Overwatch 2 Renamed Back to Overwatch as Blizzard Resets the Franchise

Overwatch is officially dropping the “2” from its name. It marks one of the biggest identity shifts the franchise has seen since its free to play relaunch in 2022. Announced during Blizzard’s recent Overwatch Spotlight event, the game will now simply be known as Overwatch moving forward.

Blizzard claims that this change is not just cosmetic. It represents a significant shift in the studio's perspective on the future of the franchise. A new seasonal structure accompanies the rebranding, some major changes to gameplay, and a renewed emphasis on long-term storytelling.

Overwatch 2 Renamed Back to Overwatch

Blizzard has announced that beginning on 10th February 2026, the game will be rebranded as Overwatch in all marketplaces. This change coincides with the release of Season 1 of the Overwatch 2026 season to replace what would have been Season 21.
According to Blizzard's management, the development team, made up of dozens of individual developers, led the initiative to rebrand the game by pushing for a bold reset, rather than continuing with the previous numbering system.

Although Blizzard's plan is to have the name Overwatch represent only one evolving live service, and not have any numbered series. There are also no intentions of developing an Overwatch 3. The studio stated that this is not a rollback to the 2016 version of the game. There won't be any changes to the core systems such as 5v5 combat, hero reworks, and seasonal updates, either. With the franchise redefining its identity heading into 2026, it also reinforces Overwatch’s place among the most active multiplayer experiences available today especially when compared alongside the Top 10 Best PC Games Right Now.

Why Blizzard Removed the “2” and What Else Is Changing

Blizzard’s removing the “2” from the title of Overwatch is related to Blizzard’s vision of Overwatch being a “forever game." When Overwatch 2 launched, expectations were high for a robust PvE experience and a clear sequel level leap.

However, Blizzard was not able to meet those expectations, and players expressed frustration over the title being “Overwatch 2." Blizzard now sees Overwatch as finally being the best possible version of Overwatch; therefore, no longer needs the “2” in the title of the game.

Alongside the rebrand, Blizzard is introducing a story-driven era centered on year long narrative arcs. The first storyline, Reign of Talon, will unfold across six seasons through in-game events, map changes, new voice lines, cinematics, comics, and short stories. Players will be able to view the story unfold via the Narrative Viewer, which will allow players to access the story of the game through in-game means only.

In addition, ten heroes, including five that will launch on February 10, will be introduced by 2026, along with ongoing UI and UX improvements, new modes of play, and seasonal updates on a frequent basis.

All of these changes point towards only one direction: Overwatch is going to be a long-term platform as far as the franchise's future is concerned, rather than participating in the sequel rat race. In the meantime, you can also check out our guide on Overwatch Tier List January 2026.