I Played Overwatch’s 5 New Heroes: Everything You Need to Know (And Which Five Are Next in 2026)

The team at Blizzard has rolled out its plans for the next year of Overwatch with the latest Spotlight event for the hit hero shooter. In addition to confirming that the game has a new focus on narrative and lore, plus cosmetics, balance, and competitive changes that are coming, they confirmed major new additions coming to the game in just one week. Starting with Season 1 on February 10, Overwatch will release more heroes at one time than they have in the past 14 months of the game, dropping five brand new playable heroes into the game all at once, enough to fill a team in a 5v5 game.

Ahead of the new Overwatch Spotlight, ComicBook had the chance to visit the Blizzard campus in Irvine, where we got hands-on time with each of the new heroes and learned fresh details about not only how they play, what their development was like, but also how they fit into the big picture of the lore in the game. These new faces will not only provide major changes to Overwatch in-game, but in the story that it’s telling (and how many oddballs there are for players to fall in love with).

7) Overwatch Is Adding Subclasses to All Roles

Ahead of fully breaking down all the new heroes coming to Overwatch, it’s worth adding the extra context that starting in Season 1 of 2026, Overwatch is dividing each of its three roles into subclasses. These replace some previous all-role passives, allowing the play style for each to dictate their special abilities. Here’s how they break down:

TANK – BRUISER: Reduces critical damage received. While at critical health, gain movement speed. Heroes include: Mauga, Orisa, Roadhog, and Zarya
TANK – INITIATOR: Staying airborne lightly heals you. Heroes include: D. Va, Doomfist, Winston, and Wrecking Ball.
TANK – STALWART: Reduces knockbacks and slows received. Heroes include: Hazard, Junker Queen, Ramattra, Reinhardt, Sigma, and Domina.

SUPPORT – TACTICIAN: You can gain excess ultimate charge, which carries over after using your ultimate ability. Heroes include: Ana, Baptiste, Jetpack Cat, Lucio, and Zenyatta.
SUPPORT – MEDIC: Healing allies with your weapon also heals you. Heroes include: Kiriko, Lifeweaver, Mercy, and Moira.
SUPPORT – SURVIVOR: Using a movement ability activates passive health regeneration. Heroes include: Brigitte, Illari, Juno, Mizuki, and Wuyang.

DAMAGE – SHARPSHOOTER: Critical hits reduce your movement ability cooldowns. Heroes include: Ashe, Cassidy, Hanzo, Sojourn, and Widowmaker.
DAMAGE – FLANKER: Health packs restore more health. Heroes include: Anran, Genji, Reaper, Tracer, Vendetta, and Venture.
DAMAGE – SPECIALIST: Eliminating an enemy briefly increases your reload speed. Heroes include: Bastion, Emre, Junkrat, Mei, Soldier: 76, Symmetra, and Torbjorn
DAMAGE – RECON: You detect enemies below half health through walls after damaging them. Heroes include: Echo, Freja, Pharah, and Sombra

6) Domina Becomes the Stylish New Poke Tank

Domina’s Kit: A poke tank, Domina has a unique primary fire in Overwatch with her Photon Magnum, firing a medium-range beam that culminates in a high-impact shot, think of it like Symmetra’s beam, but with a big final burst after a couple of seconds and not one continuous action. Domina also has her own shield to extend, called Barrier Array, which differs from every other major shield in Overwatch as it comes segmented, and each segment can be destroyed individually by attacking enemies. Domina’s Shift ability is Crystal Charge, which sends out an explosive crystal that can be detonated either on impact or by activating it.

The tank also comes equipped with her own “Boop,” called Sonic Repulsors, which not only pushes enemies but can stun them if they hit a wall (you can just as easily knock them down the Ilios well if you want). Finally, her ultimate is Panopticon, firing out in a straight line a series of hard-light projectiles that trap the enemy team. Enemies CAN shoot their way out of these, but if they do not, it explodes after a time. Furthermore, Domina has a passive ability called “Reconstruction” that restores her shield after dealing damage with abilities. Sigma fans will be excited to have a new poke tank in the game, especially with a dynamic kit that’s so different.

Where Domina Fits Into Overwatch Lore: A vice president of operations and development at Vishkar Industries, Domina brings a distinct visual style to Overwatch that is pretty absent from any role, but especially tanks: fashionable. A character built not only on being chic in appearance, but also never getting her hands dirty, as her robotic arms do almost everything for her (you’ll see her reload animation is one of the most unique in-game, as her right robotic arm actually reloads the weapon from above, rather than using her left hand like every other character). Taj Atwal provides the voice for Domina.

Given her place in the world, she immediately arrives with connections to Symmetra, Lifeweaver, and Lucio, meaning interactions between these three feel like a guarantee. Miranda Moyer, Narrative Lead on Overwatch, had a good tease for Domina’s interactions in-game, revealing: “I think actually Domina’s favorite animal conversation is my favorite, because she gets her own very unique one that you guys should listen for, because it’s very funny, and it’s her.”

5) Emre Delivers Classic Shooter Gameplay to DPS

Emre’s Kit: It’s clear from playing Emre that he was designed with the idea of being an accessible character for FPS players who are coming to Overwatch from other shooter titles. His Synthetic Burst Rifle offers a three-round burst assault weapon, which can zoom in for ease of aiming (unlike Ashe, Emre’s zoom in does not lower his movement speed). Emre also comes equipped with the Siphon Blaster, a semi-automatic pistol with life-stealing explosive rounds that also increases speed and jump height. Finally, he has two Cyber Frags as well, which bounce and then explode (one of his major perks makes them sticky). After playing him for multiple rounds, Emre feels like returning to the days of playing Halo 2 with a Battle Rifle and Pistol equipped. He’s seamless, fast, and fun.

Emra’s Ultimate is where he’s most distinct, with Override Protocol transforming the hero into a living weapon. The character enters the air and, with his arm now charged into a giant canon, can fire quick explosive blasts or charged shots that can secure a team wipe. The hero also has a unique passive, Altered Vitals, which activates his passive health regeneration sooner than other heroes, and instantly restores 30 health when activated.

Where Emre Fits Into Overwatch Lore: As revealed in the “Search & Destroy” short story (plus years of references in Overwatch lore), Emre is a former member of Overwatch with voice actor Kerem Erdinc calling him “one of the old guard,” joining the team alongside Reinhardt and Soldier: 76. In-lore, Emre left Overwatch after an operation resulted in civilian casualities, later learning that Reaper gave the orders that caused these deaths.

The time in between then and now is still a mystery (though one the game will almost certianly explore) but it’s clear that something has taken over Emre’s body, with members of the Overwatch team referring to it as one of the “God programs” from the lore (and which fans will recognize from Sombra lore with its “Eye” symbol). Currently, Emre is Talon-affiliated in the lore of the game, but it’s unclear how much of that is actually his choice.

“Mentally, he is not in a good place,” Erdinc joked. “He is in a place where he is re-finding what it’s like to be someone with any form of agency. This is a character, which, for an actor, it was really interesting for me to explore a character that is male, having his agency taken away from him so completely, for 10 years.”

He continued, “When I went into the booth, I thought, what would it be like if I talked to this person after 10 years and not speaking to anyone? Like, having zero agency of yourself for 10 years, and you are fully aware of it, it’s not like you’re… He comes out of it in the comic as well…So, he has his memories. It’s not like he’s a complete blank slate. So, exploring that kind of re-assimilation into daily function was how I approached it.”

4) Mizuki Puts a Spin on Support

Mizuki’s Kit: With his Remedy Aura acting as AOE healing, Mizuki leaps into Overwatch as a support hero that rewards being in the fray with your team. Not only does his healing have a visible ring like Lucio’s, but it’s actually amplified by the damage that is done to enemies, and also the additional healing that you provide for teammates. With one of the most unique primary fires in the game, Mizuki comes equipped with Spirit Glaive, a spinning blade that can bounce off walls to deal damage. He also has the Binding Chain ability, which flies out and can hit enemies mid-air, sending them to the ground and holding them there for a quick hinder (use it on a flying Pharah, Echo, or Mercy to send them tumbling down for an environmental kill if you’re lucky).

Mizuki also comes with a Healing Kasa, where he throws his hat and it bounces around to visible allies to offer extra healing (and provides healing for him upon its return). He also has a traversal ability, the Katashiro Return, which leaves behind a paper doll and gives him an extra speed boost. When activated again, it lets Mizuki return to where he left the paper doll. This can be used to fool enemies, but does, of course, leave a clear indicator of where you will return. Finally, Mizuki’s ultimate delivers a new kind of support ult, with Kekkai Sanctuary creating a small area on the map that absorbs all enemy fire from outside and heals allies within it. Enemies can step in and out of it if they choose, but they risk doing battle against a team actively being healed.

Overall, Mizuki was the support hero that was the most fun in the playtest, offering offensive capabilities seldom seen on this side of the game but also unique healing mechanics. Furthermore, his personality is hilarious with Julian Cihi of Only Murders in the Building and Scott Pilgrim Takes Off delivering a dry and sardonic performance that stands out across all the heroes’ personalities.

Where Mizuki Fits Into Overwatch Lore: Two key factors into Mizuki’s storyline should immediately perk up the ears of fans deep into Overwatch lore. The first is that he’s a member of the Yokai, Kiriko’s vigilante gang in Kanezaka (his animal is a Kappa, and he’s actually visible in all of Kiriko’s short stories released previously). The second is that Mizuki is actually a double agent and is secretly working for the Hashimoto clan, the group that the Yokai are actively fighting against. That said, Mizuki was described to us as someone who is actually a really good guy at heart, and who was forced into working for the Hashimoto, not by choice. He does have one good influence in his life, though, a character Overwatch fans should know, Toshiro Yamagami, Kirko’s dad.

“At the time of Season 1 launching, he’s been in Kiriko’s group for a second, and he’s been ordered, basically, to keep an eye on them, and take him out if things get too bad,” Joshi Zhang, lead narrative designer for Overwatch, revealed. “But he hasn’t yet, and part of why that is, is now that he’s managed to leave the watchful eye of the Hashimoto, he finally has his first chance at autonomy, and like, who do I actually want to be? He’s surrounded by the Youkai, including Kiriko and her friends, these really good kids that just want to protect their community. It’s having a really profound effect on him.”

She continued, “So as he’s caught between the pull of the goodness in these people’s hearts, compared to the upbringing that he had, misfortune, curses, and crime. He struggles between these two things to walk the path that he wants to walk, and he’s at a point where he has to decide what his fate actually should be.”

It’s worth noting that with the introduction of Mizuki, players can finally have a complete team that is exclusively “bad guys,” as Moira has been the only Talon-affiliated healer in the game for years now.

3) Anran Becomes First Hero With Two Ultimates

Anran’s Kit: As revealed in Wuyang’s narrative drops, his sister Anran fits the opposite role, a DPS character who is all fire-themed. Equipped with her Zhuque Fans, which have a primary fire that unleashes fiery projectiles and an alternate fire that blasts hot wind and amplifies burning damage, Anran is a flanker that can engage enemies quickly and leave them in a blaze just as fast.

The arrival of Anran brings a new element for players in the UI, as a small bar can be found on enemy players who she’s attacking with her primary fire. Players will be able to see this above the enemy health bar, which indicates how close the enemy is to being on fire. Hitting characters with Anran’s primary fire will eventually fill the bar and have them start burning with a tiny fire emblem above them, further indicating it (the status can be extended by using her secondary fire). Our playtests saw everyone largely playing all of the new characters, but it will be very interesting to see how Overwatch players as Anran, can interact with a friendly Mauga and Ashe to keep the enemy team on fire for extended periods of time.

Anran also has a movement ability, Inferno Rush, which propels her forward and damages enemies in her way. She also has Dancing Blaze, an ability that sees her quickly strike new enemies while also avoiding damage. The end of the ability will send Anran back to where she was on the map when she initiated it, but does have a small window of movement when activated that players can use to their advantage to position themselves in a different place than where the enemy team saw them.

Finally, Anran comes to the game as the only hero who actually has two different ultimates. Her primary ultimate is Vermillion Ascent, which sees her charge forward and explode on impact to instantly ignite enemies while dealing a ton of damage. The other version of her Ultimate is a major one; if players die while Anran has her ultimate charge full, they can initiate Vermillion Revival, which revives Anran on the battlefield with yet another fiery explosion, returning you to the battle right after you were eliminated. This is a piece that will take some getting used to, as quick as it is to realize how Anran’s primary fire works and how you can maintain the flames on an enemy, it’s easy to forget you can reactivate your ult upon death (though if you’re lucky, you won’t die at all, she’s fast enough to escape a lot of encounters).

Where Anran Fits Into Overwatch Lore: As noted, Anran is Wuyang’s sister, marking the second sibling pairing in the game after Genji and Hanzo. Voiced by a name that longtime Overwatch fans should know, Fareeha Anderson, who called Anran the “golden child” of her family. As a result, she has high standards not only for her teammates (especially her brother), but also for herself.

It’s worth noting that the five new characters all have interactions with each other already written into the game, with one spawn room moment having Anran sneeze and being surprised her allergies are acting up, only to realize that Jetpack Cat is on the team and causing the reaction.

“I nearly broke my chair when I found out about Jetpack Cat,” Anderson said. “I didn’t even know that I had recorded a line with Jetpack Cat…It said in the placeholder that it was Winston.”

2) Jetpack Cat Finally Flies Into the Game

Jetpack Cat’s Kit: Teased almost ten years ago and a full-on meme for Overwatch fans at this point, Jetpack Cat will fly onto the battlefield as quite literally the only hero that is always flying in the game. Unlike Pharah or Echo, whose flight has a resource or cooldown, Jetpack Cat is always in the air. She does have a resource element of her flying, with the Frenetic Flight offering a major boost to her ability, but it has a meter. Like Juno and Ana, her primary fire (Biotic Pawjectiles) both heals allies and damages enemies, and if you look closely, you’ll notice that they’re shaped like cat paws, with one big projectile that has four tiny ones above it. Jetpack Cat also has “Purr,” which creates a pulsing area heal that increases over time, and even knocks back enemies upon activation. She’s a fun support, but one who may need extra tuning after a few weeks in game to make her stronger.

Beyond movement and healing, Jetpack Cat’s kit is equipped with a huge game-changing ability that Overwatch players will almost certainly find ways to use creatively, and which might be her strongest ability. Lifeline releases a small tow cable that allies can grapple onto, which increases Jetpack Cat’s movement and offers healing to the tethered ally. The Overwatch team confirmed to us that currently there are no limitations on what Jetpack Cat and pick up with her lifeline, meaning a friendly Bob, an ulting Orissa or Cassidy, or a D. Va bomb can all be picked up and carried into the battlefield or a better position.

Jetpack Cat’s Ultimate puts a twist on Lifeline, as Catnapper sees the character dive to the ground, knocking down enemies, and tethering whoever is closest to her, allowing Jetpack Cat to pick up an enemy and carry them wherever they want. Down the Illios well? Into your own team so a kill can be secured? You decide. It’s worth noting that the Lifeline is slower when grabbing tanks, friendly or otherwise.

Where Jetpack Cat Fits Into Overwatch Lore: As fans may have guessed, Jetpack Cat will have direct ties to Brigitte when she launches in the game. What was teased to us by the Overwatch team was that Brig was tinkering in her workshop and found a stray cat, which she named Fika. The arrival of Fika coincided with Brig working on a version of Reinhardt’s jet propulsion system that is omnidirectional. Though she’s only been able to get the tech to work on a small scale, that means the only thing capable of using it are the cats that have been around the workshop, and somehow, Fika is very good at the controls.

“There’s a little more to Fika’s intelligence that we’re not ready to speak on yet,” Zhang teased. “But you can rest assured that Fika’s this adorable support on the field who will always have your back.”

Gamers should also know that Jennifer Hale (Commander Shepard in Mass Effect, but also Ashe in Overwatch) provides the voice for Jetpack Cat. Scott Lawlor, the audio director for Overwatch, revealed that Hale recorded two two-hour sessions for the game at first, providing 700 different sounds for the animal in the first session, so there will be no shortage of expression from your new favorite support. It’s also worth noting that Epic and Legendary skins for Jetpack Cat will change the tones of the cat herself, with the Blizzard team revealing that their own cats served as the model for the alternate skins.

1) The Next Five Heroes in 2026

2026 not only brings five new Overwatch heroes to the roster with its first season, but the team has promised five more will be released over the course of the rest of the year, to the tune of one per season. The official roadmap for the next year of content also confirms which three will be the next to be added. Though it doesn’t confirm their names or roles in the game, we do know which three will premiere in the game in Seasons 2, 3, and 4.

The hero on the far right of the above image, with the flying gadget next to them, will be released in Season 2, with the horned hero next to Mizuki debuting in Season 3. Finally, the giant robot at the back of the image will be released in Season 4 (an educated guess here is that this would be…a tank, but you never know). This leaves us with the hero on the far left of the above image, and the Omnic character in a trenchcoat and hat as the final two heroes of the year.

It’s worth noting that one of the biggest changes to Overwatch with next week’s update is the renewed focus on the narrative of the world, with 2026 being dubbed the “Reign of Talon.” As a result, many of the characters being introduced in Season 1 have connections to the evil organization, with only Jetpack Cat and Anran having Overwatch ties. That in mind, it will be worth paying even more attention to the narrative as the year carries on, as all of these new characters will seemingly tie into the larger story arc playing out over the year.

In talking with the Overwatch team at their headquarters, they confirmed to us that the cadence of releasing one hero a year is something they believe they can keep up with. Even though players probably shouldn’t expect another mass drop of heroes to start the year in 2027, new faces will be popping up in the game with even more consistency than ever before.