What are Hero Talents in Overwatch 2?

Overwatch 2 has finally arrived after much anticipation. The latest launch has introduced numerous changes and additions over its prequel. Apart from three new Heroes and a rare skin, the game will feature an upgraded ability system for use in Hero missions as well as the PvE Campaign mode. The new system will possess unique augmentations in the abilities of Heroes called Talents.

Overwatch 2 is a free-to-play hero shooter title where two teams of five players each compete using Heroes with special abilities and powers to achieve match objectives. These Talents will be an upgrade on top of their existing abilities, which players will be able to unlock as they progress through Hero levels, similar to World of Warcraft's talent system.

This article takes a closer look at the upcoming Hero Talent system in Overwatch 2.

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Everything players need to know about Hero Talents in Overwatch 2

Overwatch 2's new Talent system was announced back in Blizzcon 2021. There will be a total of 1800 Talents with 40-50 of them per Hero. This will add to the abilities they already possess and modify them to be more deadly and viable in a variety of situations.

However, players will have to level up the Hero they wish to unlock a Talent for. As they level up, they will be receiving Talent points that can be used to unlock various skills for that particular Hero. These are then divided into three trees, with each tree carrying different categories of Talents.

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Previous iteration of the Hero Talent system in Overwatch 2 (2019)

Early iteration of Hero Talent system in Overwatch 2 (Image via Blizzard)

The previous iteration of the system was fairly simple as showcased in Blizzcon 2019. Each Hero had a total of 6 Talents divided into three tiers. In each tier, players were able to equip one of the two Talents available. The first tier is at Level 1, second at Level 10, and the final at Level 20.

As seen in the picture, in the previous iteration of the Talent system, Tracer's ability set was as follows:

Level 1

• Adaptive Reload: Pulse Pistols reload when you use an ability
• Chain Reaction: Pulse Bomb causes a secondary explosion on those affected by the blast

Level 10

• Flash: Blinking through enemies damages them
• Hindsight: Recall causes damage to recently weakened foes

Level 20

• Vortex: Enemies are drawn toward the point of recall and snared
• Speed Kills: Killing blows speeds up cooldowns

However, the system seems to have been scrapped and the developers have now added further customizability in terms of Talents with the introduction of the skill trees.

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That sums up the Hero Talent system in Overwatch 2. It is essential to note here that this system is still in development and is likely to receive major changes by the time it launches. It is expected to arrive next year with the arrival of the PvE Campaign mode, where players will be able to experiment by combining various skills they unlock for their favorite Heroes.