Overwatch 2 Season 12: New Hero, New Maps
Overwatch 2's highly anticipated Season 12 update is almost here! This new era merges the past and the present: new hero Juno arrives with a retro-futuristic aesthetic, and the Throne of Anubis and Hanaoka maps take inspiration from the original Overwatch's Temple of Anubis and Hanamura. Balance updates and a rank reset will shake up competitive play. Plus, there's plenty to look forward to in the Season 12 Battle Pass with ancient Egyptian-themed Legendary skins. Let's explore everything we know about Episode 12, its release dates and how it will affect Overwatch players on the ranked battlefield!
When does Overwatch 2 Season 12 release?
Overwatch 2's Season 12 update will go live on August 20, 2024. Overwatch patches usually roll out at around 11 A.M. PT, so the Season 12 Update probably will as well.
Overwatch Season 12 Release Times:
- 11 A.M. PT
- 1 P.M. CST
- 2 P.M. EST
- 8 P.M. CET
- 3 A.M. JST
Who is Juno, the new Hero in Overwatch 2 Season 12?
The Season 12 update will officially introduce Juno, Overwatch 2's newest hero. Players may remember her from a brief playtest where they could experiment with her abilities.
Juno is a Support hero and hails from a Martian colony far, far away. Her abilities center on her burst-fire weapon and various space-themed supplementary gadgets, while her Ultimate takes space for allies while healing them and boosting their damage. Juno has several abilities and passives that give her and her allies nimble movement skills.
Juno's full ability set:
- Mediblaster: burst weapon that heals allies and damages enemies
- Pulsar Torpedoes: homing projectiles that lock on to heal allies and damage enemies
- Orbital Ray Ultimate: a ray that pushes forward, heals allies and boosts their damage
- Glide Boost Ability: Juno glides horizontally with increased speed
- Hyper Ring Ability: Juno deploys a ring to increase allies' speed if they pass through it
- Martian Overboots: Juno can double-jump while airborne or hover by holding Jump.
What is Overwatch's new Clash game mode?
The new Clash game mode has "dynamic spawns" and "streamlined map routes" according to Overwatch 2's official Season 12 notes. It also "guarantees fast-paced, strategic gameplay, offering new challenges and opportunities for glory." The mode's objective is to take and maintain control over five labeled capture points. Players can win by reaching five total points or capturing the control point closest to the enemy team's spawn.
Related Article: What Does Expected Mean in Overwatch 2 Competitive?
What new maps are coming to Overwatch Season 12?
Overwatch veterans will recall Temple of Anubis, one of the game's first maps. The map will return in Overwatch 2 as a Clash map named Throne of Anubis with a new spin and updated design where solar panels and sci-fi tech meet ancient pyramids. In addition, Hanaoka will join the Clash map pool. This map allows players to explore Shimada Castle and other locations like a sushi shop, a cafe and a gallery. It is located next to Hanamura, another throwback map from the original Overwatch.
How is Overwatch 2 Season 12 balancing heroes?
The Overwatch 2 development team is "doing a pass to reduce the health on multiple Damage and Support heroes." This decision aims to reduce the advantage mobile heroes currently have. Lifeweaver's Petal Platform will receive quality-of-life updates. However, as the devs giveth, they also taketh away: the Petal Platform updates will make it easier to form counter-play strategies against it. Healing Blossom and Rejuvenating Dash will also face changes. Full patch notes will arrive later in the week.
What's new in Overwatch 2 Season 12 Ranked?
Overwatch 2 is rolling out some Competitive changes in this update. Season 12 will improve the "Avoid as Teammate" feature — it'll be easier than ever to block that silly Junkrat player who just won't stop spamming voice lines! Group Respawn mechanics in Quickplay will also change. Finally, Overwatch 2 Season 12 will include a Competitive Rank Reset, so make sure to get your last few comp games in before the update rolls out!
What is arriving in the Overwatch Season 12 Battle Pass?
Overwatch 2's Season 12 Battle Pass will include seven Legendary skins and one new Mythic Reaper skin. Here's a handy list of the available Battle Pass cosmetics and rewards.
Overwatch 2 Season 12 Battle Pass Skins:
- Legendary Heist D. Va (Ultimate tier)
- Legendary Aset Echo (Ultimate tier)
- Legendary Bast Doomfist
- Legendary Oni Ana
- Legendary Thoth Illari
- Legendary Dorothy Ashe
- Legendary Captain Sigma
- Mythic Anubis Reaper
- Mythic Ancient Caller Moira
- Midnight Sun Ana Weapon Skin
Overwatch 2 Season 12 Battle Pass Rewards:
- 20% season-long XP boost (Ultimate tier)
- 2,000 Coins (Ultimate tier)
- 500 credits (Ultimate tier)
- 600 Overwatch Coins
- 1,500 credits
- 80 Mythic Prisms
What other updates are coming in Overwatch 2 Season 12?
Xbox Game Pass is coming to Overwatch 2 on September 17 2024, and players can unlock rewards by linking their Battle.net to their Xbox Game Pass account. Players must link the accounts before October 21 2024 to claim these items.
Xbox Game Pass Rewards:
- 30 Mythic Prisms
- Cardboard Reinhardt
- Turtleship D.Va
- Cyberdragon Hanzo
- Street Runner Genji
- Bee Mercy
- Cleric Lifeweaver
Stay tuned for more Overwatch 2 in-game updates and esports news. We're here to keep you informed in this new out-of-this-world Overwatch 2 era!
GABBY DESENA