Overwatch: The Reign of Talon Begins Today!
Blizzard Entertainment has kicked off a new stage in Overwatch 2 with The Reign of Talon, a story that will unfold throughout all of 2026 and begins today, February 10, with 5 brand new heroes at launch. On the other hand, it has been officially announced that Overwatch will drop the “2” from its name as it enters this new phase of annual narratives. 10 new heroes and a deep overhaul of systems and content are just some of the things we can expect starting today, with the beginning of Season 1, which will also arrive on Nintendo Switch 2 with its launch during the spring.
The Reign of Talon, and all the changes it brings
The Reign of Talon will take place over the course of the entire year and represents the first fully connected story in the franchise. From Season 1 through Season 6, the Overwatch universe will evolve constantly through in game events, including cinematics, comics, short stories, and visual changes to maps, all centered on Talon’s global rise and Overwatch’s response. And as an essential part of this evolution, we will see the arrival of 10 new heroes throughout all of 2026, 5 of which arrive today. Domina, Emre, and Mizuki on the Talon side, and on the Overwatch side, Anran and the highly anticipated Jetpack Cat.
Starting with Season 2, Blizzard will release a new hero each season, reinforcing both the metagame and the progression of the main story. The update will also include the Conquest meta event, a 5 week long faction war in which we will be able to choose between Overwatch and Talon to unlock rewards such as loot boxes, legendary skins, themed titles, and exclusive cosmetic items. And all of this will come hand in hand with a complete overhaul of the interface and user experience, featuring new menus, faster navigation, and a 3D hero lobby.
Judging by the numbers recorded on Steam since the company presented its roadmap, this strategy seems to be working extremely well. While the arrival of The Reign of Talon already brings a massive wave of new content for the franchise, the game has also experienced a resurgence of players who have decided to return in order to prepare for the new battles that are about to arrive. Whether you are an Overwatch player or not, we have seen the same thing countless times in many games prior to the arrival of new content or expansions. You know what I mean.
More specifically, in the last few hours a peak of 69,881 concurrent players has been recorded on Steam, a figure far above the 30,000 average, putting it very close to its all time record of 75,608, a number it reached two and a half years ago alongside its relaunch. We are talking about numbers that place it practically on par with what Battlefield 6 is achieving right now, so it will be very interesting to see what happens starting today when the new season begins.
So…
There is no doubt that we are looking at one of the most significant events since the launch of Overwatch 2 in October 2022. If you want to know what is most exciting, there is really no need to think too hard about it. Season 1 of The Reign of Talon starts today, in just a few hours. Are you looking forward to it as much as we are? Then head down to the comments and tell us what you think about all the huge changes this day represents for fans of Blizzard Entertainment’s popular franchise. You know gamer, we’ll be reading you! 😉
Images Source: PlayOverwatch Official YouTube Channel, Overwatch 2 on Steam, Overwatch Official Website
