Blizzard has become the master of the tease, whether it be for new content in World of Warcraft or, in this case, its shooter Overwatch. The developer’s latest video seems to hint at a new hero, and you’re going to go bananas for him.
On June 21, the official Overwatch Twitter account posted a very short teaser video featuring a brick wall covered in graffiti. A painting of Lúcio is clearly visible, and there appear to be conflicting messages about the robotic Omnic characters such as Zenyatta. One piece of graffiti says, “No bots,” while another appears to be a poster advocating for equal rights.
This is territory Blizzard will have to be very careful with, as the real-life allegories seem pretty thin. Similar themes have been dealt with in Quantic Dream’s Detroit: Become Human, and the game didn’t exactly stick the landing with its political messaging.
What players are most fascinated with, however, is the other character painted on the wall — it’s a small monkey, possibly Hammond, a test subject that previously escaped from the Horizon Lunar Colony. That map recently had an update, with a new room opened up for “Specimen 8,” and with the latest tease, it’s very possible we could be getting the chance to play as a second ape in the near-future.
Due to the size of the ape featured in the painting, Hammond could play differently than Winston, and it would make sense for only one ape to serve as a tank. With Symmetra now taking on a “damage” role instead of her original support role, perhaps the little monkey could be used for quickly distributing supplies or messing with the other team. “Monkey business” could be a legitimate strategy!
Overwatch recently made headlines for its competitive The Overwatch League, as well, as the Shanghai Dragons managed to secure a completely win-free season. It’s a gloriously terrible feat that is almost never accomplished in professional sports, unless you’re the Cleveland Browns, of course.
Are you excited to play as another ape in Overwatch, or were you hoping for a different type of hero? Let us know in the comments!
