Blizzard Entertainment is getting ready to showcase a sneak peek at “huge reveals” for Overwatch with a Spotlight event – and it’s all happening in less than 24 hours.
Last week, the company announced plans to deliver updates for games like World of Warcraft, Diablo, and more directly to fans with a series of showcases throughout late January and early February, and all eyes are on the team behind its controversial hero shooter to see what the future holds. There are plenty of rumors going around regarding what will be shown during the February 4, 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET show, as players look forward to seeing what comes after Overwatch 2 Season 20: Vendetta.
As of last week, however, there is one big question on everyone’s mind: Why did Talon take control of Overwatch? Blizzard issued a hostile takeover hotfix last week, changing all iconography from the familiar Overwatch logo to that of the in-universe antagonist faction, Talon.
It’s been an unexpected, unexplained villain arc that’s continued through to today, with even official social media accounts affected by the changes. With confusion in the air, it would be strange if Blizzard didn’t talk about Talon during tomorrow’s showcase, so we’re hoping to find out what role it might play in Season 21.
“Overwatch Spotlight is a shared moment with our community, for our community,” a recent blog post from the Overwatch team says. “A chance to see where the game is headed, hear directly from the team, and step into the next chapter side by side.”
Meanwhile, several clues have the community expecting a more fundamental change for Overwatch 2. Specifically, fans across the internet believe this so-called “next chapter” will see the number 2 dropped from the Overwatch title altogether.
Speculation began when Blizzard announced the event last week, as audiences noticed the Overwatch logo featured on official artwork was missing its 2. It’s led many to assume the first-person live-service game could either soon drop the number, or that tomorrow’s showcase should cover information outside of Overwatch 2 itself. Theories for the former started to hold more weight when players seemed to find evidence suggesting its story-centered Invasion Bundle had dropped the two from its name, as well.
The hero shooter, which first launched in 2016 and will celebrate its 10-year anniversary this year, went through a major revamp in October 2022 that saw it transformed into Overwatch 2. It gained three new heroes – Sojourn, Kiriko, and Junker Queen – a visual overhaul, gameplay changes across its dozens of heroes, and a lot of hate, as players criticized its unstable launch and the controversial adjustments to its monetization strategy.
Many of the more problematic changes have been reverted or altered in the years since launch, with 6v6 queue options, additional heroes, map adjustments, and even loot boxes all added within the past year alone. It’s resulted in a small resurgence for the game, as players turn up as Blizzard attempts to steer toward a brighter tomorrow.
Another talking point players are hoping to see brought up includes what could be in store for next Season, such as potentially new maps, another collaboration or crossover, Perk reworks, and a theme. Fans are also hoping to see what its next hero may look like after Vendetta was added in Season 20, though the Overwatch team typically launches just one hero every other season, so we may have a slightly longer wait in that regard.
The last time the studio put hype like this behind a showcase was last year’s February event, suggesting that whatever the developers have planned for tomorrow will likely be huge. Like the 2025 Spotlight, Blizzard has parternered with a long list of some of the biggest streamers for this year's show.
For more, you can see how the inclusion of the latest major mode addition, Stadium, had Overwatch players having fun for the first time in a long time. You can also see what game director Aaron Keller had to say about the team’s desire to return to story and PvE content last July.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
