Overwatch Season 5, titled Reign of Talon - Season 5: A Grim Doctrine, runs from October 6 to November 2, 2026, according to the Blizzard Season 5 announcement. The season is built around a Halloween theme, a new Support hero and a change to how older passes are handled. The part most players will care about is the Unvaulted Pass, which lets you go back to a previous season's pass and collect rewards you may have missed.
How the revamped pass works
Blizzard replaced the single straight path of the old Battle Pass with a set of shorter tracks. In the Blizzard Battle Pass Revamp article, the studio explained that the 80 tiers stay the same, but you choose which track to work on, so a skin you want can come earlier. Each track ends with a Legendary or Epic skin, and once you finish one you pick the next.
Season 5 keeps that structure. Blizzard says the Legendary skins at the end of the Season 5 passes can be pursued in the order you prefer, and an eligible Swap Pool adds another way to shape the rewards you chase during the season. Nothing in the Season 5 announcement says the revamp requires more play time than before.
The revamp article also described a Tier Hack, a Premium-only swap that replaces one track-end skin with a Legendary from a curated list. The Season 5 announcement uses the term Swap Pool and does not describe the Tier Hack, so check the in-game pass before planning around either system.
Bringing back older passes
Unvaulted Passes are the new feature for this season. Blizzard says revised Battle Passes from Seasons 1 to 15 return in Season 5, which gives you another chance at eligible rewards you missed earlier.
If you already made progress on one of those passes, you pick up where you left it. Blizzard also says progress made on the Free track carries forward, so unlocking an Unvaulted Pass lets you claim the eligible Premium rewards tied to the progress you already earned. The announcement adds that an Unvaulted Pass does not include Overwatch Coins, XP Boosts, Mythic Prisms, Prestige Titles, or Mythic hero and weapon skins. Check that list before you spend time on one.
Running two passes at once
You do not have to finish the current season before starting an older pass. Blizzard says you can progress one Unvaulted Pass alongside the current Battle Pass, and XP from your matches counts toward both. When an Unvaulted Pass is completed, it rolls into the next available one unless you pick a different pass. Once you own an Unvaulted Pass, it stays on your account with no expiration date.
Halloween rewards in the Season 5 passes
The seasonal cosmetics lean on Halloween. Blizzard lists five Legendary skins, three Epic skins and up to 80 Mythic Prisms across the Season 5 passes. The Ultimate Battle Pass includes the Crimson Regent Doctrine and Ghost Voyager Venture Legendary skins, along with 20 Battle Pass Tier Skips and 2000 Overwatch Coins. The Starter Pack includes the Haunted Emre skin and 1000 Overwatch Coins. The announcement does not list prices, so check the in-game store before buying anything.
Mystery Madness: Graveyard Games runs over the same period. Each Offering you pledge earns Battle Pass XP. Team Drives return in Competitive from October 29 to November 1.
A new Escort map and Hero
Season 5 introduces Doctrine, a Support hero and a figure from Doomfist's past who escaped from Grímsvötn. The season also brings the first new Escort map in years, set in Watchpoint: Grímsvötn, an Icelandic prison built into a volcanic fissure. Blizzard has published a map flythrough.
For a wider list of free items to claim this month, see free DLC and items to claim in October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
When does Overwatch Season 5 end?
Blizzard lists Season 5 as running from October 6 to November 2, 2026. The announcement does not give a time zone.
Does the free track still give rewards in Season 5?
Blizzard confirms that progress made on the Free track carries forward into an Unvaulted Pass. The announcement does not list the individual Free track rewards, so check the in-game pass for those.
What do Unvaulted Passes leave out?
Blizzard says they do not include Overwatch Coins, XP Boosts, Mythic Prisms, Prestige Titles, or Mythic hero and weapon skins.
Can I progress an older pass and the current pass together?
Yes. You can progress one Unvaulted Pass alongside the current Battle Pass, and your match XP counts toward both.
Players who missed older rewards should check which passes they have already started, since progress carries over, and read the exclusion list before spending time on one.
