If you’ve spent the last few weeks grinding competitive matches, chasing that elusive mythic skin, or just messing around in arcade modes with friends, you’ve probably asked yourself when is season 19 Overwatch 2 so you don’t miss out on any limited rewards. It’s easy to lose track of time when you’re deep in a payload push or trying to clutch a 1v3 to save your competitive rank, so we’ve rounded up all the official details straight from Blizzard to answer that question, plus actionable tips to make the most of whatever time you have left in the season. We’ve also broken down what happens after the season wraps, so you know exactly what to expect when maintenance finishes and the new season goes live.
When Is Season 19 Overwatch 2 Officially Ending?
Per Blizzard’s official public schedule, Season 19 of Overwatch 2 will end on October 15, 2024, at 11AM PT / 2PM ET / 7PM BST. This timeline lines up with the standard 9-week season length the studio has stuck to for all Overwatch 2 seasons over the last two years, so delays are extremely rare. The only time Blizzard has pushed back a season end in recent memory was to fix a critical game-breaking bug that affected competitive matchmaking, and even that delay was only 24 hours. You can check the exact remaining time left in the season any time you log in, right on the main menu home screen below the battle pass progress bar.
One critical detail a lot of players miss is that competitive rank locks 24 hours before the official end date. That means any matches you play in that final 24-hour window won’t count towards your season rank, even if you win and would have climbed a tier. If you’re close to hitting your rank goal, whether that’s Gold, Diamond, or Grandmaster, make sure you finish all your placement or climb matches at least a full day before the season ends to lock in your final standing. You won’t get a second chance to adjust your rank once that lock kicks in.
All Season 19 Rewards You Don’t Want to Miss Before It Ends
The biggest reward most players are chasing this season is the Mythic Demon Hunter Sombra skin, which unlocks at battle pass tier 80. This skin has multiple customizable options, including different color palettes, weapon designs, and voice line variants that you won’t be able to get once the season ends. If you’re only a few tiers short of 80, prioritize completing your remaining weekly challenges, which give 5,000 battle pass XP each, instead of buying tiers with Overwatch Coins. You can easily knock out 3-4 tiers in a single weekend if you focus on challenge requirements, saving you up to $10 in real money.
There are dozens of other limited rewards only available during Season 19, including:
If you’ve been working on the seasonal community challenge for the free legendary Mercy support skin, that also expires the second the season ends. Most players only need 3-4 more wins in quick play or competitive to unlock it, so carve out an hour or two to finish that requirement if you’re close. Battle pass progress resets completely when the new season launches, so you can’t pick up where you left off on Season 19 rewards once it wraps, even if you bought the premium battle pass.
What to Expect During the Final 72 Hours of Season 19
The last three days of any Overwatch 2 season are chaotic, and Season 19 is no exception. First, queue times for competitive matches drop significantly, especially for higher ranks like Master and Grandmaster, because everyone is grinding to hit their final rank goal before the lock. You’ll see 1-2 minute queue times for roles that usually take 5-10 minutes, which is great if you want to squeeze in a lot of matches fast.
But if you’re trying to climb to a higher rank before the lock, solo queuing during this window can be a nightmare. You’ll run into a lot of players who already hit their rank goal and are just trolling, or smurfs who are grinding new accounts to hit top 500 before the season ends. So if you want to maximize your win rate, queue with a full stack of friends who are also serious about climbing. That way you can communicate properly and avoid getting stuck with uncooperative random teammates.
Blizzard also usually runs a last-minute sale during the final 48 hours of the season, with 25% off all Season 19 limited-time shop skins. If you’ve had your eye on a specific legendary or epic skin that’s only available this season, this is the cheapest time to grab it. Limited-time arcade modes that launched with Season 19 will also be removed when the season ends, so if you haven’t tried out the new 3v3 elimination mode yet, now is your last chance. I’ve noticed a lot of players run their most fun, off-meta picks in the final 24 hours, so matches feel a lot more casual and silly if you’re not playing for rank.
What Comes Right After Season 19 Ends?
Right after the official season end time, the game will go into a 2-hour maintenance window where you won’t be able to log in at all. During this window, Blizzard rolls out the new Season 20 patch, resets all battle pass progress, updates the competitive rank brackets, and fixes any lingering bugs from Season 19. Maintenance usually ends a few minutes early if there are no issues, so you can keep an eye on the official Overwatch social channels for real-time updates if you’re eager to jump into the new season.
As soon as you log in after maintenance finishes, you’ll get all your Season 19 end rewards automatically, including your competitive rank badge, any competitive points you earned for your final rank, and a special name card if you finished in the top 500 for your role or region. You don’t have to do anything extra to claim these rewards, they’ll pop up right on your screen when you first log in.
All players get a partial MMR reset for all players at the start of Season 20, so you’ll have to play 5 placement matches to get your new competitive rank. Your MMR only shifts by 1-2 tiers max from your final Season 19 rank, so don’t worry about being placed way lower than you deserve. If you hit Grandmaster in Season 19, you’ll also keep your Grandmaster chat access for the first two weeks of Season 20, even if your placement matches put you in Master temporarily.
Now that you know exactly when is season 19 Overwatch 2 ending, you can plan out your remaining grind time to hit all your goals before the wrap-up. If you’re still a long way from the mythic Sombra skin, don’t stress too much – there will be plenty of cool new rewards in Season 20 to look forward to, including a brand new support hero and another unique mythic skin. Even if you don’t hit your rank goal this season, you can use the short gap between seasons to practice new heroes and work on your mechanics so you’re ready to climb higher as soon as Season 20 launches. Just make sure you log in at least once before the season ends to claim any rewards you’ve already earned, so you don’t lose access to them permanently.