Overwatch 2 has finally transitioned into Season 12 as Blizzard Entertainment brought a ton of new content to dive into. This season is titled New Frontiers and is here to shake the meta with a brand-new Hero, maps, game modes, and more.
After a 4.2 GB update, it’s finally time to try out the new support hero, Juno, and experiment in the Clash game mode. With that said, here’s a complete breakdown of everything new in Overwatch 2 Season 12.
What’s new in Overwatch 2 New Frontiers?
New Hero: Juno
Juno is the 11th Support hero in Overwatch 2 who provides both healing and packs a hefty punch, simultaneously. According to her backstory, she was sent to Earth from Mars during Project Red Promise, a secret initiative from Lucheng Interstellar to terraform the planet. If you’re wondering what her abilities and weapons are, we’ve got them sorted for you below:
Weapon
- Mediblaster (Primary Fire): Burst fire weapon that heals allies and damages enemies.
Abilities
- Pulsar Torpedoes (Secondary Fire): Once locked on, heals allies over time and damages enemies.
- Glide Boost (L Shift): Glide horizontally with increased movement speed.
- Hyper Ring (E): Deploy a ring that increases the movement speed of allies that pass through it.
- Martian Overboots (Space): This is her passive ability. While airborne, press Space (or other buttons according to the controller you’re using) to double jump and hold the button to hover.
- Orbital Ray (Ultimate): Call down a ray that travels forward, healing allies and increasing their damage.
New core game mode: Clash
Clash is the latest game mode in Overwatch 2, featuring five objectives in total (A through E). Both teams must capture each point before the other, and only one objective is active at a time.
The game mode starts with the center objective (C) while the final capture points (A and E) are activated last. Each time you capture an objective, you secure a point. This is applicable for objectives B, C, and D.
The final two points (A and E) are divided into three Segments, and each captured successfully awards you a point. This means you can earn three points from these two objectives. Check the table below to find the capture time for each objective:
| Objective | Capture times for 1 player | Capture time for 2 players | Capture time for 3 players |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | 19.5 seconds | 14.6 seconds | 11.7 seconds |
| B, D | 20.85 seconds | 15.65 seconds | 11.85 seconds |
| A, E | 15.75 seconds | 12.2 seconds | 9.5 seconds |
New maps: Hanaoka and Throne Of Anubis
Hanaoka and Throne Of Anubis are the latest maps introduced for Overwatch 2’s Clash game mode. Right now, there are 47 maps in total — making Hanaoka and Throne Of Anubis the 46th and 47th entry to the roster.
Hanaoka is based in Tokyo, Japan, while Throne Of Anubis is based in Giza Plateau, Egypt. The new game mode and these maps are available in both Quick Play and Competitive.
Hero Mastery event: All challenges and rewards
Hero Mastery is a limited-time event in Overwatch 2 Season 12. It started on August 20 and ends on September 3, 2024. This event was first launched during Season 6: Invasion and later in Season 8 and 11.
For Season 12, Pharah and Zarya have received Hero Mastery Courses. There are 10 Challenges in total, which, upon completion, gives rewards and up to 22,500 Battle Pass XP. Here’s a breakdown of all Challenges and rewards:
| Challenge | Task | Reward |
|---|---|---|
| The Skills | Complete 3 challenges from the Hero Mastery Event | Pharah Victory Pose and 5,000 Battle Pass XP |
| All the Skills | Complete 5 challenges from the Hero Mastery Event | Zarya Victory Pose and 5,000 Battle Pass XP |
| Chasing Stars | 4-star Recruit Hero Mastery Courses with Pharah and Zarya | 2,500 Battle Pass XP |
| Chasing More Stars | 4-star Recruit Hero Mastery Courses with Pharah and Zarya | 2,500 Battle Pass XP |
| Chasing All Stars | 4-star Recruit Hero Mastery Courses with Pharah and Zarya | Spray and 2,500 Battle Pass XP |
| A Star is Born | 3-star any Hero Mastery Course | 1,000 Battle Pass XP |
| Wish Upon A Star | 4-star any Hero Mastery Course | 1,000 Battle Pass XP |
| Reach for the Stars | 5-star any Hero Mastery Course | 1,000 Battle Pass XP |
| Speed Run | Complete any Hero Mastery Course with 3x finish bonus | 1,000 Battle Pass XP |
| Hero Master | 3-star and collect all Emblems on any Hero Mastery Course | 1,000 Battle Pass XP |
Apart from all these additions, the mid-year Rank Reset has been implemented. You need to complete 10 placement matches for each role to get your rank back, and the Competitive skill ranks have been reset for all players in Season 12.
