Overwatch 2 Season 6: Patch notes, release time, Battle Pass, Mythic skin, and everything new
Everything you need to know about the Overwatch 2: Invasion update.
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Between a collection of story-driven PvE missions, the addition of a fresh PvP game mode, and the arrival of a new hero, Overwatch 2 Season 6 is one of the biggest content drops yet for Blizzard’s revamped hero shooter. It’s finally here, and is available now for everyone that logs into the game.
If you’re curious about everything that Season 6 — also dubbed Overwatch 2: Invasion — has to offer, look no further. Below, you’ll find a complete overview of everything that’s come at start of and is coming throughout the season, including new pieces of content, events, Battle Pass skins, and more.
Overwatch 2 Season 6: Release date and launch time
The release date for Overwatch 2 Season 6 was a bit unusual compared to past launches. The vast majority of new patches for the game are pushed live on Tuesdays, butthe Invasion update released on August 10, 2023, on a Thursday. At this time, Season 5’s Battle Pass was rotated out for Season 6’s.
Specifically,Blizzard released the patch at 12 p.m. PT / 3 p.m. ET. This is typically when most updates for Overwatch 2 come out, so this release time was hardly a surprise.
Overwatch 2updates are global, so if you’re in a different time zone than the ones previously mentioned, the patch came later on August 10 or even early on August 11 for you. In the table below, we’ve listed when the season went live in each regional time zone.
Overwatch 2 Season 6: Invasion roadmap
We’ll get into all of the specific things that Overwatch 2 Season 6 brought in the sections below, but if you’re just looking for a quick-and-dirty look at what’s been added, this official roadmap from Blizzard is a great resource. Here’s a list of everything it includes:
Compared to previous Overwatch 2 seasons, Season 6 doesn’t have many new events. Instead, the main draw of the season is the addition of long-awaited PvE story missions, along with the arrival of a brand new Support hero to play. If you missed events from older seasons, though, make sure to log on during the OW2 Anniversary event so you can play their content while they’re briefly available again.
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Overwatch 2 Season 6: Battle Pass skins, rewards, and price
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Just like older seasons did, Overwatch 2 Season 6 launched with a new 80-tier Battle Pass for players to progress through as they play the game.It’s themed after Invasion and the season’s PvE missions, and while the Free reward track of the pass will get you a solid chunk of its rewards, you’ll need to buy the Premium Battle Pass to get access toallof its contents.The Premium Battle Pass costs 1,000Overwatch Coins, or $10 worth. Notably, this means you could buy the Battle Pass with the 1,000 Overwatch Coins you get with the $15 OW2 Invasion Bundle.
In addition to items like skins, emotes, voice lines, and sprays, the Battle Pass also includes sums of Overwatch Credits throughout both of its reward tracks. This special currency can be used to unlock older skins and cosmetics from the original Overwatch, making them particularly valuable to fans that got into Blizzard’s hero shooter with Overwatch 2. 1,500 are earnable from the Free track, while 500 are available from the Premium one.
The table below gives a full look at every reward you can earn from all 80 tiers of the Season 6 Battle Pass.
We’ve also included screenshots of each skin in the Battle Pass above so that you can check each of them out.
Season 6 Mythic skin: A-700 Wargod Ana
The Overwatch 2 Season 6 Mythic skin is A-700 Wargod Ana. Like Season 5’s Mythic skin, it’s available halfway through the Premium Battle Pass, with its customizable elements unlocked at Tiers 61 and 80. As its name suggests, it makes Ana look like an omnic under the Null Sector omnic terrorist group that acts as the antagonistic force in Overwatch 2: Invasion.
The default version of the skin features the classic white and purple colors of Null Sector, though it can be customized to be black and red or tan and orange as well. Additionally, there are several different options for the skin’s armor, as well as the look of Ana’s rifle. The images above show the different colors and armor styles.
Overwatch 2 Season 6: Invasion PvE Story Missions
The meat of Overwatch 2 Season 6 lies with its new PvE story missions. In them, you and three other players (or AI-controlled bots) co-op together to take on Null Sector, a group of omnic terrorists led by none other than Ramattra, the tank hero introduced in Season 2. In total, there will be three new missions to play, including “Resistance” set in Rio de Janeiro, “Liberation” set in Toronto, and “Ironclad” on the all-new Gothenburg map.
During these levels, you’ll be able to play as heroes that are either returning to the Overwatch task force or are allied with it. This includes Reinhardt, Winston, Tracer, Sojourn, Genji, Mei, Brigitte, Lucio, and Baptiste, along with plenty of others, too.
Similar to the limited-time Overwatch Storm Rising level that came out in 2019, these Overwatch 2: Invasion missions push the story of the Overwatch universe forward with multiple cutscenes and lots of dialogue between the characters present. It seems as if Overwatch is reforming and banding together to stop Null Sector (and Talon, which has been growing strength in the shadows).
To access Season 6’s story missions,you’ll need to purchase the OW2 Invasion Bundle for $15. In addition to including “permanent access” to all three levels, it also grants 1,000 Overwatch Coins and allows you to earn an exclusive Vigilante Sojourn Legendary skin. It unlocks Sojourn herself, as well, if you don’t have her already.
Overwatch 2 Invasion Bundle
The $15 Overwatch 2 Invasion Bundle grants you permanent access to Overwatch 2’s new PvE story missions while also giving you 1,000 Overwatch Coins and the earnable Vigilante Sojourn Legendary Skin. It unlocks Sojourn if you don’t have her already, too.
See at:Battle.net
Overwatch 2 Season 6: Flashpoint mode and maps
Overwatch 2 Season 6 also introduced a new PvP mode called Flashpoint. In it, each team is tasked with capturing control points called flashpoints scattered around massive maps. Only one flashpoint can be active at a time, with the one at the center of the map always unlocking at the start of the round. Once a flashpoint is captured, it locks and a random neutral flashpoint is then unlocked. This continues until one team captures three of the five flashpoints.
Notably, Flashpoint maps are the largest in Overwatch’s history, and have been designed to be completely symmetrical so that both teams have the exact same cover, sightlines, and pathing to work with. However, things become less symmetrical when flashpoints closer to one team’s spawn unlock. In these scenarios, one team will likely get to a point before the other, resulting in more of an attack/defend engagement where a diverse array ofOverwatch 2 heroescan perform well.
There are two Flashpoint maps available: Suravasa and New Junk City. Over time, we expect to see Blizzard develop more maps for the mode, as it’s a core one and will be in both Unranked and Competitive playlists permanently.
Overwatch 2 Season 6: New Support hero Illari
Like the previous new hero, Lifeweaver, Season 6’s addition to the Overwatch cast is a Support hero. Her name is Illari, and now that the Invasion update is out, we’re able to provide a full overview of her abilities:
While we’re not certain of where Illari’s place in the PvP meta will be considering she just came out and she won’t be playable inCompetitive playfor a few weeks, it’s clear that she was designed to be most effective in defensive mid-range scenarios. Her Solar Rifle is quite powerful if you land a lot of critical hits, and the Healing Pylon is perfect for supporting your teammates as they defend objectives. Outburst also helps her escape deadly or movement-inhibiting attacks, and Captive Sun looks to be an extremely effective area denial Ultimate.
How to unlock Illari in Overwatch 2
While Illari is now in the game, she’s not immediately available to play for everyone.To unlock Illari, you’ll need to purchase the Season 6 Premium Battle Pass or reach Tier 45 on the Free reward track of the Battle Pass. This means that free-to-play players won’t get access to the new hero for a while, though you can play as her right away if you buy the Battle Pass.
Overwatch 2 Season 6: Patch notes and changes
On top of all the new pieces of content in Overwatch 2: Invasion, Blizzard took the opportunity to make tons of sweeping balance changes to the game with the Season 6 update. We’ve listed the full patch notes below for your convenience.
OVERWATCH 2: INVASION
Overwatch 2: Invasion is now available! Enjoy the new Invasion Story Missions, all-new skins, and cosmetic rewards in the Invasion Battle Pass, the new core PVP game mode Flashpoint, and the new Support Hero Illari!
INTRODUCING ILLARI
Using solar threading augmentation, Illari strikes down her enemies by harnessing the power of the sun.
ILLARI
NEW GAME MODE - FLASHPOINT
Flashpoint is the newest core game mode available on two of the biggest maps to date: Suravasa and New Junk City. Gameplay begins with both teams pursuing a central objective called a Flashpoint, aiming to capture it before the opposing team does. Capture progress for Flashpoint is like the Control game mode, but plays out faster.
A point is captured by a team once a Flashpoint reaches 100% capture progress. If the Flashpoint is being contested by a member of the opposite team currently not in control when the capture progress reaches 99%, Overtime will activate until either the team in control can remove all remaining opponents off, or until the contesting team can retake control of the Flashpoint.
A point is scored when a Flashpoint is fully captured by a team, however, gameplay continues when a new Flashpoint located somewhere else on the map is activated, and both teams must immediately race to capture it. As additional Flashpoints unlock, the spawn locations of each team will be of generally equal distance to the currently activated Flashpoint.
The team to be the first to successfully capture three of the five flashpoints wins the match.
Flashpoint is available now in Unranked modes and will be available for Competitive Play later this season.
INVASION STORY MISSIONS
Players who purchase the Invasion Bundle from the in-game shop can play in all-new Story Missions with their friends or others in queue. These massive co-op experiences will have players face against the invading forces of Null Sector, who have launched an all-out global offensive. Play through all of them and unlock the Overwatch 2 hero Sojourn, along with her new Vigilante Legendary skin.
Players can access the Story Missions can be accessed through Winston’s Desk in the Missions card in the play menu, where players can explore the Story Missions hub and new Intel Database. Playing missions and completing various goals will unlock lore entries, movies, never-before-revealed details about your favorite heroes and characters, and clues about the future of the world of Overwatch!
NEW LIMITED TIME EVENT: KING’S ROW – UNDERWORLD
Stop Null Sector from taking over the Omnic Underworld in this new co-op event that’s free to play for everyone! Reactivate a combat modified TS-1 Utility Bot to aid in liberating endangered omnics, but be warned: massive amounts of Null Sector forces have occupied King’s Row. And that’s not all—a powerful new support unit will be healing the deadly OR-14 attack bot in your path.
Every week, we’ll be adding new challenges and ways to play this new co-op event. Keep checking back! The King’s Row – Underworld event runs from August 10 to September 5.
GENERAL UPDATES
Developer Comments: We’ve adjusted the second and third tiers to 9 and 12, but expect players to complete “Making Progress” on their way to those thresholds, which should leave the difficulty to complete weekly challenges unchanged. We’ve kept the first tier requirement at 4, which should be easier to earn with the introduction of the new weekly challenge.
COMPETITIVE PLAY UPDATES
HERO UPDATES
Developer Comments: Armor damage reduction was multiplicative with damage reduction from abilities, creating situations where certain heroes were much more difficult to damage than intended, since they were bypassing the damage reduction cap. This change will smooth out some of the extreme spikes in survivability.
TANK
D.Va
Developer Comments: Once D.Va’s mech was destroyed, there was a window of time where the pilot could be damaged or killed before the player fully had control over their character. With this change, D.Va can no longer be damaged by things like explosions or melee attacks before the player fully transitions control from the mech to the pilot.
Doomfist
Developer Comments: Doomfist is performing well overall but tends to have more deaths on average compared to other Tank heroes. Lowering the Seismic Slam cooldown will reduce downtime in his ability rotations and translate into more survivability due to the increased mobility and potential for generating overhealth more often with his passive ability. Additionally, Power Block will now always reduce explosive damage from a projectile stuck directly to Doomfist, even though normally you have to face the direction of the incoming damage to block it.
Ramattra
Developer Comments: Similar to Doomfist’s Power Block change, Ramattra’s Block ability will now always apply damage reduction to projectiles stuck directly to him. His Annihilation ultimate ability was being generated slightly too quickly for how impactful it can be, so we are increasing its ultimate cost.
Sigma
Developer Comments: Sigma has always had somewhat floatier movement controls than most heroes in order to match his character movement animations. However, this led players to feel like his Tank role passive ability wasn’t reducing the amount he would be knocked back since it took him longer to stop than other tanks. We’ve now adjusted this to the standard hero movement values to make the gameplay interactions feel more consistent.
Winston
Developer Comments: Winston’s Tesla Cannon ranged attack had a decently long charge time relative to the damage it deals. These adjustments will make it more responsive to charge and fire, which can be useful for situations such as finishing off low health enemies attempting to flee, or poking at enemies before leaping in. This comes at the cost of taking a longer time to recover after firing, which in some cases will be weaker as a burst-damage combo with Jump Pack and primary fire.
DAMAGE
Bastion
Developer Comments: There are several small tuning adjustments to Bastion here with the goal of improving overall effectiveness, as Bastion’s weakness of being a large and immobile target has proven tough to overcome, even with such powerful damage potential.
Cassidy
Developer Comments: Even with the powerful and reworked Magnetic Grenade, Cassidy has still been underperforming, so we are reverting his maximum health back up to 225, having his gun damage falloff reach its full reduction sooner, and restricting the maximum range on magnetic grenade to help solidify his position as a close-to-mid range damage dealer.
Hanzo
Developer Comments: Despite being conceptually strange, this gameplay mechanic felt good and fluid to use as Hanzo. However, it often resulted in some frustrating behavior for enemy players that can be alleviated without impacting Hanzo’s overall effectiveness too significantly.
Soldier: 76
Developer Comments: Soldier: 76 became much more deadly after his last round of changes so we are reverting the Helix Rocket explosion damage to lower his burst damage. We are also increasing his Tactical Visor ultimate cost to help account for his overall increased damage output, both during the ultimate and leading up to it.
Sombra
Developer Comments: EMP frequency is a little too high given its relative power so we are increasing its cost. It will now also deal the usual percentage of max health damage to Lifeweaver’s Tree of Life ultimate instead of treating it like a barrier and destroying it instantly.
Torbjorn
Developer Comments: We are continuing to add power into the Rivet Gun, as the previous changes didn’t quite make up for the turret damage decrease. In addition, we are also improving the Forge Hammer swing speed so that it is more effective to repair a turret while it is under fire.
SUPPORT
Ana
Developer Comment: Ana’s damage breakpoint change has proven too effective overall given her long range so we are reverting it back to its previous value. We are also increasing the size of unscoped projectiles when firing at enemies (her projectiles have always had a larger size for allies) which should help them land more consistently against close-ranged threats.
Brigitte
Developer Comment: Brigitte’s overall effectiveness and survivability have been high relative to other heroes, so we are reducing the Barrier Shield health. We’re also slightly adjusting the ultimate cost of Rally, as it has become more effective after its rework.
Kiriko
Developer Comment: Protection Suzu now rewards more deliberate usage by increasing its healing when cleansing negative effects. It will no longer knockback enemies, as it wasn’t particularly important to its overall design and was there to provide feedback for the impact. These Kunai changes will make the weapon damage output more consistent and reduce some of the disparity between landing critical hits or not.
Lifeweaver
Developer Comments: The Tree of Life outputs substantial healing but often doesn’t provide enough value for an ultimate ability. To increase its utility, any overhealing done via the Tree is now converted to overhealth. Thorn Volley’s spread is now less random, with half the projectiles having a smaller base spread to promote better mid-range consistency. Life Grip now has a longer mobility lockout duration to prevent accidental cancels by the affected ally using a movement ability immediately after the pull being started. Finally, we are supplementing Lifeweaver’s survivability with an increase to his overall health pool by converting some of it to shield health in order to account for the large petal hit volume on his back, as well as increasing the healing done by Rejuvenating Dash.
Lucio
Developer Comment: In order to help bring Lucio’s survivability more in line with the rest of the Support heroes, Crossfade self-healing during Amp It Up is now a more effective survival option for Lucio.
Mercy
Developer Comment: Damage amplification effects have been an often discussed topic lately, and Mercy has been performing strongly at all skill ranks. We’re reducing the potency of Mercy’s damage boost beam but want to make sure it stays powerful enough to feel like an effective and interesting gameplay choice, as making the decision between healing or damage boosting is core to Mercy’s gameplay.
CO-OP HERO MODE UPDATES
With the introduction of Overwatch 2: Invasion Story Missions, we will have specific hero balance changes for multiple heroes to ensure players have a continuous challenge when playing in co-op modes like Story Missions and Event Missions.
TANK
Winston
Zarya
DAMAGE
Cassidy
Echo
Genji
Mei
Pharah
Torbjorn
Tracer
SUPPORT
Brigitte
Lucio
MAP UPDATES
New Map - New Junk City
Explore deep beyond the gates of Junkertown and discover more secrets of the destroyed Omnium now inhabited by the Junkers in this massive Flashpoint map!
New Map – Suravasa
Discover the enchanting gardens and aqueducts of Suravasa. This Flashpoint map will host brawls across its intricate markets, temples, and ruins.
Lighting for Season 6
BUG FIXES
GENERAL
MAPS
HEROES
Overwatch 2 Season 6: Trailer
Below, we’ve embedded the official trailer for Overwatch 2 Season 6, as well as a “Fight the Invasion” trailer that focuses on the narrative context of its story missions and a gameplay trailer for Illari.
Overwatch 2 is one of thebest Xbox gameson the market for fans of multiplayer shooters, and it’s available now for free on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, PS5, and PS4. The Overwatch 2: Complete Hero Collection costs $20, and gives you instant access to every hero in the game along with three Epic skins, three Legendary skins, 1,000 Overwatch Coins, and 1,500 Overwatch Credits.
Overwatch 2: Complete Hero Collection
This $20 bundle gives you instant access to every hero in Overwatch 2, along with three Epic skins, three Legendary skins, 1,000 Overwatch Coins, and 1,500 Overwatch Credits.
See at:Xbox|Battle.net
Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he’s been an avid fan since childhood. He’s been writing for Team WC since the summer of 2017, and you’ll find him doing news, editorials, reviews, and general coverage on everything gaming, Xbox, and Windows PC. His favorite game of all time is probably NieR: Automata, though Elden Ring, Fallout: New Vegas, and Team Fortress 2 are in the running, too. When he’s not writing or gaming, there’s a good chance he’s either watching an interesting new movie or TV show or actually going outside for once.Follow him on X(Twitter).
