The Overwatch team is headed to Japan for its third season of 2026, and the ongoing story will follow along with it.
The convergence of the Shimada brothers and their related characters are taking the game to Tokyo and its new map, Neon Junction. But this also means the arrival of Hashimoto crime family boss Shion as the game’s newest hero.
Here’s everything we know about Overwatch’s Season 3: Into the Tiger’s Den, launching on June 16.
Table of contents
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Overwatch Season 3: Into the Tiger’s Den Patch Notes
- New Damage hero: Shion
- New Hybrid map: Neon Junction
- Hero nerfs and buffs
- New Battle Pass
- Hero select redesign
- Illari Mythic skin
- Hanzo Mythic weapon skin
- New cosmetic type: Ultra skins
- New collab: Yoasobi
- Community Crafted modes
Overwatch Season 3: Into the Tiger’s Den Patch Notes
New Damage hero: Shion
Overwatch’s ongoing story in 2026 continues with Shion, the leader of the Hashimoto clan. She’s a Damage dealer who dual-wields pistols and even has a motorcycle she can use to traverse the map before launching it into enemies like an explosive projectile.
“Shion’s kit is built around aggressive movement, relentless pressure, and overflowing style to take your foes for a wild ride,” the devs said. “Dual pistols snap from target to target with a unique three-round firing cadence for ruthless precision. Dashes let her weave through fights faster than the enemy can react. And when subtlety stops being useful or fun, you can simply ride straight through the battlefield before turning your bike into a projectile weapon.”
New Hybrid map: Neon Junction
Neon Junction is a new Hybrid map in Overwatch, taking place in Tokyo, Japan. These are Shion’s streets, and players will fight over an objective while one team attempts to capture it and then escort a payload to the final area of the map to decide victory.
“Fight through the nightlife to capture the initial zone, making sure to stop and explore, because you never know what treasures you may find (especially in places like Hobby World and Capsule Hunt Go! *hint/wink*),” Blizzard teased. “Then escort the payload toward Zuiko-za, where the city’s polished surface starts to crack. Every section of the map comes to life, from giant towering robots to shady alleyways that hint at who really controls the streets after dark.”
Neon Junction is a big part of the Anima Strike narrative event, which unfolds over three weeks. It contains daily and weekly challenges and a series of rewards to unlock.
“The deeper you push into Tokyo, the more you uncover, including choices to make on branching paths and over 50 themed rewards to stack,” Blizzard said. “And once you’ve completed the main path, a prestige path unlocks if you want to go further for more rewards.”
Hero nerfs and buffs
Tank
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D.Va
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Shield System – Major Perk
- Shield conversion reduced from 150 to 100.
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Shield System – Major Perk
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Domina
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Corporate Retreat – Major Perk
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Added.
- While Barrier Array is active, it can be moved one time to another location.
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Added.
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Power Move – Major Perk
- Removed.
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Corporate Retreat – Major Perk
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Doomfist
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Power Matrix – Major Perk
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Duration reduced from 1 to 0.8 seconds.
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Duration reduced from 1 to 0.8 seconds.
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Power Matrix – Major Perk
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Hazard
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Spike Guard
- Maximum duration reduced from 3 to 2.5 seconds.
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Anarchic Zeal – Minor Perk
- Healing increased from 30 percent to 40 percent.
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Reconstitution – Minor Perk
-
Moved from Major to Minor Perk.
- Extra resource cap reduced from 50 to 25.
-
Moved from Major to Minor Perk.
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Deep Leap – Major Perk
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Moved from Minor to Major Perk.
- Range increased from 15 to 20 percent.
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Moved from Minor to Major Perk.
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Explosive Impalements – Major Perk
- Damage reduced from 40 to 30.
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Spike Guard
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Ramattra
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Relentless Form – Minor Perk
- Duration bonus increased from 1 to 2 seconds.
- Half effectiveness during Annihilation.
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Nanite Repair – Major Perk
- Healing increased from 75 to 100.
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Relentless Form – Minor Perk
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Reinhardt
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Firestrike
- Damage increased from 120 to 125.
- Projectile speed increased from 30 to 33.
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Firestrike
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Zarya
- Energy degeneration rate reduced from 2.5 to 2.0 energy per second.
Damage
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Anran
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Inferno Rush
- Reduced recovery after the ability from 0.3 to 0.1 seconds.
- Dancing Blaze
- Reduced recovery after the ability from 0.2 to 0.1 seconds.
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Inferno Rush
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Ashe
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Double -Barreled – Minor Perk
- Knockback reduction of second shot removed.
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Viper Sting – Major Perk
- Ammo gain removed.
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Airburst – Major Perk
- Ammo gained increased from 3 to 6.
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Double -Barreled – Minor Perk
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Bastion
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Armored Artillery – Minor Perk
- Removed.
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Smart Bomb – Minor Perk
-
A-36 Tactical Grenade’s self-knockback is increased by 25 percent, and no longer
damages the user.
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A-36 Tactical Grenade’s self-knockback is increased by 25 percent, and no longer
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Armored Artillery – Minor Perk
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Cassidy
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Even The Odds – Minor Perk
- Healing increased from 30 to 40 healing per second.
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Silver Bullet – Major Perk
- Bleed total damage over time reduced from 70 to 50.
- Duration reduced from 2.5 to 1.5 seconds.
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Even The Odds – Minor Perk
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Echo
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Partial Scan – Minor Perk
- Ultimate charge gained reduced from 50 percent to 30 percent.
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Full Salvo – Major Perk
- Number of additional projectiles reduced from 3 to 2.
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Partial Scan – Minor Perk
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Emre
- Ultimate cost increased 10 percent.
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Genji
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Deflect
- Cooldown reduced from 10 to 8 seconds.
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Meditation – Major Perk
- Healing increased from 35 to 50 per second.
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Deflect
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Junkrat
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Bomb Voyage
- Attack speed increased from 25 percent to 35 percent.
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Bomb Voyage
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Mei
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Endothermic Blaster
- Range increased from 10 to 12 meters.
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Deep Freeze – Major Perk
- Freeze rate increased by 30 percent against non-tank heroes.
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Endothermic Blaster
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Reaper
- Health reduced from 300 to 275.
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Lingering Wraith – Minor Perk
- Movement speed reduced from 40 percent to 30 percent.
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Sierra
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Helix Rifle
- Base projectile size reduced from 0.175 to 0.15m.
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Anchor Drone
- Drone deploy speed increased from 30 to 40.
- Drone deploy range increased from 14 to 16 meters.
- Drone grapple range increased from 17 to 19 meters.
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Tight Grip – Minor Perk
- Improved weapon spread reduced from 100 percent to 70 percent faster.
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Locked -In – Major Perk
- Now only provides attack speed if hitting an enemy hero.
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Helix Rifle
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Sojourn
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Friction Generators – Major Perk
- Max energy gained increased from 50 to 75.
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Friction Generators – Major Perk
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Tracer
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Kinetic Reload – Minor Perk
- Ammo gain reduced from 20 to 12.
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Kinetic Reload – Minor Perk
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Vendetta
- Ultimate cost reduced by 15 percent.
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Onslaught
- Movement speed boost per stack increased from 2 percent to 3 percent.
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Maximum duration increased from 5.5 to 7.5 seconds.
Support
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Ana
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Speed Serum – Minor Perk
- Movement speed bonus reduced from 40 percent to 30 percent.
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Speed Serum – Minor Perk
-
Brigitte
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Whiplash – Major Perk
- Damage increased from 50 to 60.
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Whiplash – Major Perk
-
Illari
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Rapid Construction – Minor Perk
- Cooldown reduction increased from 1.5 to 2 seconds.
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Rapid Construction – Minor Perk
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Jetpack Cat
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Frenetic Flight
- Fuel regeneration penalty while carrying a target increased from 2x to 3x slower.
-
Biotic Pawjectiles
- Damage and healing increased from 4 to 4.5 per pellet.
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Transport Shielding – Minor Perk
- Duration reduced from 5 to 3 seconds.
- Maximum shields reduced from 75 to 50.
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Headbutt – Major Perk
- Speed threshold to activate lowered from 16.5 to 14 meters per second.
- No longer refunds fuel.
- Damage increased from 30 to 50.
-
Frenetic Flight
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Juno
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Faster Blaster – Major Perk
- Shots per second increased from 20 to 22.
-
Faster Blaster – Major Perk
-
Lifeweaver
- Ultimate cost increased by 9 percent.
-
Tree of Life
- Overhealth conversion rate from overhealing reduced from 100 percent to 50 percent.
-
Mercy
- Ultimate cost increased 7 percent.
-
Caduceus Staff
- Damage boost reduced from 30 percent to 25 percent.
-
Chain Boost – Major Perk
- Additionally increases damage boost by 5 percent.
-
Mizuki
-
Katashiro Return
- Cooldown reduced from 12 to 11 seconds.
- Duration increased from 4.5 to 5.5 seconds.
-
Katashiro Return
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Moira
-
Biotic Orb
- Damage per second increased from 50 to 60 DPS.
- Healing per second increased from 65 to 75 HPS.
- Maximum damage per orb increased from 200 to 250.
-
Biotic Orb
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Wuyang
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Ebb and Flow – Major Perk
- Rewind healing increased from 50 percent to 100 percent.
-
Ebb and Flow – Major Perk
New Battle Pass
The new skins in the battle pass are as follows, from left to right in the image above:
- Summer Festival Freja
- Vigilante Genji
- Cyber Biker Shion (Ultimate Battle Pass)
- Street Rebel Lúcio
- Cowpunk Cassidy (Ultimate Battle Pass)
- Summer Festival Sombra
- Matsuri Junkrat
Hero select redesign
As the game’s roster grows, a new screen to navigate now makes it easier to browse them all on the hero select screen.
“New role filters, larger Hero portraits, improved controller navigation, and direct access to skins help streamline every match before it begins,” Blizzard said. “Plus, Role and Sub-Role information now appears directly on-screen, and Hero Select automatically adapts to your queue type, helping you focus on the Heroes available to you while keeping the full roster within reach.”
Illari Mythic skin
Support hero Illari gets her first Mythic skin, Ascendant Phoenix, which “embodies rebirth through flame.”
- Level 1: Begin your journey with the base Ascendant Phoenix skin and take your first steps toward rebirth.
- Level 2: Unlock new wing variants to shape your legend, choosing between a traditional phoenix silhouette and a more classic celestial design.
- Level 3: Customize your Phoenix with additional colorways, including blue, green, and gold variations.
- Level 4: Reach the final Mythic tier to unleash Illari’s ultimate form, complete with brilliant flames and radiant visual effects that follow you into battle.
Hanzo Mythic weapon skin
Hanzo’s new Mythic weapon skin, Tokyo Rebel, is “a fusion of tradition and cutting-edge technology.”
- Level 1 : Take up a bow built for a modern-day ronin, blending dragon imagery, cyber-tech, and deadly precision.
- Level 2 : Every takedown feeds the legend. Watch holographic dragons evolve alongside your streak.
- Level 3 : Unlock a custom flourish animation that turns every draw into a statement.
- Level 4 : Leave your mark with a unique kill effect that makes every elimination impossible to ignore.
New cosmetic type: Ultra skins
Like Legendaries and Mythics before it, Ultra is now a new rarity of skins for Overwatch, and they “can combine variables like custom sound suites, unique visual effects, kill effects, ambient animations, and countless smaller details that bring Heroes to life in different, innovative ways.”
The first two Ultra skins belong to Kiriko and Sierra (seen above):
- Nyan Café Kiriko Ultra Skin : Every blink, heal, and elimination comes with extra flair thanks to custom sound effects, kill effects, and unique visual touches built around Kiriko’s playful café aesthetic.
- Nyan Café Sierra Ultra Skin : Bring a little more bite to the café with custom audio, visual effects, and impactful kill effects that make Sierra’s presence adorable and deadly.
New collab: Yoasobi
A new collab for season three features skins for Kiriko, Hanzo, and Genji inspired by Japanese musical duo Yoasobi, with the cosmetics hitting the in-game shop soon.
Community Crafted modes
From June 30 to July 13, the game will add a new variant of hero design experiments (with help from Overwatch content creators Guxue, Ocie, Apply, and mL7support) reimagining several heroes with some unique changes:
- Guxue’s version of Reinhardt leans harder into his brawler fantasy, rewarding aggressive hammer play and encouraging you to stay in the fight.
- mL7support reimagines Baptiste’s kit by transforming Immortality Field into an Ultimate while creating more flexible tactical opportunities with Amplification Matrix.
- Apply’s Ashe changes give B.O.B. a bigger battlefield presence while rewarding smart setup and combo-driven gameplay.
- Ocie revisits Sombra’s disruptive flanker roots, restoring some of her dive identity while creating more interactive counterplay around Hack.
For the full patch notes, including an utterly massive list of Stadium mode changes and more, check out the Blizzard website.
The post Overwatch season 3 patch notes – Shion, Tokyo map, Ultra skins, and more appeared first on Destructoid.
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