Overwatch 2's first free hero will be playable this weekend ahead of their season 10 debut

Overwatch 2's first free hero will be playable for a limited time—before their proper release in season 10—starting tomorrow and ending on Sunday, March 31.

Venture is Overwatch 2's first non-binary hero, and its first DPS hero since Sojourn was released alongside it in 2022. A lot has changed since then. Everyone in the game shoots bigger bullets and has more health now, which opens the door for a hero like Venture who primarily seems to do damage in close-range.

Their design borrows a lot from Doomfist, a melee-heavy brawler who used to be a DPS hero in the original Overwatch. Old Doomfist played like a fighting game character, launching himself into the face of enemies and gaining shields to survive in the fray. Venture doesn't have a rocket-propelled fist, but they will similarly ram into enemies with a big drill and gain shields along the way.

Here's what their kit looks like:

  • A primary fire that shoots short-distance explosive projectiles
  • The ability to burrow underground and burst out for damage
  • A multi-directional dash with the drill that pushes enemies backward
  • A shockwave ultimate ability that ripples outward for high damage
  • A stronger melee attack with the drill
  • A passive that gives them shields every time they use an ability

As a fan of movement-based heroes, I expect Venture's kit to be ripe for "rollouts", as the Overwatch community calls them, by using their dash in clever ways. I miss rocket-punching into certain objects as old Doomfist to 'bounce' into the air and slam down on an unsuspecting support hero. Venture could be the next hero killing you with combos only a speedrunner could master.

When Venture releases in season 10, they will be completely free as part of Overwatch 2's recent shift away from locking heroes on its premium battle pass. Season 10 will start on April 16. 

Associate Editor

Tyler has covered games, games culture, and hardware for over a decade before joining PC Gamer as Associate Editor. He's done in-depth reporting on communities and games as well as criticism for sites like Polygon, Wired, and Waypoint. He's interested in the weird and the fascinating when it comes to games, spending time probing for stories and talking to the people involved. Tyler loves sinking into games like Final Fantasy 14, Overwatch, and Dark Souls to see what makes them tick and pluck out the parts worth talking about. His goal is to talk about games the way they are: broken, beautiful, and bizarre.