Every Overwatch hero is about to get a brand-new Passive ability, as Blizzard has revealed that Sub-roles are coming to the Tank, Damage, and Support classes.
Overwatch has changed pretty drastically in recent years. Not only have new characters and modes been arriving regularly to keep things feeling fresh, but 2025 also saw the addition of the Perks system, which drastically changed the flow of matches.
This was one of the biggest fundamental changes to the game since it launched all the way back in 2016, and now, the devs are rolling out another huge update that looks set to change character Roles forever.
As of February 10, when the Season 1 update and Overwatch’s big revamp get underway, all three Roles will be given a set of Sub-roles that come with unique bonuses.
All Overwatch Sub-roles & Passives
Check out every Sub-role, the Passive ability it offers, and the heroes that fall into each one, below:
Tank
Damage
Support
These Sub-roles are active right from the start of a match, so you don’t need to earn them in-game as you do with Perks.
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You also can’t choose which you want to run; all characters have been assigned a category that can’t be changed. However, they do work alongside any existing passives awarded by a hero’s kit or their role.
Not only does this addition affect the way you play with your favorite characters, it also impacts how you respond to those on the enemy team. So, you’ll need to learn the nuances of every hero to properly counter them going forward.
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