Overwatch 2 Season 20 kicked off December 9 with a packed update that includes hero balance changes, the official launch of Vendetta, revamped Aim Assist settings for console players, and the return of the Winter Wonderland holiday event. Whether you’re a competitive grinder or a casual player chasing festive skins, there’s plenty to dig into.
Let’s break down everything new in the latest Overwatch 2 update.
Vendetta Officially Joins the Overwatch 2 Roster
After her trial period, Vendetta—the 45th hero in the Overwatch franchise—is now fully playable. Despite early speculation that she’d be a Tank, the Italian gladiator landed in the Damage role as a high-risk, high-reward dive specialist.
What Makes Vendetta Unique?
Vendetta wields a massive greatsword and excels at hunting down backline targets like supports and squishy DPS heroes. Her kit revolves around aggressive melee combat and gap-closing abilities, earning her the nickname “She-Wolf of Retaliation.”
Key playstyle tips:
- Vendetta thrives when diving isolated enemies but can get punished hard if overextended
- Timing is everything—wait for your team to engage before committing to a deep dive
- Her melee focus means positioning is critical; one bad push can leave you stranded
Vendetta Buffs in Season 20
Based on player feedback during her trial, Blizzard rolled out several Vendetta buffs to make her abilities more responsive:
- Reduced recovery times on Palatine Fang overhead, Whirlwind Dash, and Projected Edge by roughly 15%
- Projected Edge projectile speed increased from 33 to 37 meters per second
- Soaring Slice max throw distance reduced from 16 to 14 meters (but executes faster now)
- Siphoning Strike perk lifesteal boosted from 30% to 40%
- Swift Vengeance perk Overhealth increased from 125 to 150
These tweaks aim to smooth out her combat flow and make her perks more competitive, especially at higher ranks where she struggled during testing.
Reinhardt Gets Nerfed in Overwatch 2 Season 20
If you’re a Reinhardt main, brace yourself: his ultimate just got more expensive.
Reinhardt Nerfs Explained
- Earthshatter ultimate cost increased by 9%
Blizzard noted that Earthshatter can swing fights dramatically and charges too quickly in close-range brawls. This nerf brings the charge rate more in line with the ability’s game-changing impact.
What this means for Rein players: You’ll need to be more deliberate about when to use Earthshatter. Farm ult charge through consistent damage and Fire Strikes rather than relying solely on hammer swings.
Other Notable Hero Changes in Season 20
Tanks
- Junker Queen: Carnage cooldown increased from 8 to 9 seconds
- Hazard: Jagged Wall knockback damage up (40 → 50), health up (350 → 400)
- Sigma: Hyperspheres direct impact damage increased (15 → 25)
Damage Heroes
- Bastion: Recon mode fire rate boosted from 5 to 6 shots per second
- Reaper: The Reaping lifesteal reduced from 30% to 25%
- Junkrat: Frag Launcher projectile speed increased (25 → 30)
Support Heroes
- Baptiste: Immortality Field cooldown reduced from 25 to 22 seconds
- Kiriko: Kunai projectile size slightly reduced for tighter accuracy requirements
- Juno: Mediblaster can now deal critical damage to enemies
Aim Assist Improvements for Console Players
One of the biggest quality-of-life updates in Overwatch 2 Season 20 targets console players struggling with precise aiming.
What Changed with Aim Assist?
- Aim Assist strength increased by 7% across the board
- New sensitivity options added, including:
- Extra Horizontal/Vertical Sensitivity at Max Deadzone
- Extra Sensitivity Ramp-up delay and time controls
- Option to disable Aim Assist at Max Deadzone
- Friendly Aim Assist tweaks for Ana, Juno, and Illari:
- New health threshold setting (default: 99%) means Aim Assist only targets allies below that health percentage
- No more accidentally locking onto full-health teammates during hectic fights
- New Ease-In settings for projectile, hitscan, and melee heroes
- Aim Assist Legacy Mode removed
These changes should make controller gameplay feel smoother, especially for support players trying to keep allies alive in chaotic team fights.
Winter Wonderland Returns (Until January 7)
The festive Winter Wonderland event is back with themed game modes, challenges, and cosmetic rewards.
How to Earn Winter Wonderland Rewards
Complete challenges across various game modes to earn Winter Cookies, which you can gift to three festive spirits:
- Jingle Tracer
- Krampus Junkrat
- Santa Claus Torbjörn
Each spirit offers unique rewards like loot boxes, Battle Pass tier skips, and exclusive cosmetics.
Winter Wonderland Game Modes
Weeks 1-2 (December 9-22):
- Mischief & Magic on a wintery Kings Row map
Weeks 3-4 (December 23-January 5):
- Mischief & Magic Wonderland variant where props can fight back (props can taunt/stun hunters and use ultimates)
Returning modes (all four weeks):
- Mei’s Snowball Offensive
- Snowball Deathmatch
- Yeti Hunter
- Freezethaw Elimination
Avatar: The Last Airbender Collab Returns
From December 16-29, the Avatar collaboration gets an encore run, giving players another shot at skins like:
- Mei as Katara
- Genji as Zuko
Competitive Mode Gets Challenger Tier Overhaul
Top 500 has been replaced with Challenger Tier, introducing a new scoring system and improved rewards.
Key Changes:
- Challenger Score replaces rank-based leaderboards
- Win matches at Diamond 5+ (Core Competitive) or All-Star 5+ (Stadium) to earn points
- Score accumulates over the season with a 5% weekly “Heat Bonus”
- New social links feature lets verified Challenger players link streaming channels directly from leaderboards
- Cheater compensation system coming mid-season—Rank Progress returned if cheaters are detected in your matches
Stadium Mode Additions
Two new heroes join Stadium mode with unique power sets:
Doomfist
Powers focus on punch amplification and overwhelming pressure with abilities like:
- Rising Uppercut
- Aftershock (Seismic Slam repeats at 50% damage)
- Asteroid Smash (aerial mini-Meteor Strike)
Wuyang
Aquatic healer with powers doubling down on water-based abilities:
- Paindrops (extra water orbs after Guardian Wave)
- Puddle Stomp (healing splash on landing during Rushing Torrent)
- Ebb and Flow (Guardian Wave rewinds with 50% damage)
Cassidy also received a major Stadium overhaul with reworked powers to improve build diversity.
Antarctica Peninsula Map Temporarily Removed
Blizzard pulled the Antarctica Peninsula map from rotation for Seasons 20 and 21 to rework sections. It’ll return in Season 22 (sometime in 2026) with updates.
Don’t worry—you won’t miss the penguins too much.
What’s Next for Overwatch 2?
With Season 20 in full swing and Winter Wonderland running until January 7, players have plenty to grind. The Moogle Treasure Trove event in other games might have cookies, but Overwatch’s festive rewards are worth chasing too.
If you’re juggling multiple games this December, check out the latest on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 system updates, Capcom’s classic IP revival plans, and Diablo 4 Season 11’s Pit changes.
Season 20 highlights at a glance:
- Vendetta officially launched with buffs
- Reinhardt’s Earthshatter costs 9% more
- Aim Assist improvements for console
- Winter Wonderland returns until January 7
- Challenger Tier replaces Top 500
- Doomfist and Wuyang added to Stadium
Time to dive in and see if those Vendetta buffs make her the meta-defining hero Blizzard hopes she’ll be.
