Overwatch 2 Reveals Season 13 Update Patch Notes

Key Takeaways

Overwatch 2 Season 13 brings map changes for Circuit Royale, Dorado, Havana, and Numbani to improve battle flow and balance.
Hero updates include buffs to Mauga and Sojourn, nerfs to Ramattra and Juno, and a rework of Sombra’s abilities.
Quality-of-life improvements in Overwatch 2 include an interactive scoreboard, matchmaking updates, and adjustments to Competitive Play.

As a seasoned Overwatch player with countless hours spent in these iconic maps, I can confidently say that the recent updates have breathed new life into the game. The changes to Dorado, Havana, and Numbani have significantly improved the overall experience for both attackers and defenders alike.

As a passionate fan, I’m thrilled to share that Overwatch 2 has just unveiled the details for its captivating Season 13! The enhancements to Competitive Play, user interface, hero balance, and other modifications are already live in Overwatch 2, making every gameplay experience even more exhilarating.

The penultimate season for Overwatch 2 is now here! This season, dubbed Spellbinder, brings along a Battle Pass brimming with captivating cosmetic items in Overwatch 2 Season 13. Additionally, it unveils numerous user-friendly enhancements such as refinements to many well-known maps.

Currently, Blizzard has disclosed the complete details of the update for Season 13, which includes before-and-after comparisons for all modifications made to the Overwatch 2 maps. Significant alterations have been made to Circuit Royale, Dorado, Havana, and Numbani at various points on each map. These changes are primarily aimed at enhancing the pace of combat, providing additional cover for attackers at challenging chokepoints, and making adjustments to ensure a more balanced fight in tough situations. Furthermore, the Clash game mode has been fine-tuned with changes to point capture speed and respawn times to minimize overpowering victories in this new game mode.

Absolutely, with each new update for Overwatch 2, you can expect adjustments to the roster of heroes. Alongside enhancements for Mauga and Sojourn, as well as reductions for Ramattra and Juno, there’s been a revamp of Sombra’s abilities. Furthermore, Blizzard has made minor improvements to Baptiste and tweaked Brigitte slightly: the kickback on Baptiste’s Biotic Launcher primary fire has been lessened, while the cooldown on Brigitte’s Repair Pack has been extended by a half second.

To enhance users’ experience, the scoreboard for Overwatch 2 now includes interactive buttons that enable fans to easily customize their microphone, voice chat, and text chat settings, as well as quickly report and mute troublesome players. Additionally, modifications have been implemented in the Competitive Play of Overwatch 2, such as improvements to matchmaking accuracy and prerequisites for appearing on the Top 500 Leaderboard.

In Season 13 of Overwatch 2, enthusiasts will find a wealth of in-game activities and gameplay modes to indulge in. The spooky event Halloween Terror is back, bringing the innovative Junkenstein’s Laboratory Team Deathmatch mode with customizable hero talents, as well as the classic PvE encounters like Junkenstein’s Revenge and Wrath of the Bride. Starting October 17, a collaboration with My Hero Academia will take place, offering five unique skins inspired by the beloved anime. From October 31 onwards, players can tackle Hero Mastery courses for Cassidy and Brigitte, and complete special challenges on them until November 12 to earn exclusive rewards and Battle Pass XP.

Overwatch 2 Season 13 Patch Notes – October 15, 2024

SEASON 13 – SEASON OF SPELLBINDERS

Experience a chilling Season 13 as you torment your adversaries with the captivating Mythic Spellbinder Widowmaker, a witchcraft expert who boasts elegant animations and mesmerizing effects. Engage in combat within the eerie new Halloween Terror PvP game mode, Junkenstein’s Laboratory, where heroes undergo transformations into terrifying monsters! Furthermore, witness justice clash between heroes and villains in the My Hero Academia collaboration, offering unique cosmetics inspired by beloved anime characters. Brace yourself for a season brimming with magic, power, and spine-tingling encounters!

OVERWATCH 2 X MY HERO ACADEMIA®

As a gamer diving into the thrilling world of Overwatch 2, I’m pumped to join forces with the heroes and villains from My Hero Academia! Take on a righteous role with Tracer as Deku, Reinhardt as All Might, or Juno as Uravity. Or, if chaos is more your style, become Reaper as Tomura Shigaraki and Kiriko as Himiko Toga. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by—grab the Mega Bundle to collect all these incredible My Hero Academia skins, available exclusively from October 17th to 30th!

HALLOWEEN TERROR 2024

This Halloween, prepare for a thrilling, spine-tingling time as the Halloween Terror event offers both fresh and familiar game modes! Engage in the frenzied chaos of Junkenstein’s Laboratory, a high-speed Team Deathmatch where you can empower your characters with wicked cursed ability cards. Then join forces for the chilling cooperative escapade of Junkenstein’s Revenge, battling waves of zombie robots and fearsome bosses. Lastly, dive into Adlersbrunn’s horrifying mysteries in Wrath of the Bride, an edge-of-your-seat PvE experience packed with puzzles, haunted castles, and startling surprises! Brace yourself for the scares and triumph over the terror!

HERO MASTERY MODE – CASSIDY & BRIGITTE

From October 31st to November 12th, you can hone your abilities with two new characters – Cassidy’s Peacekeeper or Brigitte, who packs a punch with Shield Bash. During this period, take on unique challenges to bag exclusive rewards and extra Battle Pass XP while showcasing your skills in these freshly introduced arenas.

GENERAL UPDATES

Interactive Scoreboard

To give players easier access to social features, especially on controllers, we’ve added the ability to interact with the Scoreboard. The Interactive Scoreboard is intended to make reporting faster and easier, but also to improve your social experience through whatever channels you prefer to communicate in or avoid entirely. The following features are now accessible via Interactive Scoreboard:

Adjusting Mic Volume of other players
Adjusting your Mic Volume
Reporting other players
Joining/Leaving Team Voice Chat
Joining/Leaving Group Voice Chat
Muting Team Text Chat
Muting Match Text Chat
Muting Text Chat of other players

Matchmaking Updates

Tuning changes to reduce queue times for Wide matches in Competitive Play.
Loss Streak avoidance tuned down to prevent cases where it could increase worst case scenario queue times.

Team Feedback: The technology hasn’t shown any significant reduction in losing streaks, and there are worries that it could increase waiting times. Therefore, we’ve decided to reduce its intensity temporarily.

Role Delta tuning tightened, to try to match Ranks on the roles on each team more closely.

In simpler terms, it appears the developers are stating that playing alongside a teammate who is in the same role as someone on the other team tends to enhance the quality of matches. They also suggest that making this preference tighter won’t have a major effect on the wait time for these matches.

Role Delta has been updated to prioritize the Tank Role above other roles.

Developer Notes: We’re brainstorming strategies to enhance the Tank gameplay from all perspectives, aiming to provide a fairer distribution of battles and minimize lopsided fights that affect the entire team.

At higher Ranks the effects of MMR Decay, Winning Trend, Losing Trend, and Calibration have been reduced.

Developer’s Note: In higher tiers, these modifications might occasionally let experienced players on fresh accounts outperform their highest previous ranks through luck, whereas other users who have been playing longer would typically earn their new rank.

At higher Ranks the matchmaker now takes into account the benefits of grouping when constructing matches.

In higher tiers, teams made up of solo players have been struggling against groups for quite a while. With this new feature, we don’t intend to eliminate the benefits of teaming up completely in high ranks, but rather to make those advantages less overwhelming.

Public Custom Games

Hosting Public Custom Games now requires Endorsement Level 3.

Game Developers Note: We’ve been taking action against accounts posting disruptive content in our Game Browser. We take this seriously and are committed to removing players who violate our Code of Conduct. When an account receives a social penalty, it is lowered to Endorsement Level 0. This system, along with social actions, offers one opportunity for the player to change their behavior before receiving a permanent ban. Players below Endorsement Level 3 can still host games using the “Friends” or “Invite Only” settings, but they will not have access to the “Everyone” setting.

Streamer Protect

Access to the “Hide My Name” function of Streamer Protect now requires completing the “Unrelenting Hero” Lifetime Challenge.

Developer Note: To address community input, we plan to implement a restriction that requires new users to build up access to a particular feature. This is aimed at ensuring the feature isn’t misused by malicious players who often create new accounts for disruption. However, it’s crucial to note that the “Hide My Name” function doesn’t shield such players from punishment when they are reported, as we maintain knowledge of their true BattleTag under the hood.

Challenge Updates

Select challenges are now visible in the Main Menu.
Challenge Rewards can now be inspected in detail in the Challenges Menu.

Developer Notes: The main menu now showcases challenges to emphasize their rewards, mainly focusing on the latest Event Challenges. This is intended to help newer players identify and participate more easily.

SHOP UPDATES

Mythic Skin Aspects Add-on Cosmetic is now added to the Mythic Shop.
Overwatch League Store tab was removed and replaced by a separate button in the bottom of the main Shop tab.

COMPETITIVE UPDATES

The requirements to appear on the Top 500 Leaderboard have changed:

Win requirement per season reduced from 50 to 25.
The Seasoned Competitor challenge (750 lifetime wins in Competitive Play) is now required to be completed to be eligible for any Top 500 Leaderboard starting in Season 12.

HERO UPDATES

General

Swapping your hero hides your selection on the enemy scoreboard for 15 seconds.

Comment from Developer: This update makes it harder for players to quickly swap characters during a match, particularly when both players are starting the game and simultaneously switching their characters based on each other’s selections on the scoreboard.

TANK

Mauga

Developer Note: Extending the duration of Mauga’s burn effect aims to provide a more substantial reward for aiming at challenging, smaller targets.

Incendiary Chaingun
- Ignite damage over time duration increased from 3 to 4 seconds.

Ramattra

Developer Note: Previously, Ramattra’s projectiles could pass through barriers, causing annoyance for players attempting to shield themselves or their teammates. Now, with these updates, Ramattra can inflict critical damage on barriers but won’t instantly harm players on the opposite side, making him a strategic pick against barrier-focused gameplay, while also reducing player frustration.

Pummel
- No longer pierces barriers.
- Now deals 2.5x more damage to barriers.

Reinhardt

Developer Notes: I’m making some adjustments to the barrier durability and healing speed since it has become a bit challenging to penetrate.

Barrier Field
- Barrier Field health reduced from 1600 to 1500.

DAMAGE

Hanzo

Developer Note: Since we’ve adjusted the weapon damage, it’s now feasible to defeat an opponent Hanzo with a precise headshot. Consequently, we are restoring Hanzo’s health back to its original state.

Base health increased from 225 to 250.

Sojourn

Developer Notes: The adjustments made to Railgun reduce the speed at which it loses energy, giving it more time before it starts to weaken. This modification eases the necessity to rapidly use the secondary fire. Moreover, Disruptor Shot will see an enhancement in damage output, making it more effective as a tool for area control, and it will also generate a small amount of Railgun energy, expanding its versatility.

Railgun
- Energy no longer stops degenerating at 25 energy.
- Time before energy degeneration begins increased from 7 to 12 seconds.
Disruptor Shot
- Damage per second increased from 60 to 80
- Now generates 25% of damage done to enemy players as Railgun energy.

Sombra

Comment from Developer: We aim to modify Sombra’s gameplay approach to enhance interaction with the enemy team, and transfer some of her power from stealth and hack abilities towards increased deadly potential.

Reducing Stealth’s duration shorter than the Translocator’s cooldown is designed to establish temporary moments of exposure. While it allows Sombra to swiftly navigate through hazardous zones without being detected, prolonged presence in the enemy’s rear line necessitates moving from concealed spot to concealed spot much like other evasive characters. Additionally, no longer losing Stealth’s movement speed upon receiving damage makes it more effective as an evasion option.

Hack
- No longer ends Stealth but does reveal Sombra.
- Hacked ability lockout effect duration reduced from 1.5 to 1.0 seconds (EMP duration unchanged).
- BOB hacked stun duration reduced from 10 to 3 seconds.
Translocator
- Cooldown increased from 5 to 7 seconds.
EMP
- Ultimate cost increased 12%.
Stealth
- No longer passive and now activates by using Translocator.
- Now has a 5 second duration.
- Added stealth timer around the reticle and removed ability icon.
- Taking damage now reveals Sombra for 1 second instead of ending stealth.
Opportunist
- The Opportunist passive has been added back in.
- Increases Sombra’s weapon damage versus hacked targets by 20%.
- See critically injured enemies through walls.

SUPPORT

Baptiste

Developer Note: The goal behind this adjustment is primarily to alleviate the strain caused by prolonged recoil control during gameplay, rather than focusing on increasing the strength of Baptiste’s main weapon’s fire.

Biotic Launcher
- Primary fire recoil reduced by 30%.

Brigitte

Developer Note: To balance Brigitte’s healing capacity across a game, we’ve made a minor tweak.

Repair Pack
- Cooldown increased from 5 to 5.5 seconds.

Juno

Comment from Developer: We are reducing Juno’s healing reach because her healing capacity exceeds her mobility. This adjustment aims to emphasize the importance of strategic positioning when utilizing her mobility skills.

Mediblaster
- Falloff range reduced from 30-50 meters to 20-35 meters.
- Healing per projectile reduced from 6.5 to 6.

MAP UPDATES

CLASH

Capture time on the final objective points A and E now increases for Attackers as segments get secured consecutively from 1x /1x / 1x to 0.7x /1.1x /1.4x, to make the first segment easier to capture for attackers but consecutive ones harder.
Defenders now respawn instantly as the first segment and second segment get secured instead of when the previous objective points B or D get captured.
Unlock time for final objective points A and E has been increased from 25 seconds to 27.5 seconds.
Decay rate on final objective points A and E have been doubled for attackers to not lose their progress as quickly when stepping off the point.
Capture time for defenders on objective points B and D has been increased by 10% to give attackers more opportunities to attack the point.

Developer’s Notes: To decrease the frequency of lopsided stomps in Clash game mode, and to make it easier for attackers to secure at least one segment on final objective points, we adjusted the capture time for the defending team. This change aims to make the battle for objectives B and D slightly more advantageous for the attacking side.

Circuit Royal

1st Point
- New exit options from attackers initial spawn to reduce spawn camping.
- Initial high ground right flank brought in and access adjusted to reduce spawn camping.
- Cover options added.
- New far side flank option to contest defenders on the high ground by the bridge.
2nd Point
- Improved spawn protections for attackers leaving the second spawn area to reduce spawn camping.
- Additional cover added while pushing high ground for attackers.
- New flank added for attackers to take rear high ground by the chicane.
- Hill lowered slightly and road angled forward to make approach for attackers slightly more comfortable.
3rd Point
- Improved options for attackers leaving the third spawn area to combat spawn camping.
- Flank route to high ground pool area widened and additional cover added to increase play options in this space.
- Sightlines improved for attackers to poke at entrenched defender positions in the final area.

Dorado

1st Point
- Starting high ground cover and access has been adjusted to reduce spawn camping.
- Flank routes have been streamlined for attackers.
- Various geometry adjustments to provide more favorable gameplay opportunities for attackers in the market area.
2nd Point
- Staircase added for easier attacker access to the high ground.
- Added access to the courthouse for attackers.
3rd Point
- Cover added after the chokepoint on the main path.

Havana

1st Point
- Reduced sightlines into the attackers’ spawn.
- Added new options for attackers to exit their spawn.
- Reduced oppressive high ground vantage points for defenders.
2nd Point
- Widened doorways and certain routes for cleaner navigation and flow.
- Closed small holes through certain assets to block sightlines and projectiles.
3rd Point
- Redesigned attackers’ spawn interior and added additional routes for a safer attacker exit.
- Sightlines from the fort wall to spawn and main route have been reduced.
- Pathing into the fort has been consolidated on one side for cleaner flow and to give both teams more options while in combat around the final chokepoint.

Numbani

1st Point
- Attackers’ initial spawn room has been pushed a lot closer to first point to reduce runback times.
- Lowered some high ground around first point.
- Easier access to flank routes around first point.
- Combined the paths in the building behind the payload on first point – one room that connects everything.
2nd Point
- Forward defender spawn points have been added to reduce runback times for defenders.
- A staircase has been added near attackers forward spawn for easier access to high ground.
- Added a connecting path past and above the choke into third point.
3nd Point
- Relocated a pesky sign.
- Removed a tree.

BUG FIXES