Overwatch 2’s Haunted Masquerade Lets Players Steal Abilities With Masks — Is Blizzard’s ‘Hero Fantasy’ Finally Here?
Blizzard’s Season 19 event for Overwatch 2, Haunted Masquerade, puts player choice front and center. Instead of tightly controlled hero tweaks, the event hands players a mask that grants passive buffs and perks, and certain mask pairings unlock special abilities — a clear example of the game’s shift toward flexibility and what the team calls the “hero fantasy.”
- Haunted Masquerade: what it does
- How this reflects Blizzard’s design shift
- Recent changes and context
- What Blizzard says about the future
- Images from the event and modes
Haunted Masquerade: what it does
Haunted Masquerade gives every playable hero a mask that provides passive bonuses. In total, there are 22 mask combinations, and some pairings activate unique powers — for example, Brigitte paired with Reinhardt can deploy a stronger shield, while Winston can gain Tracer’s Recall for different bubble-shield play. These options create new, sometimes unexpected ways to use hero kits during matches.
How this reflects Blizzard’s design shift
According to Blizzard, the Haunted Masquerade event is part of a move toward systems that encourage player experimentation and choice. Co-director Alec Dawson said: “There’s a really large incentive to experiment and actually try new abilities and try different heroes, maybe [more] than you normally would in your normal play.” Consequently, the team aims for lighter systems that add variability without forcing heavy changes to core hero kits.
Recent changes and context
To understand this shift, consider several concrete moves Blizzard has already made. First, the game launched as Overwatch 2 in 2022 with an expected PvE mode that was later scrapped. Second, the switch from 6v6 to 5v5 caused balance problems that took multiple seasons to address. Third, Blizzard introduced perks that alter aspects of heroes during a match, and introduced Stadium mode, which offers dozens of powers that change how skills work.
Additionally, Flashpoint maps were modified so players can choose routes and engagement points more freely. These changes were gradual, and each one aimed to give players more ownership over how they play in a given round.
What Blizzard says about the future
The design team is using events like Haunted Masquerade and player feedback to decide which systems might become permanent. Dawson explained the team wants to “evolve heroes further” and explore more of the “hero fantasy” inside each character: “There’s a lot of hero fantasy that we want to explore within even each hero’s kit, and we’re not done yet,” Dawson says. He also emphasized that the game will remain focused on “coming together as a team” as its core identity.
Blizzard has already tested some UI nudges to encourage team-aligned picks, such as showing players their teammates’ top three heroes. For Haunted Masquerade, the event’s selection menu highlights combinations that synergize, and the team is considering less intrusive long-term options like a possible “recommended heroes” feature.
Images from the event and modes
Haunted Masquerade runs during the first half of Season 19 and is currently live on console and PC. The event builds on earlier additions like perks and Stadium mode, and it serves as both a testbed and a signal of Blizzard’s current design direction.
