Overwatch Season 1: All new heroes ranked

Overwatch Season 1 is the start of a new era for Blizzard’s hero shooter. It heralds in the Reign of Talon narrative, shifting the game into a story-driven direction, finally pitting the universe’s two major factions against each other: Overwatch and Talon. The Overwatch Season 1 battle pass is a reflection of this, too, tied into the season’s central story. Players have clearly got behind the new direction, with Overwatch enjoying a major boost in numbers.

As part of the Overwatch vs Talon drive, both sides have recruited for their causes, resulting in the five new Overwatch Season 1 heroes. There has been both criticism and praise for these new heroes, but adding to the roster in bulk has ultimately proven to be the right move from Blizzard.

Still, not all the new heroes are made equal, so let’s have a look at their kits in detail and rank them based on how strong they are.

As it has only been a day since the Overwatch Season 1 release date, as of writing, there is still plenty to figure out with the new heroes. There are plenty of techs and combinations yet to discover, but we have a rough idea of the kind of impact these heroes will have on the game.

With all the Overwatch Season 1 balance changes, which include a myriad of sub-classes that come with new passives, there is plenty going on that will shift the dynamic of the whole game. All of this will take time to bed in, especially with the new batch of players coming in, so the strength of these heroes is subject to change.

Anran’s design controversy aside, she seems like the weakest character added, which says a lot considering she is capable of racking up mighty damage numbers. She doesn’t seem to have the burst damage of the other new DPS, Emre, but with strong mobility and get-out options, she’ll likely prove more than viable.

She is the face of the Overwatch Season 1 Conquest drive, and with constant burn damage, she can be a big problem for tanks if she is allowed to stack her Ignition passive. She doesn’t seem like someone who is going to confirm many kills, however, and will probably have a hard time stacking ignition on quick, squishy targets. Ironically, she is one of these mobile targets, and taking her down will be tough.

Domina is Overwatch’s second poke tank, joining Sigma. She’s versatile, packing impressive range in her primary fire, especially with her minor perk range buff. Her shields cover a wide area, although at 250 health per segment, it isn’t what Domina is going to be known for. 

Still, she can displace foes with her Sonic Repulsors, and hit hard with her Crystal Charge and Panopticon ult. Most of her health is made up of shields, too, and thanks to the Overwatch Season 1 update, dealing damage will restore those shields. So far, Domina comes across as a balanced option and a great poke tank alternative to Sigma.

Most of Jetpack Cat’s kit isn’t too outstanding on paper. She has great mobility as a flying hero, her Purr is ok as far as a healing ability goes, her damage is fine, and her ultimate will certainly have its uses, but what puts her at third is her Lifeline ability.

Lifeline will likely result in some incredible techs that will be very difficult to counter. Many abilities or heroes that are meant to be immobile will end up with amazing mobility, with Bastion’s Turret Form and D.Va’s self destruct ultimate being two examples. Jetpack Cat can override the weaknesses built into some heroes, such as plopping a Reinhardt behind enemy ranks before an ultimate, and this ability alone, paired with Jetpack Cat’s mobility, could prove to be incredible, especially at lower elo, where aim isn’t as strong.

Mizuki looks like he has gone to the Kiriko school for Overwatch supports because he has it all. He has both a passive and active heal, decent damage with primary fire, strong mobility Katashiro return, and CC with Binding Chain. He’s also a support that DPS players can get behind because he rewards being highly active.

His sub-role as a Survivor gives him healing whenever he uses a mobility ability will keep him in the fight, he can heal himself, and seems like a great option for a team looking to stick close together. While his ultimate, Kekkai Sanctuary, only seems decent, the level of adaptability Mizuki has is astounding, and once you get used to bouncing Healing Kasa, it can be a great tool.

Emre feels like he is here to replace Soldier 76. As mid-ranged hitscan characters go, Emre’s primary fire will cause havoc, and while the rest of his kit isn’t at that level, those who can get headshots at mid-range are going to have a field day with Emre, even if his ultimate, Override Protocol, isn’t all that noteworthy.

The Heat Sink major perk can make Emre’s Siphon Blaster an absolute nightmare for tanks; those who can hit their shots will take out squishy targets with ease with his primary fire, and his grenade is great for laying down some AOE. He’s also faster and can jump higher when using Siphon Blaster, meaning that his kit has AOE, mobility options, and high damage. Much like Mizuki and Soldier 76, versatility alone is going to make Emre a nightmare, but his sheer damage output might prove to be something Blizzard has to look into later down the line.

The Overwatch Season 1 update has at least got people to look into the game again, and these new heroes could be the secret to keeping them playing. Overwatch hasn’t done a batch release of new heroes like this before, so there are bound to be some growing pains. As time goes on, players will find ways to get the most or counter these heroes, allowing them to properly relax into a steady place in tier lists.

All seem to have versatile kits and appear strong, though competitive viability will need to be tested over the coming weeks. Still, with everything that these heroes can do, it seems that one-trick pony heroes will not be in Overwatch’s plans for the remainder of 2026.