Overwatch Teases New Hero

The heroes of Overwatch have played a critical role in the game’s success. Since the title’s debut back in 2016, the 31 heroes of Overwatch have endeared themselves to a number of players. Well, that number could go up by one in the very near future, if rumors are to be believed. Some fans think that Blizzard Entertainment has been teasing the impending release of an all-new hero for the game, a character by the name of Echo. Combined with the fact that a new hero has been released around March every year since the game’s release, it certainly seems plausible!

The tease in question is a recent tweet from the official Overwatch Twitter account. In the tweet, Dr. Mina Liao discusses the fear that people have of “omnics,” and how her upcoming project could change the conversation surrounding them. In Overwatch, omnics are a form of artificial intelligence that seem to be taking on a life of their own. In the tweet, Liao refers to the project as “The Athena prototype.” Since Athena is the name of the A.I. in Overwatch‘s dropship, some have surmised that Echo is an omnic body controlled by Athena. It’s also possible, however, that Liao could also be the new hero in question. Little is known about Liao, save for the fact that she was a scientist and one of the founding members of Overwatch.

The background in the tweet would definitely fit with Overwatch‘s theme. Overwatch lead writer Michael Chu has stated in the past that the game’s heroes were created to make the established world feel like an inclusive one. An omnic setting out to become a hero to show humans that artificial intelligence is not to be hated and feared would truly be a fitting inclusion. While Chu recently announced his departure from Blizzard Entertainment, it seems quite likely he would have been involved with the character’s development, particularly since the publisher has been teasing another new hero for some time.

In a follow-up tweet, an audio recording can be heard in which something seems to be going wrong in Dr. Liao’s lab. It sounds like a scuffle has taken place, but it’s unclear who might have attacked. It’s possible that the attack forced Liao to transfer her consciousness into an omnic body, and the result is Echo. One thing is for certain: Blizzard Entertainment is teasing something!

Are you excited by the prospect of a new Overwatch hero? What do you think of Blizzard Entertainment’s tease? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!