There’s a lot that you can tell about Overwatch by its hero release order. Not only does it trace the growth of the game, but it also mirrors the evolution of strategies and playstyles.

Overwatch 2 continues the legacy of its predecessor, “Overwatch 1”, by maintaining the original roster and expanding it with new additions. The game is constantly evolving, with new Heroes joining the ranks regularly.

What Order Did Overwatch 1 and 2 Heroes come out?

Check below all Overwatch 2 heroes listed by release date:

Base Roster

To start off, these are the characters who were released in Overwatch’s base roster in no particular order: 

Hero	Role	Release
D.va	Tank	Launch
Reinhardt	Tank	Launch
Roadhog	Tank	Launch
Winston	Tank	Launch
Zarya	Tank	Launch
Bastion	Damage	Launch
Cassidy	Damage	Launch
Genji	Damage	Launch
Hanzo	Damage	Launch
Junkrat	Damage	Launch
Mei	Damage	Launch
Pharah	Damage	Launch
Reaper	Damage	Launch
Soldier: 76	Damage	Launch
Symmetra	Damage	Launch
Torbjorn	Damage	Launch
Tracer	Damage	Launch
Widowmaker	Damage	Launch
Lucio	Support	Launch
Mercy	Support	Launch
Zenyatta	Support	Launch

Post Launch Overwatch 1 Heroes

After the base roster, here is every newcomer from both the first game into the second. Their names listed will go from when they were released. 

Hero	Role	Release Date
Ana	Support	July 2016
Sombra	Damage	November 2016
Orisa	Tank	March 2017
Doomfist	Tank	July 2017
Moira	Support	November 2017
Brigitte	Support	March 2018
Wrecking Ball	Tank	July 2018
Ashe	Damage	November 2018
Baptiste	Support	March 2019
Sigma	Tank	August 2019
Echo	Damage	April 2020

Overwatch 2 New Heroes Release Order

Hero	Role	Release Date
Sojourn	Damage	April 26, 2022 (OW2 Beta)
Junker Queen	Tank	June 28, 2022 (OW2 Beta)
Kiriko	Support	October 4, 2022
Ramattra	Tank	December 6, 2022
Lifeweaver	Support	April 11, 2023
Illari	Support	August 10, 2023
Mauga	Tank	December 5, 2023
Venture	Damage	April 16, 2024
Space Ranger Juno	Support	August 27, 2024

Blizzard seems set on releasing a steady roster of new heroes to help keep the game fresh. It’s hard to complain; Overwatch isn’t the competitive, acclaimed FPS that it used to be. Now, most of its playerbase is looking for ways to invent fun team comps and having a good time with their friends.

Don’t get me wrong, the game needs balance, and the characters should be fun without being broken. But, it’s gonna be a while before Overwatch 2 gets back to where the franchise once stood, if it ever gets as popular as the original. It’s hard to tell if the devs can keep the characters diverse in terms of mechanics, but they’ sure’ve hit the mark with recent support heroes like Illari and Lifeweaver that challenge the game’s norms and elevate the FPS title’s skill ceiling.

What Order Do You Unlock Overwatch Characters?

You can unlock characters, including some of the new heroes released after Overwatch 2, in a specific order that’ is’s not tied to the hero release order of the first game. The characters will be unlocked as you’re playing the game. The more you play, the more heroes you unlock. However, some Overwatch 2 characters can only be unlocked by completing a special challenge or buying them from the shop.

Hero	Number of Games
Genji	1
D.Va	2
Cassidy	3
Ana	4
Hanzo	9
Junkrat	12
Roadhog	15
Symmetra	20
Zenyatta	25
Bastion	30
Sigma	40
Ashe	50
Brigitte	60
Mei	70
Doomfist	85
Baptiste	100
Sombra	115
Wrecking Ball	130
Echo	150

I find this an effective strategy to keep players invested in the game. The process of unlocking each character doesn’t take long, providing players with constant goals. By the time all characters are unlocked, players are likely to have developed a liking for the game and continue playing. This approach helps Blizzard expand the game’s player base, even if it’s temporary, thereby enhancing the experience for dedicated players.