Overwatch 2, the popular team-based shooter game from Blizzard Entertainment, has launched its seventh season with a host of new features and updates. The season, dubbed Rise of Darkness, introduces a new game mode, a new map, a Halloween event, and a major rework for the hacker hero Sombra.
Sombra Rework: A New Ability Kit for the Stealthy Hacker
One of the most anticipated changes in Season 7 is the rework for Sombra, who has received a new ability kit that makes her more versatile and effective in combat. Sombra’s primary weapon, the Machine Pistol, has been buffed with increased damage and reduced spread. Her Hack ability, which disables enemies’ abilities and passives, now also reveals their health bars and ultimate status to her team. Her Translocator, which allows her to teleport to a previously placed device, now has two charges and can be thrown faster and farther. Her Stealth ability, which renders her invisible and increases her movement speed, now has a passive cooldown that is reduced by teleporting with Translocator. Her ultimate ability, EMP, which hacks all enemies in a large radius and destroys their barriers and shields, now also deals damage over time to hacked targets.
Sombra’s rework aims to make her more impactful and fun to play, as well as more challenging to counter. According to the developers, Sombra’s new kit “rewards throwing accuracy with the Jagged Blade without directly affecting Sombra’s self-healing.”
Halloween Event: Trials of Sanctuary and Rise of Darkness
Season 7 also brings back the annual Halloween event, which runs from October 10 to November 1. This year’s event features a new co-op survival mode called Trials of Sanctuary, which is a crossover with Blizzard’s Diablo franchise. In this mode, players can choose from six heroes with Diablo-themed skins: Demon Hunter Sombra, Barbarian Zarya, Night Raven Illari, Cleric Lifeweaver, Imperious Reinhardt, and Inarius Pharah. The players must fight against waves of demons from the Burning Hells, including bosses like Azmodan Wrecking Ball, Butcher Roadhog, and Lilith Moira.
The event also includes the return of previous modes like Junkenstein’s Revenge and Wrath of the Bride, as well as new challenges that reward Overwatch Credits. These credits can be used to unlock Overwatch 2 heroes like Sojourn, Junker Queen, Kiriko, Ramattra, and Lifeweaver for a limited time. They can also be used to purchase returning skins from the Halloween Terror Credits Shop, such as the new Gilded Hunter Sombra Legendary Skin.
New Map: Samoa
Another highlight of Season 7 is the addition of a new map: Samoa. This is a Control map that takes place on a tropical island in the Pacific Ocean. The map features three distinct areas: a beach resort, a village market, and a volcanic crater. The map offers various gameplay opportunities and challenges, such as environmental hazards, high ground positions, and flanking routes.
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 also be added to Competitive Play later in the season.
Balance Changes: Route 66 Rework and More
Season 7 also brings some balance changes to the game, including a rework for the Route 66 map. The map has been redesigned to improve its flow and fairness for both teams. Some of the changes include:
- The first checkpoint has been moved closer to the attacker’s spawn.
- The second checkpoint has been moved farther from the defender’s spawn.
- The final checkpoint has been moved inside the Deadlock Gang’s hideout.
- The terrain and buildings have been adjusted to create more cover and sightlines.
Other balance changes include:
- Junker Queen’s Jagged Blade no longer restores armor when transforming.
- Bastion’s Reconfigure no longer restores armor when transforming.
- Illari’s Healing Pylon now has a lower priority as a ping target than enemy heroes.
