Reign of Talon – S5 Midcycle Sets Up the Showdown

Something wicked broke loose at the beginning of Season 5 and now it's time to find out where all that trouble leads.

The midseason update brings the year-long Reign of Talon story to its final battlefield as Doomfist and Overwatch converge on Rialto to stop Vendetta once and for all. But nobody said the end had to mean slowing down. EVE Protocol arrives from another future fighting for survival, Roadhog gets considerably more dead (and somehow hungrier), Junkrat has been digging around in the Loot Boxes again, and there's still plenty waiting in the shadows before A Grim Doctrine is through.

An Eventful Reunion

It all comes down to this.

For the past year, the balance of power within Talon has shifted and shattered. Vendetta took the throne. Doomfist refused to stay gone. Doctrine emerged from Grímsvötn. Now those threads finally collide in the Taking Reign event as Doomfist and Overwatch head to Rialto for the conclusion of our first year-long story.

The five-week event features 24 tiers of rewards to earn as you play and complete challenges. Fight your way towards an Epic Sigma skin recolor in the Free Pass or upgrade the Event Pass for 1,000 Overwatch Coins to open an additional path towards Legendary Resurgence Doomfist, Vendetta's new Heroic Weapon, and more.

A year of ambition, betrayal, old grudges, and very questionable alliances has brought everyone to Rialto. There's only one thing left to do: settle who gets to reign.

Taking Reign runs from November 3 to December 7.

Protocol Engaged

Humanity is in trouble again. Fortunately, that's familiar territory around here.

A sleek, futuristic world crosses into Future Earth with Overwatch x EVE Protocol, bringing five characters from the fight against the Naytibas together with Heroes who look remarkably comfortable at the end of the world.

Widowmaker steps into the role of EVE, the warrior sent to Earth to reclaim humanity's lost home. EVE's resolve is a natural fit for Windowmaker's precision. D.Va suits up as Lily, EVE's resourceful engineer companion, in an Ultra skin with premium details and custom kill effects, first- and third-person reactivity, and a unique Hello emote that's ideal for making a great first impression. Additionally, Tokki-D.Va's faithful mech-is based off of the Providence final boss.

Freja becomes Raven, EVE's most dangerous adversary; this skin gives her a striking and mysterious new edge. Vendetta takes command as Tachy and Soldier: 76 becomes Adam, the survivor quietly fighting to protect what remains of humanity.

Different Earth. Different apocalypse. Same stubborn refusal to let humanity go quietly.

Overwatch x EVE Protocol arrives November 3 and ends November 17.

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Hunger Without End

Roadhog has always had an appetite and Mythic Necrotic Knight Roadhog takes that problem somewhere considerably darker.

Cursed with an endless hunger for souls, this corrupted knight tears essence from his victims and carries it with him, growing stronger even as the curse consuming him grows worse. Very healthy relationship with food. No notes.

Necrotic Knight lets you build your own monster across four levels of Mythic customization:

• Level 1: Rise as the Necrotic Knight in Roadhog's base Mythic form, complete with custom effects worthy of the curse.
• Level 2: Put a new face on death with Skull, Knight, and Plague Doctor-inspired helmet options.
• Level 3: Change the complexion of your corruption with additional color palettes.
• Level 4: Let the curse loose with ethereal skulls, claws, spectral flames, smoke, and transformative ability effects.

Custom Hook and projectile effects make collecting souls part of the fantasy, while unique voice lines make it pretty clear that dying hasn't improved Roadhog's disposition.

Mythic Necrotic Knight Roadhog arrives November 3.

Junkrat Can Dig That

Venture and Junkrat are always chasing their next sparkly haul and we respect that hustle. Thankfully, you get to reap the benefits, too!

Another round of Excavation Initiative returns from November 3 to December 7. Complete three digs each week to earn a Loot Box and keep digging to rake in extra Loot Boxes, Epic Loot Boxes, and even a Legendary Loot Box!

Junkrat's Loot Hunt returns November 20-23, but this time you can raid the stash on your schedule. Complete five games to finish a challenge and grab a Loot Box, then do it again-and again-up to nine times throughout the event. No daily reset means you can cause all of your problems in one sitting or spread the destruction across the weekend.

And because apparently nine Loot Boxes aren't enough encouragement to make questionable decisions, Double XP will be live throughout Junkrat's Loot Hunt.

You're welcome. Probably. You never know with Junkrat.

Drive Your Way

The road gets a little wider in December.

Drives return with separate tracks for Competitive and Quick Play, opening the event up with more ways to play and more rewards to chase. Take on Competitive Drives to earn up to 3,000 Competitive Points and a Signature or jump into Quick Play Drives for up to 3,000 Legacy Weapon Points. Want both? Go get 'em. Both is good.

Signature customization also expands your options, letting you equip eligible previous Signatures once you reach the fourth checkpoint this season. Your dream of a fully color-coordinated Career Profile has never been closer.

Quick Play and Competitive Drives run December 3-7.

All Eyes on the OWCS Finals

After battling through a full season of Overwatch World Champions Series competition, twelve teams will touch down in Guangzhou to fight for the 2026 World Finals trophy. You know the moments that make a final worth watching: the last-second saves, the impossible holds, and the fights that look unwinnable…until they aren't.

You get to join that hype with the OWCS World Finals Cheer Rally. Complete in-game challenges, earn Cheer, and claim rewards while you follow all the action. Tune in on Twitch or YouTube (and remember to link your account!) to earn even more rewards as the finals unfold.

The OWCS World Finals begin on December 2 and run through December 6; the Cheer Rally runs from December 3-7 to give you a little bonus time to complete challenges.

Open the Vault on Black Friday

Though your presence in Overwatch is the real present for us, we thought you might be a little more interested in acquiring rare cosmetics for the holidays.

Revisit Overwatch fashion history with the Black Friday Vault Sale. A huge assortment of cosmetics, including some hard-to-find items, will be available in curated bundles that won't destroy your holiday budget. Just don't tell Maximilien we stole his keys.

Get hype with the Peak Mega Bundle of community-favorite skins or add some variety to your wardrobe with Hero Spotlight Bundles for Mercy, Soldier: 76, Ramattra, and D.Va that offer skins from multiple eras of Overwatch. Indecisive? Spring for the 2026 Mega Unvault Bundle for a little bit of everything or grab a Tank, Support, or Damage Essentials Bundle 2 (updated from last year's offerings) to fancy up your favorite role. Blizzard-wide gamers won't want to miss the StarCraft Mega Bundle, either.

The festive raid on our cosmetics vault begins on November 3 and runs through December 7.

One More Fight Before the Season Ends

The year-long fight for Talon may finally be reaching its answer, but Season 5 still has a few things refusing to stay buried.

There are new worlds colliding, new rewards to chase, World Finals to cheer through, and more waiting as we head toward the end of A Grim Doctrine. But first, there's unfinished business in Rialto.

The throne is waiting. Take Reign beginning November 3.