Overwatch Season 5, A Grim Doctrine, goes live on October 7 (AEDT) with a new Support hero at the top of the bill. The change more likely to reshape matches is a quieter line further down: Sombra is moving from Damage to Support, which Blizzard calls one of the biggest changes it has ever made to an existing hero.

Put those together and the Support pool gains two heroes in a single season, one brand new and one with years of Damage-role history behind her. The season also opens the final chapter of the Reign of Talon storyline.

Doctrine heals and hurts from range

Doctrine is the new Support, and his story ties him to Doomfist, who breaks him out of Talon's Grímsvötn prison. His kit, as Blizzard describes it:

  • Eternal Scepter heals allies and damages enemies at mid-to-long range.
  • Bat-like drones boost his team's healing and attack speed.
  • His Ultimate redistributes lifeforce across the battlefield, granting allies Overhealth while reducing enemy health.

A Support whose primary fire both heals and damages lines up with the role's long drift toward heroes who contribute to fights directly. The Ultimate's swing in both directions at once sounds strong on paper. How strong in practice depends on numbers Blizzard hasn't detailed in the announcement.

Sombra, Roadhog and a new Escort map

Sombra's role change is the headline balance shift. Roadhog also gets a rework, with an altered Scrap Gun and a new ability called Trash Compactor.

The new map is Grímsvötn, the first new Escort map Overwatch has added in years. It's set inside the Talon-controlled prison in an Icelandic volcanic fissure, the same place Doctrine escapes from.

A Solo Leveling crossover for anime fans

The Overwatch x Shadow Monarch collab runs October 7 to 20 (AEDT) and dresses five heroes as Solo Leveling characters:

  • Genji as Sung Jinwoo
  • Reaper as Igris
  • Anran as Cha Hae-In
  • Reinhardt as Iron
  • Lifeweaver as Choi Jong-In

Genji as Jinwoo is the obvious centerpiece. The two-week window is short, so anyone who wants these should plan around it.

Halloween, old Battle Passes and the rest of the calendar

This year's Halloween event, Mystery Madness: Graveyard Games, runs October 7 to November 2 (AEDT). Every death brings you back with random new powers. Each week players vote on whether Ashe, Moira or Winston rises from the grave next, until the event roster reaches 20 heroes.

The other notable addition is Unvaulted Passes. These bring back revised Battle Passes from Seasons 1 through 15, giving players another shot at rewards they missed. For anyone who skipped stretches of the game, that's a bigger deal than any single skin.

Also in the season:

  • Two new Mythics: Dragon Shaoxia Wuyang and Treblemaker, Lúcio's first Mythic Weapon
  • The Tech Witches Halloween Battle Pass skin collection, available October 10 to 26 (AEDT)
  • Team Drives returning October 30 to 31 (AEDT)

Blizzard's dates are listed in Australian Eastern Daylight Time, which runs three hours ahead of the Philippines, so start times here land slightly earlier on the clock. The full patch details are on Blizzard's Season 5 launch blog.