An official look at what’s in store for the next Overwatch 2 season has arrived. Launching next week, the new Call of the Hunt battle pass will arrive for season 8 of Overwatch 2. It comes packed with some wild Beast Hunter skins and other cosmetics for heroes and villains, as well as new weapon skins, festive holiday events, and new Hero Mastery courses. Of course, the grand debut of Mauga too!
One of the biggest changes with season 8 of Overwatch 2 is going to be the debut of Mauga. The hero was first revealed at BlizzCon 2023 back in November, and now he is finally taking the spotlight as a playable character in the game. We already detailed what you need to know about the new tank over in our announcement coverage.
Now for the theming! Call of the Hunt is all about giving our favorite heroes and villains a bit of a wild makeover, and the Overwatch 2 team has quite a few new skins in store. There’s of course of the new Kaiju-themed Orisa Mythic Skin that’s available at the end of the battle pass with a few customization options. But also playable characters like Mauga, Wrecking Ball, Widow, and even some support heroes like Ana, Zenyatta, and Moira are getting in on the same treatment. Each one embodies the kind of design you’d expect from the Beast Hunter Moniker, taking more raw and feral approaches to some classic designs and new heroes alike.
The Overwatch 2 Call of the Hunt battle pass goes live for season 8 tomorrow, December 5. There will be both free and paid versions of the pass to complete, offering rewards like the skins we just mentioned as well as other voice lines, sprays, and cosmetics. You’l
Easily my favorite part of the reveal are the new weapon skins. We first heard that the Overwatch 2 team was experimenting with weapon skins back at BlizzCon, but I didn’t think we would see them this early. You’ll now be able to equip certain heroes with Hard Light weapon seasons. At launch, only Reinhardt, Reaper, and Mercy seem to be getting them – with some Vishkar Corporation-style designs that really embrace the futuristic setting of Overwatch.
Moving past the main battle pass, season 8 is going to have quite a few other seasonal events. Winter Wonderland returns for its 8th year in a row, offering a few new skins for the winter holiday season. That’ll be followed up the usual Chinese New Year action – continuing to offering some festive new looks for heroes.
One of the last big updates announced as part of the Overwatch 2 Call of the Hunt expansion for season 8 is new additions to Hero Mastery. Blizzard rolled out a new mode a few months ago that put specific heroes in a gauntlet to help players hone their skills, and now five new characters have their own courses being released.
There’s going to be Hero Mastery for Lucio, Genji, Mei, Dv.a, and Echo rolling out tomorrow with the rest of the new skins and events.
More on Overwatch 2
What’s next with Overwatch 2: Clash, new heroes, and much more transparency
Mauga officially revealed at BlizzCon as new tank launching soon in Overwatch 2
Roadhog’s rework is finally coming to Overwatch 2: Here’s what’s new
Overwatch 2 heads to Samoa with official reveal of new control map coming this month
FTC: 9to5Toys is reader supported, we may earn income on affiliate links
Subscribe to the 9to5Toys YouTube Channel for all of the latest videos, reviews, and more!