Overwatch 2 Season 7 Release Date: Patch Notes, Tank, Hero, Roadmap, Battle Pass
Overwatch 2 Season 7 Release Date: Overwatch 2, the sequel to the popular team-based shooter game by Blizzard Entertainment, is entering its seventh season on October 10, 2023. The new season, dubbed Rise of Darkness, will bring a lot of new content and features to the game, as well as some major changes to one of the heroes. Here is everything you need to know about Overwatch 2 Season 7.
Overwatch 2 Season 7 Release Date
One of the highlights of Season 7 is the introduction of a new game mode called Trials of Sanctuary. This is a co-op survival brawl that crosses over with Blizzard’s other franchise, Diablo IV. In this mode, you and your team will face waves of demonic enemies and bosses in a modified version of the Blizzard World map. You can choose from six heroes that have been given Diablo-themed skins: Demon Hunter Sombra, Barbarian Zarya, Night Raven Illari, Cleric Lifeweaver, Imperious Reinhardt, and Inarius Pharah. Each hero has unique abilities and weapons that suit their role in the Diablo universe.
The goal of Trials of Sanctuary is to survive as long as possible and defeat the final boss, Lilith Moira. Lilith is the daughter of Mephisto and the mother of humanity in Diablo lore. She is also the main antagonist of Diablo IV. In Overwatch 2, she appears as a powerful enemy that can summon minions, cast spells, and transform into a winged beast. To defeat her, you will need to work together with your team and use your skills wisely.
Trials of Sanctuary is part of the Halloween Terror event that runs from October 10 to November 1. During this event, you can also play the returning modes Junkenstein’s Revenge and Wrath of the Bride, which are based on Overwatch’s own lore and characters. You can earn bonus Battle Pass XP, Overwatch Credits, and cosmetic items by completing challenges in these modes.
New Map: Samoa
Season 7 also adds a new map to Overwatch 2: Samoa. This is a Control map that takes place on a tropical island in the Pacific Ocean. The map features three different areas: a beach resort, a village market, and a volcanic crater. Each area has its own hazards and opportunities for strategic gameplay. For example, the beach resort has a pool that can be used to hide or escape from enemies but also exposes you to sniper fire. The village market has narrow alleys and rooftops that can be used for flanking or ambushing enemies. The volcanic crater has lava pools that can damage or kill anyone who falls into them.
Samoa is available to play right away in a dedicated Arcade card and will appear in Quick Play and other unranked modes starting on October 10. It will be added to Competitive Play later in the season.
Sombra Rework
One of the most anticipated changes in Season 7 is the rework of Sombra, the hacker hero who specializes in stealth and disruption. Sombra has received several tweaks and adjustments in previous seasons, but none of them have made her as viable or satisfying as other heroes. In Season 7, Sombra will get a complete overhaul of her abilities and playstyle.
The main change is that Sombra’s Stealth ability will no longer be an active skill that she can toggle on and off at will. Instead, it will become a passive skill that only activates when she is out of combat. This means that Sombra will not be able to use Stealth to infiltrate enemy lines or escape from danger as easily as before. However, she will also not be revealed by damage or sound cues while in Stealth mode.
To compensate for this change, Sombra will gain a new ability called Virus. This is a projectile skill that deals damage over time to enemies it hits. If the enemy is already hacked by Sombra’s Hack ability or EMP ultimate, Virus will deal extra damage over time. The virus can also bounce off walls and surfaces, making it useful for hitting enemies around corners or behind cover.
Sombra’s other abilities will also be modified to suit her new role as a damage dealer rather than a disruptor. Her Hack ability will have a shorter cooldown and duration, but will also disable more abilities and effects on enemies. Her Translocator ability will have a longer cooldown and duration, but will also be more durable and less visible to enemies. Her EMP ultimate will have a smaller radius and charge slower, but will also deal more damage and disable more effects on enemies.
These changes are intended to make Sombra more fun and rewarding to play, as well as more balanced and fair to play against. Sombra players will have to adapt to a new playstyle that relies more on timing and positioning, rather than stealth and mobility. Sombra’s enemies will have to be more aware of her presence and abilities, rather than being caught off guard by her hacks and EMPs.
New Battle Pass and Cosmetics
As with every season, Overwatch 2 Season 7 will introduce a new Battle Pass that offers a variety of rewards for playing the game and completing challenges. The Battle Pass will have 100 tiers of rewards, including skins, sprays, emotes, voice lines, icons, credits, and more. The Battle Pass can be purchased with real money or earned with in-game currency.
The most coveted reward in the Battle Pass is the Mythic skin for Hanzo, the archer hero. The skin is called Onryō Hanzo, which means “vengeful spirit” in Japanese. The skin transforms Hanzo into a ghostly warrior with glowing eyes, pale skin, and a spectral dragon tattoo. The skin also changes Hanzo’s voice, weapons, and abilities to match his new appearance.
Other notable rewards in the Battle Pass include the Diablo-themed skins for Sombra, Zarya, Illari, Lifeweaver, Reinhardt, and Pharah, as well as the Gilded Hunter Sombra skin, which is a remix of her previous Demon Hunter skin. There are also skins based on Overwatch’s own lore and characters, such as Witch Mercy, Pumpkin Reaper, Dracula Doomfist, and more.
For the first time, players will also be able to unlock Overwatch 2 heroes with their earned credits. These heroes are Sojourn, Junker Queen, Kiriko, Ramattra, and Lifeweaver. These heroes were previously only available to players who pre-ordered Overwatch 2 or bought special editions of the game. However, this opportunity will only last for one week, from October 10 to October 17.
Map Rework: Route 66
Another change in Season 7 is the rework of Route 66, one of the original maps in Overwatch. Route 66 is an Escort map that takes place on a desert highway in the American Southwest. The map features a train wreck, a gas station, a diner, and a mine shaft. The map has been criticized for being too linear and favoring certain heroes over others.
In Season 7, Route 66 will receive some major changes to improve its gameplay and aesthetics. The map will have more verticality and cover options for both attackers and defenders. The map will also have more environmental details and effects to make it more immersive and realistic. For example, the train wreck will have more debris and fire effects, the gas station will have more signs and vehicles, the diner will have more props and posters, and the mine shaft will have more lighting and sound effects.
These changes are intended to make Route 66 more fun and fair to play on, as well as more visually appealing and lore-friendly. Route 66 players will have to explore the new map layout and discover new strategies and tactics for each section of the map.
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Summary
Overwatch 2 Season 7: Rise of Darkness is one of the biggest updates in the game’s history. It will bring a new game mode that crosses over with Diablo IV, a new map that takes place on a tropical island, a rework of Sombra that changes her abilities and playstyle, a new Battle Pass that offers a variety of rewards including a Mythic skin for Hanzo, and a rework of Route 66 that improves its gameplay and aesthetics. Season 7 will start on October 10 and last until December 5.
Key information about Overwatch 2 Season 7
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Release Date | October 10 |
| End Date | December 5 |
| New Game Mode | Trials of Sanctuary (co-op survival brawl with Diablo IV crossover) |
| New Map | Samoa (Control map on a tropical island) |
| Hero Rework | Sombra (Stealth becomes passive; Virus becomes new ability; Hack, Translocator, and EMP modified) |
| New Battle Pass | 100 tiers of rewards including skins (Onryō Hanzo Mythic; Diablo-themed; Halloween-themed), sprays (Diablo-themed; Halloween-themed), emotes (Diablo-themed; Halloween-themed), voice lines (Diablo-themed; Halloween-themed), icons (Diablo-themed; Halloween-themed), credits (can be used to unlock Overwatch 2 heroes for one week), and more |
| Map Rework | Route 66 (more verticality and cover options; more environmental details and effects) |
If you are an Overwatch fan or want to try out the game for the first time, Season 7 is a great time to join the action. Overwatch 2 is available now for free on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, PS5, and PS
