse at what might be in store for them in 2026. While playing Stadium with Jay3 on Twitch, Overwatch 2 game director Aaron Keller spoke about the future of the game, claiming Season 18 is going to be “a big season for us.” However, he went on to say that things were “really starting to ramp up,” and that the rest of the year would be leading in to some significant changes next year both in and out of the game. “We feel like we’re making a lot of good progress on innovative gameplay systems, but there’s other parts of the game that we could be doing a lot better with – other parts of the game and universe – that we are going to start ramping that up and moving into that, and I think players are going to see it starting next year.”
‘We’re Really Starting to Ramp Up’ – Aaron Keller on Overwatch 2 in 2026
During the discussion, Keller cited Season 15 – the first season of this year – as a major win, seemingly as a milestone to beat. The major update introduced the game-changing Perks system as a permanent addition to traditional game modes, which has been massively popular since its introduction. If Keller's words are any indication, Overwatch 2 wants 2026 to have an opening season that is at least as impactful as Season 15 was in 2025.
CloseHowever, the phrasing of Keller’s statement seems deliberate. His repetition of “other parts of the game and universe” suggests innovations beyond the confines of Overwatch 2 itself. This could be a reference to the rumored Overwatch mobile game, or perhaps some other form of media. Elsewhere in the discussion, Keller spoke about animated shorts and storytelling in Overwatch 2, and how it is one place where it has failed its fans. He mentioned the failed PvE experiments constituted a "step back," so that they could reassess and try to tackle the story again, which could manifest as animated shorts – or perhaps even a full animated series.
We feel like we’re making a lot of good progress on innovative gameplay systems, but there’s other parts of the game that we could be doing a lot better with – other parts of the game and universe – that we are going to start ramping that up and moving into that, and I think players are going to see it starting next year.
Either way, it sounds like Overwatch 2 is building up to something big next year. Overwatch 2 associate game director Alec Dawson corroborated Keller’s remark as well, saying “If people think we are going to rest on our laurels now that we have [Seasons] 15 and 16, [which] are the culmination of a big push we had done to mix up the game, it’s the opposite.” While fans will have to wait until official reveals to see exactly what these directors are talking about, players can safely expect to have “a lot of really awesome stuff in the near future.”
