Overwatch 2 Season 18: New Hero, Tracer in the Stadium, Battle Pass and more!

Overwatch 2 will receive its newest season next Tuesday (26). With new heroes, both for Standard and Stadium mode, a renewed Battle Pass, more mythical skins, changes in the competitive, and the return of minigames, Season 18 promises to positively reach the most diverse types of players.

We at UmGamer have gathered the most important news to inform you through this content. Check it out!

We learned of Wuyang's arrival at the beginning of 2025 - more precisely, in February, during a coverage of Overwatch 2: Spotlight. At the time, known by the codename Aqua, this new hero only had his nationality (Chinese) and some drafts made available by Blizzard.

Today we know everything about Wuyang, the new Support has already had some trailers released, like the gameplay one below.

We also have information about all of his skills, see them in writing:

Wuyang appears to be a classic support. Without much damage or area healing mechanics, he may not be extremely flexible. But he brings a healing and shielding capacity—focused on a single target—well above average, perhaps the best hero in this regard.

It's no secret that Stadium mode has been one of the biggest successes in Overwatch 2's history. In just a few seasons, this content, focused on tactics and build construction, has revived the hero shooter community, which can now be played in third-person.

With its overwhelming success, Blizzard has been sparing no effort to create an even more enjoyable experience for players. Check out what's new.

New heroes to play on Stadium

Three heroes will be added to the mode's roster on the 26th: Winston, Brigitte, and Pharah. In the Mid-Season update, expected between late September and early October, Tracer will also arrive on Stadium.

This mode is excellent and truly deserves Blizzard's attention. Bringing in new characters can be challenging at first; considering dozens of abilities and items, as well as balancing all of this, isn't easy—but it's necessary to maintain the community's strong vision for Stadium.

Four additions in a single season is more than expected, and the community was thrilled with the news.

Quick Play

Stadium's biggest problem has been its longer, more elaborate matches. Hero shooter players are used to fast-paced gaming, and less used to the need to win countless rounds and take frequent breaks to finish a comprehensive build.

With this in mind, the Quick Play Queue is here to help. With support for position filling and Cross-Play, your matches will be found more quickly. It's also worth noting that the game itself will have fewer rounds and a more streamlined economy, resulting in a faster experience for fans who haven't adapted to the classic Stadium.

Escort the Cargo to the Stadium!

Payload Races have been added to Stadium! While there are some subtle changes compared to the usual mode—like the removal of checkpoints—it's another feature that will improve the quality of life of this product.

More: New maps, rewards and items

Powder Keg Mine, Thames District, and Oasis Gardens will be coming to the format, as well as several item changes - 3 new items, 10 major reworks, and 9 balance updates to the pool.

This season's reward skins continue to celebrate only players who reach Elite Rank. The Epic skins are for Mei, Reinhardt, and Ana, and the Legendary style is All-Star D.Va.

Perks Update

Returning to Overwatch 2's Standard mode, Blizzard announced a major perk update—over 50 are being added to the game, at least one for each hero.

Some characters will receive special attention: Lúcio, Winston, and Pharah will have their perks rebalanced or updated.

Ranked Reset

Overwatch 2 often undergoes complete resets of its ranked system, requiring everyone to replay placement matches. The idea is to maintain a fair system, preventing beginners from falling behind other players for too long. Another factor mentioned by the company is the possibility of a new meta emerging.

Blizzard will maintain the same cosmetics standard as in recent seasons. Two new Mythic skins will be available for purchase and upgrade, as well as a revamped Battle Pass with new skins on the way.

The Mythic Hero skin for Season 18 is Ultraviolet Sentinel Soujorn. So far, it seems to appeal more to fans of a futuristic theme—but we'll have to wait and see what changes to the in-game animations.

The weapon that will be joining the mythic shop is Cassidy's, with the Flaming Sunsetter skin. It seems more interesting, and it also seems to better fit the character's style—it might be one of the best ever crafted!

Each of these skins will cost 50 Mythic Prisms to unlock at level 1, plus 10 Prisms per level until you reach level 4, for a total of 80.

You'll receive exactly 80 Mythic Prisms if you purchase the Premium Battle Pass, which this season is heavily focused on the summer theme but, as always, also features other styles to appeal to a diverse audience.

The two skins on the left: Poolside Wuyang and Lily Roadhog will only be available to those who purchase the Ultimate version of the Pass.

The traditional Summer Games return to Overwatch 2 from September 2nd to 15th, bringing important new features. Inspired by Stadium, for the first time, the Lúcio Ball and Lúcio Ball Remix modes can be played in third-person, offering a new gameplay perspective. The event also marks the return of Winston's Volleyball, which is once again part of the seasonal activities list. Among the available rewards, highlights include the new World Cup Lúcio skin, inspired by the colors of summer, as well as other themed items exclusive to the season.

Some structural changes have also been made in Overwatch 2, aimed at measuring individual performance and valuing progression.

The Hero Skill Rating was created to evaluate each character's competitive performance separately, without considering the overall rank. The metric ranges from 0 to 5,000 points, with divisions ranging from Bronze to Champion. The rank is unlocked after five placement matches with the chosen Hero, and the system displays gains and losses after each match. The Hero SR also appears in the Competitive Overview and Career Profile, offering an additional tool for tracking progress and refining choices.

Hero Progression 2.0 completely overhauls the leveling system. Now, each character levels up individually with a more streamlined pace, a simplified interface, and a permanent prestige feature called Ascension. This system grants animated portrait borders at level 20, 40, and 60 milestones, which are permanently recorded. Additionally, players can earn Loot Boxes at different stages, from common to legendary, reinforcing the sense of achievement throughout the journey.

Season 18 could be a major coup for Blizzard. It focuses on refreshing the gameplay, with several changes to Stadium as well as other major changes to Standard mode, such as Wuyang and the Perks update.

However, Overwatch 2 managed to highlight individual hero progression—which had been lacking for some time—and attract casual players with another event that will grant a free skin.

I hope you enjoyed this article; I'm available if you have any questions or suggestions.