As expected by some, Sombra finally showed up as she hacked BlizzCon. Several other announcements were also shared.
BlizzCon just opened, and already we have heard more exciting news than we could have dreamed of. In case you missed/are missing the opening ceremony, allow us to summarize this first glimpses of what's to come:
Sombra
Audience members were rewarded with the long-awaited arrival of Sombra. CEO Michael Morhaime teased the audience with what looked to be a recap of Overwatch’s Global Release. However, midway through the video, the feed got hacked, and the Sombra logo briefly flashed on the screen. Overwatch fans were treated with the new Sombra short ‘Infiltration’.
As expected, Sombra's kit showcases a combination of stealth and use of technology to get the job done. While no official news is out yet on what her ingame kit will be, the cinematic did give us quite a few hints:
- Sombra is seen using invisibility at will, both stationary and in motion
- She seems to have a connection to all technology around her, being able to manipulate the arena around her
- Sombra's main weapon will be a sort of Uzi, though she did not use it in the cinematic
- At the very end, a very impressive feat was shown: she has the ability to teleport to a previously planted device
Take a look at the cinematic yourself now, and expect to be amazed (and a little bit terrified):
Word has is that she will show up on PTR next week!
Arcade
We did not expect more content before, but Mike Morhaime announced quite a bit in fact. Two more maps were named, featuring a regular map and one for the new Arcade gamemode:
- Oasis, a high tech city in the Arabian Desert that will soontm join the official map rotation
- Echo Point Antarctica, the home base of Mei and first announced Arcade map
Not much is known yet about the Arcade, and people will wonder how it differs from Brawl, but it has been announced that everything is on the table when it comes to experimentation. Expect ruleset changes, map changes, even changes to the amount of players participating (3v3 has been mentioned). We cannot wait to hear more over the next two days!
Overwatch League
Finally, we got word of what we at GosuGamers are the most excited about: the official Overwatch League! Teams will be formed around regional cities and allow for free agency, similar to the traditional sports model. This was done to promote regional growth in the competitive scene, and Blizzard has made the move to follow a more traditional sports model even further. We hope to get an in-depth article out soon!
Time to prepare for the panels, available for Virtual Ticket holders at https://blizzcon.com/en-us/watch.
For more competitive Overwatch news, follow us @GosuOverwatch.
