Overwatch

Overwatch In the Wolf's Mouth: Doomfist vs. Vendetta Explained

Doomfist and Vendetta settle who leads Talon in the final Reign of Talon short. What happens, what it means, and how to climb before the season ends.

Short version: on October 29, 2026, Blizzard released "In the Wolf's Mouth", which Blizzard calls its "newest animated short" and which, in its own words, ends the year-long Reign of Talon: "After a year of shifting loyalties and ruthless ambition, the Reign of Talon ends here." It is "Doomfist vs. Vendetta in the final confrontation for control of Talon." Below is what happens in the short, what it means for the Overwatch story, and how to use the last days of the season to climb in Competitive.

Official announcement: Overwatch on X, where Blizzard describes it as "Two leaders. One Talon. No turning back." The official video on the PlayOverwatch YouTube channel runs 5:27. All quotes below are taken from the official English captions of that video, with timestamps.

What happens in "In the Wolf's Mouth"

The short opens with an Overwatch assault already underway. "Overwatch on final approach," Sojourn reports (0:07), and Brigitte answers that "readings show the EMP is underneath the Colosseo" (0:10). Sojourn splits the team: "You go after the EMP; we've got Vendetta" (0:14).

The approach goes wrong fast. Tracer warns that "all systems are going down" and that "they've got missile lock on us" (0:19–0:22), counting down until an explosion hits. Sojourn still pushes on: "This is our best shot at her. Let's make it count" (0:42–0:44). She calls for Baptiste and Zarya (0:49–0:50), someone reports being cut off at "Tunnel twenty-eight" (0:54–0:55), and Winston answers, "On our way!"

Sojourn confronts Vendetta: "Enough, Vendetta! I'm taking you in" (1:23). Vendetta replies with "In bocca al lupo" (1:25), the Italian "into the wolf's mouth" that gives the short its name, and later "Addio, Overwatch" (1:40).

Doomfist vs. Vendetta

Then Doomfist enters. "You should have stayed dead," Vendetta says, and he answers, "And you should have ensured I was" (2:05–2:07). Sojourn confirms it over comms: "Doomfist is here!" (2:27).

The fight is about who owns Talon. Vendetta: "You think you can take Talon from me? It is mine!" Doomfist: "No, Marzia. It belongs to whoever can hold it" (2:28–2:33). He tells her that her rage "gives you power. But it will not sustain you"; she answers, "My rage built an empire!", and he replies, "Empires fall" (2:51–2:59). He adds that their last fight "made me see the world anew" and that "only through conflict... do we evolve" (3:04–3:20).

Vendetta loses. "Kill me now, or I will come for you, with everything I have!" she says (3:53), and Doomfist answers, "I expect no less" (4:03). Instead of killing her, he tells Overwatch: "Take her. She is yours" (4:13), and warns Winston: "Careful. This will not end like before" (4:21).

The ending

Brigitte reports that the "EMP is secured" (4:34), and Sojourn orders, "Stand down." When Tracer objects, Sojourn says, "We have what we came for," and "Get Vendetta" (4:37–4:42). Her last words to Doomfist are "Akande... This isn't over." He agrees: "You're right. Talon is about to become something new. Something more... fearsome. Prepare yourselves." Sojourn's reply closes the short: "We'll be ready" (4:45–5:04).

What it means for the Overwatch story

Based only on what is said in the short and on Blizzard's official posts, three things are clear:

Vendetta's reign is over. Blizzard's own description says "the Reign of Talon ends here," and Doomfist claims Talon "belongs to whoever can hold it."
Vendetta is alive and handed to Overwatch. Doomfist says "Take her. She is yours," and Sojourn orders "Get Vendetta." Her promise to "come for you, with everything I have" leaves the door open for her return.
Talon is changing. Doomfist promises Talon will "become something new. Something more... fearsome." Blizzard's video description adds that "a new beginning is on horizon."

The short also ties back to Season 5: A Grim Doctrine. According to Blizzard's Season 5 overview, Doctrine is "a figure from Doomfist's bloodied past," and "his escape from Grímsvötn cracks open one of Overwatch's darkest secrets and sets the final chapter of the Reign of Talon in motion." Blizzard describes Watchpoint: Grímsvötn as a prison in an Icelandic volcanic fissure, "once an Overwatch Watchpoint, later controlled by Helix," that once held Doomfist himself; in Season 5 Doomfist "returned to break Doctrine free" and Talon "has taken control of the prison." The same post says "the events set in motion at Grímsvötn are the beginning of the end."

Blizzard has not yet said what the next story arc will be called or when it starts, so treat anything beyond the short itself as speculation until it is officially announced.

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From cinematic to Competitive: climb before the season ends

Story moments like this one bring a lot of players back to Overwatch, and most of them head straight to Competitive. Blizzard is also adding a last ranked push to the end of the arc: per the official Season 5 post, Team Drives return October 29 to November 1, "before the Reign of Talon reaches its end".

Here is how Team Drives work, according to Blizzard:

Queue solo or with friends. When you win, matched teammates automatically stay together for the next match.
Keeping the same team together boosts your progress through Gladiator Ranks.
Hero Bans and Map Voting stay on.
Rewards include Competitive Points, Player Card Frames, and a Dynamic Title for the first 10,000 groups to finish the final Trial.
Finish your Competitive placements before you jump in.

Quick tips for a short ranked window:

Play your best two or three heroes. A few days is not the time to learn a new main. If you want to try Doomfist after the short, practise in Quick Play first.
Keep a squad that clicks. Team Drives reward staying together, so if a group works, keep queuing.
Use bans and map votes on purpose. Ban the hero your team struggles against most and vote for maps that suit your comp.
Stop after two losses in a row. Tilt costs more rank than any single bad match.

Competitive Points are also worth planning around: Team Drives Trials award them too, so a steady group that finishes Trials gets both rank progress and points.

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FAQ

When was "In the Wolf's Mouth" released?

On October 29, 2026, on Overwatch's official channels.

Who wins, Vendetta or Doomfist?

Doomfist. He defeats Vendetta and, instead of killing her, tells Overwatch: "Take her. She is yours."

Is this the end of Reign of Talon?

Yes. Blizzard calls "In the Wolf's Mouth" its "newest animated short" and says "the Reign of Talon ends here." Season 5, per Blizzard, "sets the final chapter of the Reign of Talon in motion." Details about the next arc have not been officially announced yet.