In " Overwatch," developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment, Season 3, "To the Tiger's Lair," kicks off on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.
With a wealth of new content on the way—including the 52nd hero, " Sion," the new Tokyo-themed map "Neon Junction," and a collaboration with the world-renowned Japanese artists YOASOBI—there’s plenty to look forward to!
Ahead of the new season’s launch, we spoke with developers Miranda Moyer and Kenny Hudson.
The new hero "Shion" can even throw a motorcycle
The new hero, "Shion," was once imprisoned as a combat training dummy for the Hashimoto Gang.
After escaping those chains, she took her revenge on them and now reigns as an executive of the Hashimoto Gang herself.
She is an Omnic, and her design—featuring glowing vocal cords—has garnered attention for being incredibly cool.
The trailer already released depicts her relationship with Sojourn, as well as her dealings with Talon as an arms dealer.
The English trailer features Japanese phrases here and there, and she takes advantage of the fact that Mauga doesn’t understand it to call him a “musclehead” with the line “Trust me, Noh-kin.”
His skill set even includes throwing a motorcycle!
Here’s a quick look at Sion’s skill set.
Her main weapons are a pair of dual pistols engraved with the characters for “Death” and “Resentment.”
Unlike Reaper, who also uses dual pistols, his bullets don’t spread, so accuracy will likely be key.
He also has a secondary attack that increases in power and range when charged, making it great for peeking and holding the line, or for delivering the finishing blow.
His most iconic skill is the ability to ride a motorcycle.
You can move at high speeds to clear obstacles...
As seen in the trailer, you can also abandon the bike and make it explode.
The Ultimate ability involves firing a barrage of bullets at surrounding enemies.
In terms of role, it’s somewhere between a hit-scan and a flanker.
We also spoke with developers Miranda and Kenny about Zion and the new map.
— What was the theme behind the creation of Zion?
Kenny: Sion is a pretty hard-boiled character, inspired by action movies like John Wick and Akira.
I think her appearance and demeanor give off an aura that makes you feel it’s dangerous to get too close.
— I was surprised that she’s an Omnic yet has such a stylish humanoid design.
Miranda: There were many versions during the development phase.
However, I believe the story that “Sion was imprisoned as a combat training dummy for the Hashimoto Group” is very important.
For a long time, she only saw people from the Hashimoto Group, and after gaining her freedom, she began to enjoy the same things the Hashimoto Group executives enjoyed.
Most of the things she wears—her clothes, her motorcycle, and so on—are means for her to discover her own identity.
I think that even though she knows she isn’t human, she gradually changed her appearance to look more human.
― What role does she play in the game?
Kenny: Of course, she can deal damage from a distance, but there is damage falloff.
Since her ability to quickly close the distance or get behind enemies is very strong, she’s designed for mid-to-close range combat.
— I hear the new map, “Neon Junction,” is inspired by Tokyo.
Kenny: It’s not based on any specific location, but we drew inspiration from various places.
We blended the image of Japan that Americans have with the image that Japanese people have, aiming for a design that feels familiar.
The trains running through the map are one such element.
― There’s an iconic robot standing in the center of the map—is this Gundam-esque...?
Kenny: Personally, I am a Gundam fan, but I’ll just say that it has nothing to do with this map (laughs)
Season 3, "To the Tiger's Lair," kicks off on June 17!
"Ruler of the Empire" Season 3: "To the Tiger's Lair" is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.
While many new heroes are slated to be added leading up to the final Season 6, let’s get ready for the battles ahead!