Summary

  • Alec Dawson, former lead gameplay designer of Overwatch 2, is now the game's associate director of game design.
  • Dawson's advancement within Blizzard shows his dedication to Overwatch 2's creative processes.
  • The Overwatch 2 community is excited about Dawson's promotion, looking forward to his impact on the game's future.

Alec Dawson, former lead gameplay and hero designer of Overwatch 2, is now the associate director of game design for the hero shooter. With over three of his seven years of experience working for Blizzard having been on Overwatch 2, Dawson is no stranger to how Team 4 does things, which should enable him to help the FPS find even more success.

In November 2021, about a year before Overwatch 2’s release, Alec Dawson joined Team 4 as a senior game designer for the sequel to Blizzard’s iconic hero shooter. Over the next three years, Dawson earned a series of promotions, rising to the position of lead hero designer in 2022 following the departure of former Overwatch 2 developer Geoff Goodman, and lead gameplay designer in 2024.

overwatch 2 executive producer jared neuss leaves blizzard for riot games valorant
Overwatch 2 Executive Producer Joins Riot Games

Overwatch 2 executive producer Jared Neuss leaves Blizzard and returns to Riot Games to work on one of the first-person shooter's top competitors.

2
By 

Now, Dawson’s work with Overwatch 2 has scored him further advancement within the Blizzard development team. According to Dawson’s profile on LinkedIn, the developer was promoted to associate director of game design in March 2025. This position ostensibly places him directly under game director Aaron Keller on the team, giving Dawson even more control over the creative processes of Overwatch 2.

Alec Dawson is Now Associate Director of Overwatch 2

While Dawson has worked on Overwatch 2 for its entire lifespan, he started his Blizzard career in 2018 on the Hearthstone team. He worked as the initial designer for the Saviors of Uldum and Scholomance Academy card sets in Hearthstone, and as the lead game designer for nearly a dozen other expansions and the Battlegrounds game mode in 2020, until he joined Team 4 in 2021.

Needless to say, the Overwatch 2 community was excited to learn about Dawson’s promotion. The developer is one of the most vocal and transparent developers on the Overwatch 2 team, often appearing alongside Keller to discuss hero balance, changes, and how the team uses fan feedback to improve the game. Dawson has been a consistently positive presence on Team 4, so it seems like the majority of players are eager to see what he can accomplish as the associate director of game design.

In general, Overwatch 2 seems to be in a great place right now. The Perks system introduced in Overwatch 2 Season 15 has been a huge hit, and other upcoming gameplay features, such as the Stadium game mode and hero bans, promise to shake things up in drastic and refreshing ways. Hopefully, Dawson’s new position as associate director of game design can help Overwatch 2 continue to put out satisfying content like this for the foreseeable future.

Overwatch (Formerly Overwatch 2) S1 Conquest Tag Page Cover Art-1
6 /10

Overwatch (Formerly Overwatch 2)
Shooter
FPS
MOBA
Multiplayer
Systems
PlayStation-1 Xbox-1 super greyscale 8-bit logo PC-1
Top Critic Avg: 77 /100 Critics Rec: 65%
Released
August 10, 2023
ESRB
Teen / Violence, Blood, Mild Language, Use of Tobacco, Users Interact, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)
Developer(s)
Blizzard
Publisher(s)
Blizzard
Overwatch (Formerly Overwatch 2) Press Image 1
8 Images
Overwatch (Formerly Overwatch 2) Press Image 1
Overwatch (Formerly Overwatch 2) Press Image 2
Overwatch (Formerly Overwatch 2) Press Image 3
Overwatch (Formerly Overwatch 2) Press Image 4
Overwatch (Formerly Overwatch 2) Press Image 5
Overwatch (Formerly Overwatch 2) Press Image 6
Overwatch (Formerly Overwatch 2) Press Image 7
Overwatch (Formerly Overwatch 2) Press Image 8

WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL

OVERWATCH®, A FUTURE WORTH FIGHTING FOR! Overwatch® is an always-on and ever-evolving free-to-play, team-based action game set in an optimistic future.

Overwatch® is an always-on and ever-evolving free-to-play, team-based hero shooter game set in an optimistic future, where every match is the ultimate 5v5 or 6v6 battlefield brawl featuring new heroes and maps, different ways to play, and unique cosmetics! Lead the charge, ambush your enemies, or aid your allies as one of Overwatch’s 40+ distinct heroes. Team up with friends, take them into battle across 25+ futuristic maps inspired by real-world locations, and master multiple unique game modes.

Reign of Talon - Season 1: Conquest
The Next Big Story Begins

The world shifts as 2026 begins a year-long narrative arc where Overwatch and Talon face off in the fight for the future, joined by five new Heroes at once. Step into the story and shape what comes next!

After ten years, Season 1 opens the first chapter of Overwatch's next big story, where your choices will put you right into the fight for the future!

For the first time, five new Heroes hit the roster together, bringing new playstyles, new dynamics, and new voices into the fray all at once. Jet Pack Cat, Anran, Domina, Emre, and Mizuki arrive just in time for Reign of Talon: Conquest, launching a year-long narrative where conflict takes center stage and you contribute to how it unfolds.

Choose where you stand as Overwatch and Talon collide in a faction-driven event with outcomes that will leave visible marks on the world and your legacy. Along the way, Competitive gets a refresh and Core gameplay evolves, changing how things feel across the board.

This season sets a fresh tone for how the Overwatch story is told and how you play it.

Genre(s)
Shooter, FPS, MOBA, Multiplayer