Overwatch 2 Battle for Olympus starts Jan. 5 with wild new abilities

Overwatch 2 is getting a new limited-time game mode that will imbue seven of the game’s heroes with fun godlike powers, letting Widowmaker turn her enemies to stone and Roadhog become a giant, rock-throwing cyclops. Battle for Olympus will be available for free from Jan. 5-19. Overwatch 2, Blizzard confirmed Tuesday.

The trailer Overwatch 2’s Greek god-themed mode promises “divine rewards,” but doesn’t specify what players can earn. It is likely to include sprays, voicelines, titles and possibly a skin, based on past limited-event modes. The real attraction is the ability to mix up characters such as Reinhardt and Lucio with other players in Battle for Olympus.

In the trailer, we see some intriguing new powers, like Junker Queen calling down lightning bolts when she performs her Rampage ultimate and Pharah moving freely — and healing! — mid-Barrage ultimate. Other tweaked abilities hinted at in the trailer include Lúcio stunning an opponent with his Soundwave (aka “boop”) and Ramattra lifting enemies off the ground with his Ravenous Vortex.

One more detail from the trailer: There appear to be armor packs repurposed from ol’ Torbjörn scattered throughout Château Guillard, and they’re distinct from standard health packs, but their purpose is unclear.

Battle for Olympus Mode will add a new map Ilios. Each character that earns more eliminations during the event is eligible to receive a marble statue.

Overwatch 2It is now in its second content season that runs from January to February. The game’s next event is Lunar New Year 2023, which runs Jan. 17 to Feb. 6.