Overwatch 2’s newest support hero, Illari, is joining the roster on Aug. 10 when season six kicks off. But as is tradition, you won’t be able to immediately play her in competitive matches.
Because of the newness of the hero, Blizzard regularly restricts new heroes from being used in competitive for a little while after they are released. Part of the philosophy is that players need to spend some time learning how to use the new hero’s kit before putting their competitive rank on the line.
But another reason for the delayed addition to the competitive ladder has to do with Blizzard making sure that the hero has a smooth release. Oftentimes, when the developer adds new patches to Overwatch, there can be a few bugs. Limiting any new hero to Arcade modes and Quick Play initially gives Blizzard a chance to fix any bugs before Illari is in your ranked games.
When is Illari unlocked for competitive mode in Overwatch 2 season six?
Blizzard has not formally announced when Illari will be playable in competitive modes. But there is a strong precedent that the developer has set in regard to adding new heroes to ranked play.
Related: New Overwatch 2 support hero Illari’s abilities shown off in season 6 trailer
Typically, a new hero is unlocked for players in competitive modes two weeks following that character’s release. For instance, Lifeweaver, the game’s most recent hero addition, was added to the game on April 11 at the beginning of season four. He was then added to competitive modes two weeks later on April 24.
Because Overwatch has a weekly reset on Tuesdays, it’s unclear if that two-week marker means that Illari will be available in competitive modes two weekly resets after being added to the game or if she’ll be added exactly two calendar weeks after her release. Barring any bug-related issues, I expect Illari to be unlocked in competitive on either Aug. 22, the second weekly reset after season six starts, or Aug. 24, exactly two calendar weeks post-release.
