Overwatch 2 Season 8 Arrives With a New Hero, Events, Hero Changes & More

Here is everything new in Overwatch 2 Season 8. Learn more about Mauga, the new game modes, hero changes, and more.

The long wait is over because Season 8 of Overwatch 2 just dropped today. After previewing some of the things we expected to see, it is time for our full analysis for an overview of what’s new.

Overwatch 2 Season 8 – Mauga

Following the Overwatch 2 Season 8 release date, we can see that the newest hero in the game is called Mauga. We already have a full Mauga Guide where we cover everything about the hero, so make sure to check it. To make a long story short, the hero is incredibly dangerous, and it will be very interesting to see him in action.

New Game Mode – Battle of the Beast

Season 8 of Overwatch 2 will give us access to a new game mode called Battle of the Beasts. It is a 4v4 PvPvE, where you will be able to play Mauga for free. You can also choose from several other hunter-themed heroes, all of which are awesome.

Winter Wonderland 2023

The Overwatch 2 Season 8 review shows that we’ll have access to Winter Wonderland 2023. This is a special event where we can use different types of Holiday skins. Here, you will need to beat different challenges to unlock one free legendary skin. You can choose an option for the following heroes:

• Cassidy
• Baptiste
• Illari

Winter Wonderland 2023 will launch this  Tuesday, December 19.

Weapon Skins

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After waiting for more than 6 years, Overwatch 2 finally has weapon skins! This was one fo the most anticipated changes, but the good news is we finally have a way to customize our skins. 

The first options that people can choose from are for:

• Reaper,
• Rein
• Mercy

Interestingly, these options in S8 of OW2 will have custom visuals, as well as sound effects. According to Blizzard, we can expect to see a lot of weapon skins in the future. Moreover, the team behind OW2 wants to know how we feel about them so they can offer us an even better experience.

Season 8 of Overwatch 2 – General Updates

Season 8 of Overwatch 2 has a lot of general updates that we need to be aware of. The first one is related to the Endorsement score, but what’s more interesting is that we’ll have access to Hero Master. Those courses will start on Jan 2, and they will be five weeks long, where every week will give us access to new challenges and special cosmetics.

Specific heroes in OW2 will also get Reticle changes. 

Competitive Play and Hero Updates

When it comes down to competitive play, there is one  important thing in Season 8 of Overwatch 2:

• MMR decay occurs at the start of a new season, and it is not applied to roles that qualify for a rank.

As for the hero updates, there are a lot of them, so we will cover everything in a separate article. Make sure you follow us for more information!

Bug Fixes & Map Updates

Of course, Season 8 of Overwatch 2 also contains loads of bug fixes. The list consists of various problems with certain maps and heroes, and all of them are taken care of. As for the map updates, there are new holiday variations of the following:

• Paraiso
• New Queen Street
• Watchpoint: Gibraltar

New Battle Pass

Of course, Overwatch 2 Season 8 also comes with a completely new Battle Pass. We have a lot to say about it, so expect more information soon.