Overwatch 2’s new Perks will let you customize your hero’s abilities in every match

One of Overwatch 2’s big surprises from its Spotlight showcase today is the addition of Perks, which set to redefine gameplay in the core OW2 match structure.

OW2 Perks are hero-specific upgrades that are earned throughout a match, with one Minor and one Major upgrade to choose. The Perks range from slight passive tweaks to completely new abilities that overhaul how a hero performs.

In every match of OW2 starting in season 15 next week, players will level up twice, and the first level up offers a choice between two Minor Perks, while a second level-up offers a more powerful Major perk. Perks are earned via XP that you level by healing, dealing damage, picking up elims, etc. When you level up, a notification pops up and Athena will notify you that you have unlocked a Perk, and you can then press ALT/Up on d-pad to select one. Blizzard says it will take around “one-third of the match on average to level up.”

An example given was for Torbjorn, where players will choose between Minor Perks Craftsman (“Forge Hammer can restore armor health to allies, Turret repair’s heal is increased by 25 percent”) and Fully Loaded (“Activating Overload fully refills Rivet Gun’s ammo”).

Major Perks, though, can really turn the tide of battle, and Blizzard describes them as “gameplay-shifting changes.” When leveling up again, Torbjorn can choose between Anchor Bolts (“Deploy Turret’s throw range is increased by 50 percent, and it can now attach to walls and ceilings”) and Level 3 Turret (“Overload transforms your Turret into Level 3 for 5 seconds”).

Another example is for Orisa, detailed below:

• Minor Perk
  • Heat Dissipator: Critical hits from your Primary Fire refund heat.
  • Fleeting Bulwark: Fortify briefly grants an additional 100 percent decaying overhealth when activated.
• Major Perk
  • Protective Banner: Javelin Spin is replaced with a Barrier.
  • Charged Javelin: Energy Javelin can be charged to increase projectile speed and knockback. Pierces enemies at full power.

Every existing hero and all future heroes will have Perks, and some completely redefine how a hero can be played, especially in the later stages of a match. As you can see by the examples given, it seems like the changes will add new life to the game and its heroes on day one.

Season 15 of OW2 goes live on Feb. 18 at 1pm CT.