Overwatch Season 1 patch preview (2026): Release date, pre-download guide & more

Talon vs Overwatch starting soon!

Blizzard Entertainment is all set to start the new year with Overwatch Season 1, which is going to start from February 10, 2026. This will bring a major content update with new 5 heroes, skins, gameplay changes and more.

To help the players jump straight into the action, Blizzard has also provided the pre-download feature. Let’s check out more details in this article.

How to pre-download the Overwatch Season 1 update?

The players and fans can pre-download the upcoming season 1 through the Battle.net launcher. Here’s how to do it:

• Log into your Battle.net account.
• Launch the Overwatch page in the launcher.
• Select the Settings option.
• Select Check for Updates.
• Complete the download until the launcher says, “Pre-release content downloaded.”

Overwatch Season 1 Patch Notes (2026) overview

Season 1 will start the Reign of Talon’s Conquest era. There will be many gameplay changes and fresh content starting from February 10, 2026.

The biggest highlight is the new five heroes: Mizuki, Emre, Domina, Anran, and Jetpack Cat. New heroes and existing characters will also receive new sub-passive roles, refining the team composition and gameplay balance.

A large amount of cosmetics will also be added in the new season. Celestial Guardian Mercy is the Mythic Hero Skin for Season 1, with Juno’s Star Shooter serving as the Mythic weapon skin. Mei will also receive a Mythic skin later in the midseason update.

This time, the battle pass will feature new skins for Tracer, Genji, Sojourn, Moira, Mauga, Emre, and Vendetta. Kiriko, Ana, Hanzo, Symmetra, and other cosmetics are also planned to be added to the item shop.

You can read more about the upcoming content in full detail on the official Blizzard site for Overwatch.

Additional Season 1 features

Overwatch Season 1 2026 is also introducing several gameplay and system updates. This also includes Conquest meta event, a ranked reset, new Crimson Wolf weapon skins, UI and UX improvements and new Stadium hero feature.

Apart from this, Blizzard has also teased the Overwatch x Hello Kitty collaboration, which will add more amazing and cute cosmetics to the game.

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