Overwatch 2 player progression explained: How to earn custom name cards and titles

Progress is key in Overwatch and in life.

A ship seemingly deploying robots in Overwatch.
Image via Blizzard Entertainment

Overwatch 2: Invasion has completely changed the game, including how players experience progression.

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While the main highlight for many is the addition of PvE missions and a new support hero, the game also added numerous quality-of-life updates, such as changes to player progression, a new Hero Mastery mode, and a whole lot more.

Here’s everything to know about Overwatch 2 player progression.

How does the Overwatch 2 progression system work?

Overwatch 2 now has a robust progression system. As part of the Invasion update in August 2023, Overwatch 2’s progression was overhauled to include individual heroes, roles, and even progression for separate game modes.

Before this, the only progression in Overwatch 2 was via player level. This new system has added a lot more for players to focus on when playing in various modes in OW2.

How to level up in Overwatch 2

A screenshot of Overwatch 2's progression system.
This screen explains it all. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Overwatch 2’s progression system rewards players for playing their favorite heroes, roles, and game modes with unique rewards like badges, player icons, name cards, and other cosmetics.

This new Overwatch 2 progression system gives players long-term goals to work towards, including the rewards, but also offers a way for other players to inspect profiles and see quickly at a glance what kind of roles and heroes a player plays and how proficient they are at them.

Each hero has individual challenges related to their role and the hero themself, and completing those challenges will rank up a badge that players can equip to show off next to their name. It appears on the Play of the Game screen and the player profile.

A screenshot of player hero challenges in OW2.
Individual hero challenges unlock unique rewards. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Ranking up a hero’s level to four will unlock a player icon, another player icon at level six, a name card at level eight, and so on. These challenges can be found in the challenges menu under Hero, where you can select each hero to see their associated challenges and rewards.

Heroes can be ranked up to level 200 when the final reward is unlocked, so there’s plenty for players to grind toward in this new progression system in OW2.

Here’s what the game says about progression.

Sub-badges

“Play games with any hero to progress their sub-badges. Each represents a specific hero, role, or game mode aspect.”

Badges

“Badges level up as you progress their sub-badges. Your badge collection represents you as a player.”

Much like the player icon evolving as you level up your account, these badges operate in the same way that the designs get more remarkable and more complex as you rank up.

A screenshot of the player profile in OW2 season 6.
The new player profile details player levels with each hero. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Progression Level

“Every time you level up a badge, your Progression Level goes up.”

Rewards

Overwatch 2’s progression rewards for ranking up heroes are things like Player Icons, Name Cards, and Player Titles specific to each hero. But there’s a big grind ahead of you to try and unlock everything because it does not track anything from before the Invasion update.

All Overwatch 2 hero player titles and challenges

A screenshot of Soldier: 76's hero progression.
Each hero has their own challenges and badges. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Every hero has a title that can also be leveled up, beginning with Recruit and gaining different titles as you level up with that hero. Each hero has their unique challenges based on their abilities and roles.

Tank

D.Va – “MEKA Ace”

  • Damage Dealt
  • Damage Mitigated
  • Light Gun Damage
  • Micro Missile Kills
  • Self-Destruct Kills
  • Solo Kills
  • Time Played
  • Wins

Doomfist – “Mastermind”

  • Damage Dealt
  • Meteor Strike Kills
  • Overhealth Created
  • Punched Empowered
  • Seismic Slam Kills
  • Time Played
  • Wall Stuns
  • Wins

Junker Queen – “Queen”

  • Carnage Kills
  • Damage Dealt
  • Damage Mitigated
  • Jagged Blade Hits
  • Rampage Kills
  • Time Played
  • Wins
  • Wound Damage

Orisa – “Defender of Numbani”

  • Critical Damage
  • Damage Dealt
  • Damage Mitigated
  • Javelin Hits
  • Javelin Wall Pins
  • Terra Surge Kills
  • Time Played
  • Wins

Ramattra – “Ravager”

  • Annihilation Kills
  • Barrier Damage Mitigated
  • Block Damage Mitigated
  • Damage Dealt
  • Pummel Damage
  • Ravenous Vortex Kills
  • Time Played
  • Weapon Damage
  • Wins
Reinhardt with his new Overwatch 2 appearance posing for the camera.
Reinhardt has lots of tank challenges. Image via Blizzard Entertainment

Reinhardt – “Crusader”

  • Charge Pins
  • Damage Dealt
  • Damage Mitigated
  • Earthshatter Kills
  • Earthshatter Stuns
  • Fire Strike Hits
  • Time Played
  • Weapon Kills
  • Wins

Roadhog – “Hog”

  • Damage Dealt
  • Damage Mitigated
  • Eliminations
  • Enemies Chain Hooked
  • Self Healing
  • Time Played
  • Whole Hog Kills
  • Wins

Sigma – “Astrophysicist”

  • Accretion Hits
  • Damage Dealt
  • Damage Mitigated
  • Gravity Flux Kills
  • Overhealth Created
  • Time Played
  • Weapon Direct Hits
  • Wins

Winston – “Scientist”

  • Damage Dealt
  • Damage Mitigated
  • Environmental Kills
  • Jump Pack Kills
  • Primal Rage Kills
  • Secondary Fire Hits
  • Time Played
  • Wins

Wrecking Ball – “Champion”

  • Damage Dealt
  • Health Pack Healing
  • Knockback Hits
  • Minefield Kills
  • Overhealth Created
  • Piledriver Kills
  • Time Played
  • Wins

Zarya – “Particle Gunner”

  • Ally Damage Mitigated
  • Graviton Surge Kills
  • High Energy Kills
  • Primary Fire Damage
  • Secondary Fire Damage
  • Self Damage Mitigated
  • Time Played
  • Wins

Damage

Ashe – “Outlaw”

  • BOB Kills
  • Critical Hits
  • Dynamite Damage
  • Eliminations
  • Time Played
  • Weapon Scoped Hits
  • Weapon Unscoped Hits
  • Wins

Bastion – “War Machine”

  • Artillery Kills
  • Assault Kills
  • Damage Dealt
  • Grenade Direct Hits
  • Non-Hero Damage
  • Recon Critical Hits
  • Time Played
  • Wins

Cassidy – “Gunslinger”

  • Critical Hits
  • Damage Dealt
  • Deadeye Kills
  • Fan the Hammer Kills
  • Magnetic Grenade Kills
  • Time Played
  • Weapon Kills
  • Wins

Echo – “Reflection”

  • Beam Final Blows
  • Damage Dealt
  • Duplicate Kills
  • Duplicate Ultimates
  • Sticky Bomb Damage
  • Time Played
  • Weapon Kills
  • Wins
suited up Genji readying his ninja stars in OW2
Genji needs healing. Image via Blizzard Entertainment

Genji – “Cyberninja”

  • Damage Reflected
  • Dragonblade Kills
  • Primary Fire Damage
  • Secondary Fire Damage
  • Solo Kills
  • Swift Strike Resets
  • Time Played
  • Wins

Hanzo – “Archer”

  • Critical Hits
  • Damage Dealt
  • Dragonstrike Kills
  • Recon Assists
  • Storm Arrow Kills
  • Time Played
  • Weapon Kills
  • Wins

Junkrat – “Rat”

  • Concussion Mine Kills
  • Damage Dealt
  • Enemies Trapped
  • Non-Hero Damage
  • Rip-Tire Kills
  • Time Played
  • Weapon Direct Hits
  • Wins

Mei – “Climatologist”

  • Eliminations
  • Enemies Frozen
  • Icicle Critical Hits
  • Objective Contest Time
  • Self Healing
  • Time Played
  • Weapon Damage
  • Wins

Pharah – “Justicar”

  • Barrage Kills
  • Concussive Blast Hits
  • Damage Dealt
  • Eliminations
  • Environmental Kills
  • Time Played
  • Weapon Direct Hits
  • Wins

Reaper – “Wraith”

  • Damage Dealt
  • Death Blossom Kills
  • Eliminations
  • Self Healing
  • Solo Kills
  • Teleport Kills
  • Time Played
  • Wins
sojourn stands front and center from the hips up wielding her trusty railgun.
Hit your shots. Image via Blizzard Entertainment

Sojourn – “Tactician”

  • Charged Shot Final Blows
  • Damage Dealt
  • Disruptor Shot Damage
  • Overclock Hits
  • Power Slide Kills
  • Time Played
  • Weapon Kills
  • Wins

Soldier: 76 – “Vigilante”

  • Biotic Field Healing
  • Critical Hits
  • Damage Dealt
  • Helix Rocket Direct Hits
  • Helix Rocket Final Blows
  • Tactical Visor Kills
  • Time Played
  • Wins

Sombra – “Hacker”

  • Eliminations
  • EMP Kills
  • Enemies Hacked
  • Health Pack Healing
  • Low Health Teleports
  • Solo Kills
  • Time Played
  • Wins

Symmetra – “Architech”

  • Damage Dealt
  • Damage Mitigated
  • Non-Hero Damage
  • Secondary Fire Direct Hits
  • Sentry Turret Kills
  • Teleport Kills
  • Time Played
  • Wins

Torbjörn – “Engineer”

  • Damage Mitigated
  • Hammer Kills
  • Molten Core Kills
  • Primary Fire Damage
  • Secondary Fire Damage
  • Time Played
  • Turret Kills
  • Wins

Tracer – “Time Jumper”

  • Damage Dalt
  • Eliminations
  • Health Pack Healing
  • Pulse Bomb Kills
  • Pulse Bombs Attached
  • Self Healing
  • Time Played
  • Wins

Widowmaker – “Spider”

  • Recon Assists
  • Recon Final Blows
  • Scoped Critical Hits
  • Solo Kills
  • Time Played
  • Unscoped Weapon Kills
  • Venom Mines Applied
  • Wins

Support

Ana – “Bastet”

  • Ally Grenades Applied
  • Eliminations
  • Enemies Slept
  • Enemy Grenades Applied
  • Healing Done
  • Nano Boost Assists
  • Players Saved
  • Time Played
  • Wins

Baptiste – “Renegade”

  • Damage Amplified
  • Damage Dealt
  • Eliminations
  • Healing Amplified
  • Healing Done
  • Immortality Field Saves
  • Players Saved
  • Time Played
  • Wins

Brigitte – “Squire”

  • Healing Done
  • Players Saved
  • Rally Assists
  • Shield Bash Hits
  • Time Played
  • Weapon Damage
  • Whipshot Hits
  • Wins
Illari using her sun-based abilities in Overwatch 2
The power of the sun in the palm of my hand. Image via Blizzard Entertainment

Illari – “Inti Warrior”

  • Eliminations
  • Knockback Kills
  • Players Saved
  • Pylon Healing
  • Secondary Fire Healing
  • Sunstruck Detonations
  • Time Played
  • Wins

Kiriko – “Yokai”

  • Critical Hits
  • Debuffs Cleansed
  • Eliminations
  • Healing Done
  • Kitsune Rush Assists
  • Players Saved
  • Swift Step Escapes
  • Time Played
  • Wins

Lifeweaver – “Naturalist”

  • Blossom Healing
  • Damage Mitigated
  • Eliminations
  • Life Grip Saves
  • Players Saved
  • Time Played
  • Tree of Life Healing
  • Wins

Lúcio – “DJ”

  • Eliminations
  • Environmental Kills
  • Healing Done
  • Players Saved
  • Sound Barrier Damage Mitigated
  • Speed Boost Assists
  • Time Played
  • Wins

Mercy – “Valkyrie”

  • Blaster Kills
  • Damage Amplified
  • Healing Done
  • Players Resurrected
  • Players Saved
  • Time Played
  • Valkyrie Assists
  • Wins

Moira – “Geneticist”

  • Biotic Grasp Healing
  • Biotic Orb Healing
  • Coalescence Healing/Damage
  • Eliminations
  • Non-Ultimate Damage
  • Players Saved
  • Time Played
  • Wins

Zenyatta – “Monk”

  • Charged Volley Kills
  • Critical Hits
  • Eliminations
  • Harmony Orb Healing
  • Offensive Assists
  • Players Saved
  • Time Played
  • Transcendence Healing
  • Wins
Author
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Scott Duwe
Senior Staff Writer & Call of Duty lead. Professional writer for over 10 years. Lover of all things Marvel, Destiny 2, Metal Gear, Final Fantasy, Resident Evil, and more. Previous bylines include PC Gamer, Red Bull Esports, Fanbyte, and Esports Nation. DogDad to corgis Yogi and Mickey, sports fan (NY Yankees, NY Jets, NY Rangers, NY Knicks), Paramore fanatic, cardio enthusiast.
Author
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Austin Ernst
Austin is an Updates Writer and Fallout Fanatic. He founded his podcast channel, Shared Screens, and his words can be found at Six One Indie and TheGamer on top of writing for Gamurs. Austin is recently married as of October 2022, and has two Aussie dogs.