Overwatch 2 Season 12 is a big season, with new hero Juno, new maps and an awesome Reaper skin
After a relatively quiet eleventh season, Overwatch2‘s next season is going to be a big one. Season 12 will introduce the brand new support hero Juno, two new maps, and the official launch of a new game mode, Clash, for Blizzard’s hero shooter.
Overwatch2 Season 12’s overarching theme is inspired by Egyptian gods, with new skins Bast Doomfist, Thoth Illari, and Anubis Reaper — this season’s Mythic — available via the game’s premium battle pass. Overwatch fans will also return to Anubis, with a new Clash map called Throne of Anubis.
Juno isn’t the only thing that will shake up the world. Overwatch2 meta this season; there will be a lot of balance changes for damage and support heroes. Expect changes for Pharah and Lifeweaver, at the very least.
What time does Overwatch 2 Season 12 start?
Overwatch2 season 12 starts on Tuesday August 20There is no official release date yet, but in-game events usually start on 2:00 PM EDT/11:00 AM PDT in the United States, so we can expect something similar for the launch of Season 12. This means the update will likely be available at these times:
- 11:00 am PDT off the west coast of North America
- 2:00 PM EDT off the east coast of North America
- 7:00pm BST for the United Kingdom
- 8:00 PM CEST for Paris
- 03:00 AM JST on August 21 for Tokyo
What’s New in Overwatch 2 Season 12?
Overwatch2 Players are already familiar with Juno, as she was playable in-game for a limited trial back in July. But for players who missed the early preview of Mars’ No. 1 support hero, here’s a look at Juno’s ability kit:
- Mediblaster – primary fire
Firearm that heals allies and damages enemies - Pulsar torpedoes – secondary fire
Aim to fire homing projectiles that heal allies and damage enemies over time
- Glide boost
Slide horizontally with increased movement speed - Hyperring
Place a ring that increases the movement speed of allies that pass through it - Mars Hoverboots
While in the air, press jump to double jump and hold jump to hover. - Ultimate: Orbital Beam
Summon a beam that travels forward, healing allies and increasing their damage
Juno will be available to everyone once Season 12 starts, and you can play her in competitive mode from day one.
Image: Blizzard Entertainment
Like Juno, Clash was previously playable in Overwatch2 for a limited time trial — coming all the way back in April! Clash has teams battling for five capture points, with each captured objective adding one point to the winning team’s score. Teams can win Clash games in two ways: by controlling all five objectives at once, or by scoring a total of five points before the other team.
Clash will be playable on two maps in Season 12: Hanaoka, which takes inspiration from the Hanamura map set in Japan; and Throne of Anubis, which borrows the aesthetic and location of Overwatch‘s first card, Temple of Anubis.
Image: Blizzard Entertainment
Overwatch2 Players know how it works by now. The game’s Premium Battle Pass includes 80 tiers of rewards, including five legendary skins (Bast Doomfist, Oni Ana, Thoth Illari, Dorothy Ashe, and Captain Sigma); 80 Mythic Prisms that can be spent on the Mythic Anubis Reaper skin, the Midnight Sun Ana weapon skin, or previous Mythic cosmetics; up to 600 Overwatch Coins and 2,000 Credits; and a handful of other cosmetic items.
Additional skins for Mercy, Genji, Brigitte, Reinhardt, Pharaoh, Echo, Kiriko and Soldier: 76 are coming to the Overwatch2 in-game store in season 12.
Image: Blizzard Entertainment
Xbox Game Pass subscribers will also get a batch of skins as part of their membership. From September 17th to October 21st, Overwatch2 Xbox Game Pass owners who link their Battle.net accounts can earn Cardboard Reinhardt, Turtle Ship D.Va, Cyber Dragon Hanzo, Street Runner Genji, Bee Mercy, and Cleric Lifeweaver. They’ll also receive 30 Mythic Prisms.
Hero Balance and Competitive Changes
Blizzard focuses on Overwatch2‘s mobile heroes in the damage — hello, Pharah — and support categories with a reduction in overall health. Additionally, Lifeweaver is getting “notable updates to improve the quality of the Petal Platform and how it can be countered, along with changes to Healing Blossom and Rejuvenating Dash,” according to Blizzard.
Expect more details on these changes as Blizzard releases them Overwatch2The full Season 12 patch notes ahead of launch.
On the Competitive side, prepare for a rank reset “to give everyone a fresh start and a new opportunity to work their way up the Competitive ranks,” Blizzard says. The developer is also promising improvements to Overwatch2Avoid the Teammate feature and Group Respawn in Quick Play.
In season 12, Overwatch2 players will get new Hero Mastery missions for Pharah and Zarya, and the return of Overwatch2 Anniversary Events. This means that Mirrorwatch and April Fools modes (and others) are returning for a limited time.