Blizzard is closing out Overwatch 2 Season 1 with a change that will reshape three heroes next week. Mercy, Reaper and Pharah are all getting specific Perks folded into their base kits when Season 2 goes live, part of a limited pass aimed at keeping the roster in step with newer additions.
Mercy’s Flash Heal Perk will become part of her kit in Season 2. Reaper’s Dire Triggers and Pharah’s Drift Thrusters are also moving into their base loadouts, after Blizzard said the additions received quality passes from the sound, VFX or animation teams. Alec said the studio is making the change as it looks to help older heroes keep up with newer Overwatch and Talon recruits.
The move lands at a time when Blizzard is trying to steady the pace of change around its hero roster. The studio said it wants heroes to keep simplicity and flexibility in their kits, but also acknowledged that some characters have tightly defined play styles and others have kits that have stagnated. Its answer, for now, is to fold selected Perks into base kits when that serves overall game health, not to make that a standing rule.
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That distinction matters because Blizzard is drawing a line between a one-off tuning pass and a permanent design habit. The company said it may integrate Perks into base kits again in the future, but not on a regular basis, suggesting Season 2 is meant as a test of whether the approach can refresh older heroes without turning the system into constant churn.
Blizzard is also already looking beyond this pass. Alec said the team is examining multiple heroes for reworks later in the year, with an extremely early shortlist that includes Sombra, Lifeweaver and Roadhog. The studio has said those plans could change, but the fact that those names are already on the board signals that Season 2 is only one part of a broader cleanup effort for 2026.
For players, the immediate question is not whether Blizzard is changing Overwatch 2 again. It is which heroes will feel the difference first. With Season 2 arriving next week, the studio is betting that a few targeted kit integrations can modernize the roster now while leaving room for bigger reworks later.
