Overwatch 2 will add its new ‘Perks’ gameplay gameplay mechanic immediately into the Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS).

The arrival of the mechanic is one of several changes that will affect Blizzard’s hero shooter’s competitive ecosystem for 2025.

The news was revealed by Bailey McCann, Blizzard’s lead for the OWCS following Overwatch 2’s Spotlight that took place on February 12th, 2025.

Perks are newly added bonuses that are specific to all Overwatch 2 heroes and aim to provide players with new ways to customise strategies during matches.

The Overwatch 2 Perks are split into Major and Minor categories. Minor Perks provide players with smaller passive abilities and a reduction to cooldown timers.

Major Perks are described as ‘gameplay-shifting changes’ to provide players with an opportunity to turn the momentum of a match in their team’s favour.

Perks will arrive in Overwatch 2 as part of the Season 15 update releasing on February 18th, 2025.

McCann noted on social media that Perks will enter the OWCS on that date. Matches featuring the new gameplay will be seen from February 21st during EMEA’s and North America’s OWCS Stage 1 Regular Season matches.

The North American and EMEA seasons of the 2025 OWCS season are underway having started in late January. The first stage for Asia is set to begin on March 6th, 2025 while a start date for the Chinese region has yet to be revealed.

2025 is set to be another year of growth for Overwatch 2 esports. This year marks the debut of a new format that will feature three stages and three live events.

In addition to its expansion into China, the hero shooter will feature at the Esports World Cup taking place in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia.

Outside of esports, Blizzard unveiled the Stadium game mode. The developer states that Stadium “is the biggest game mode” it has ever made and is described as “an entirely new way to experience Overwatch.”

Using a best-of-seven format, Overwatch 2’s Stadium mode allows players to play using first-person and third-person perspectives.

Similar to VALORANT and Counter-Strike, players earn coins at the start of each round to unlock and customise the abilities of each hero. Abilities range from damage increases to improving survivability during team fights.