Esports News
Last updated: April 9
*As of Overwatch 2 Season 10, players will have immediate free access to all new heroes released since Overwatch 2 went live, so they will not have to be unlocked through the Battle Pass or other methods.*
Overwatch 2 marked a new dawn for Blizzard Entertainment's award-winning hero FPS. It transitioned to a free-to-play model with the controversial monetization of a seasonal premium battle pass and purchasable tokens as in-game currency. Several changes to the previous game also include the new push maps and a 5v5 team format.
While there are several minor changes to the first game, one of the most significant overhauls of Overwatch includes the First-Time User Experience. New players are slowly introduced to Overwatch 2, with limited access to the game's cast and past characters.
Most of Overwatch 2's hero roster can be unlocked by completing gameplay challenges, earning experience, or through the premium battle pass. Ranking up the battle pass requires players to earn XP through challenges and matches.
Rivalry's handy guide will detail exactly how to unlock all heroes in Overwatch 2, including: how to unlock Kiriko, Ramattra, Sojourn and Junker Queen, the latest additions to the roster.
Original Overwatch account holders and veteran players will not need to unlock every hero, as they will have kept their access to all the heroes from the original game. They will only need to worry about accessing new heroes like Sojourn, Junker Queen, Kiriko, Ramattra, and any other heroes Blizzard release in the future.
New players initially can only access 13 of the 35 heroes in Overwatch 2.
For new players that did not purchase the Watchpoint Pack, the only way to unlock the remaining heroes is to play the game! To begin unlocking heroes in Overwatch 2, players must complete around 150 games to eventually have every character from the original game unlocked.
This is a tutorial-like system to slowly acclimatize new players to the Overwatch 2 system without overwhelming them with all 35 heroes at once. By completing matches, you can gradually unlock every hero over time.
The six new heroes in Overwatch 2 include Sojourn, Kiriko, Junker Queen, Ramattra, Lifeweaver, and Illari. They all require special gameplay challenges to unlock. They were initially available on both the free Battle Pass and premium Battle Passes from their relevant release seasons.
Players that missed out can buy the previously-released heroes using Overwatch coins, or buy the Overwatch 2 New Heroes Starter Pack.
Mauga is the newest hero to join the roster, released in Season 8. He's a gun-slinging Tank that rains fire down on his enemies and the 39th hero to join the game.
For now, players can only unlock him through the Season 8 Battle Pass. If you purchase the premium Battle Pass, he will be available immediately. If you decide to progress through the basic Battle Pass, he will become available once you hit level 45. In Season 9, any players that have missed out will be able to grab him once they've completed around 5 gameplay challenges in the Practice Range.
Illari is the newest hero to be introduced in Season 6: Invasion as part of Overwatch 2's growing cast. She is the 38th character to be introduced to the game. In Season 7, players can now complete challenges in the Practice Range to unlock her permanently.
Here's how to unlock Illari in Overwatch 2 for free.
Players can also buy the "Overwatch 2 New Heroes Starter Pack" to gain access to her, and the other new heroes released with Overwatch 2: Ramattra, Junker Queen, Sojourn, Kiriko, Lifeweaver, and Illari.
To unlock Kiriko, players need to complete gameplay challenges, which revolve around winning specific game modes playing as Support and mastering Kiriko's hero abilities in the Practice Range.
Sojourn was released in the first season of Overwatch 2. She can be unlocked by completing several gameplay challenges, like testing her hero's abilities in the Practice Range.
The Aussie Queen of Junkertown was a highly-anticipated hero released alongside Overwatch 2 and has already become a fan favorite. Her unlock challenges follow the same formula as the previous entries.
Ramattra was introduced in Season 2 of Overwatch 2. Any player that missed out on unlocking him in the premium battle pass can purchase him from the Shop by spending money. Ramattra costs 900 Overwatch coins.
As with the previous three locked heroes in Overwatch 2, Ramattra can be unlocked by completing matches playing as a Tank and getting to grips with his abilities in the Practice Range.
Lifeweaver is the brand-new Overwatch 2 Support hero introduced in Season 4. Players could previous unlock him through the Battle Pass, or by using Overwatch Coins to purchase him. As of Season 5, he can now be unlocked by completing a series of challenges in the Practice Range.
There you have it! That's how to unlock the full roster of all heroes in Overwatch 2.
This guide will be updated to include more characters when Blizzard Entertainment adds them to the game in future seasons. Stay tuned with Rivalry to discover how to unlock all newer heroes in Overwatch 2!