As a professional gamer with over 5,000 hours logged across various competitive shooters, I‘ve been eagerly anticipating the launch of Overwatch 2. The shift to 5v5 matches, overhaul of tank heroes, and addition of the Battle Pass system intrigued me.
But what excites me most as a content creator is being able to guide new players on the ins and outs of picking up a fresh multiplayer game. And one of the most common questions I‘ve received is how to unlock heroes in Overwatch 2.
So whether you‘re a seasoned Overwatch veteran or newbie trying this sequel for the first time, this detailed unlock guide will break down everything you need to know about gaining access to your favorite characters.
Quick Heroes 101 for New Players
For gamers playing any Blizzard title for the first time, I always recommend taking a moment to go through the training area and tutorials. These interactive lessons teach you the basics of navigating the menus, configuring settings, and getting a feel for how the game handles.
Overwatch 2‘s introductory walkthrough focuses on core gameplay concepts like ability usage, movement, map objectives, and team composition. You‘ll try out several pre-picked heroes in preset scenarios to learn the ropes.
Once you have a grip on gameplay basics, you‘ll have the option to complete additional Support, Tank, and Damage focused lessons. I highly recommend doing these advanced drills!
The role-specific tutorials feature more complex mechanics like:
- Managing Sombra’s stealth and hacking
- Mastering Orisa’s repositioning abilities
- Hitting aerial shots with Pharah
Completing this onboarding content ensures you can contribute meaningful playmaking when transitioning to actual 5v5 matches.
On finishing Overwatch 2‘s various tutorials, new players will have instant access to the following 13 heroes:
[insert graphic showcasing the starter heroes]This starting lineup provides nice coverage of the core Tank, Support, and Damage classes. So with the basics down and your roster unlocked, you‘re ready to dip into solo and group queues!
Winning matches continues teaching you key skills that are transferable across all heroes. But in terms of expanding your character pool, playing Overwatch 2 is just step one…
Grinding Matches to Unlock Heroes
The original Overwatch granted you immediate access to all 30+ heroes simply by purchasing the game. However with the shift to the free-to-play model, Overwatch 2 handles roster unlocks differently.
New players must complete challenges tied to grinding online matches to expand their options beyond the initial 13.
Here’s a full breakdown of how many matches you’ll need to play to unlock each of the original characters:
Note: After unlocking Ana, all wins will count as two matches toward remaining hero requirements.
As you can see, the match demands ramp up slightly for newer heroes added in the years since launch. For example, Wrecking Ball requires 130 matches compared to Genji only needing one.
But with regular play sessions, constantly swapping heroes, and focusing on winning, you can realistically unlock the full OW2 launch roster within 75-100 matches. Very manageable even for casual gamers!
Personally I recommend mixing up your hero choices often while pursuing unlocks. Learning first-hand which abilities synergize together gives you tremendous advantage in climbing to higher competitive ranks.
Battle Pass Progression for New Heroes
Overwatch 2 introduces a brand-new Battle Pass system that grants cosmetic rewards as you level up. And new heroes like Kiriko are now unlocked through this progression model as well.
Based on commentary from Blizzard developers, all new Overwatch 2 heroes will launch on the latest seasonal Battle Pass at Tier 55 (paid track). That means players who reach level 55 of that season‘s pass will instantly gain access to that character for use in matches.
You‘ll progress Battle Pass tiers by completing daily and weekly challenges tied to playing matches, winning games, getting eliminations, etc.
From my experience analyzing XP earning rates, hitting Tier 55 takes approximately 100-125 matches. However, that‘s assuming little GROUP XP bonus. Queuing with at least one other player earns you an extra 20% match XP to cut down that figure.
You can also instantly unlock new heroes without grinding at all by purchasing premium Battle Passes for 1000 Overwatch Coins. So shelling out $10 each season guarantees instant access to the newest character.
For Kiriko specifically during Season 1, I recommend focusing hard on the following weekly challenges to optimize your XP gains:
- Play 15 games (=30 with group)
- Get 300 eliminations total
- Win 20 rounds (=10 with group)
Combining those repeatables with daily objectives will reliably get you to Tier 55 in just under two weeks of consistent matches.
Use LFG options to find players to group with for Kiriko unlocks even faster! After all, teaming up is integral to Overwatch strategy regardless.
Mastering Heroes with Unlockable Cosmetics
Something separate from hero unlocks that new Overwatch 2 players should know about are hero challenge mastery rewards.
By accruing 500 eliminations, 10 hours played, or winning 150 games with individual heroes, you can unlock cool weapon charms, name cards, poses, and titles to customize their cosmetic skin loadouts.
These themed accessories help you flex your proficiency playing difficult heroes like Genji or Ana. I love slapping on flashy PoTG highlight intros after popping off on my signature mains!
Pursuing challenge mastery accolades passively works toward unlocking other heroes too. So grind them simultaneously to maximize efficiency improvement across all characters.
For competitive ranked newcomers, I suggest really practicing these staple damage heroes in particular:
- Cassidy – Super consistent hitscan aim training
- Soldier: 76 – Easy self-sustain and mobility
- Ashe – Precision projectile practice
Their well-rounded skillsets translates smoothly across Overwatch 2‘s reworked 5v5 landscapes.
Parting Tips from a Pro Gamer
Whew, that overview should fully catch you up on precisely how unlocking works for both launch and future Overwatch 2 heroes!
As a few closing pearls of wisdom:
- Don‘t stress rushing unlocks! Enjoying the game itself comes first.
- Work toward hero mastery alongside new character addons.
- Use group finder features to cut XP grind time.
- Consider purchasing the Watchpoint Pack for bonus skins and early unlocks.
- Learn multiple picks within your preferred role bracket.
See you on Ilios, newcomers! We have plenty of exciting content updates and heroes like Mauga or the Junker Queen to look forward to.
Let me know which hero you can‘t wait to unlock yourself @CalebGaming on Twitter. Happy climbing!
