Some of the biggest conversations around Overwatch emerge when a new hero is announced. Everyone always enjoys (or maybe not) seeing how the newest character fits into the established game, and how they will change things up. Well, you may want to temper your expectations on an announcement just a little bit, as we may not get him anytime soon. On the bright side, we will be getting the annual Summer Games event earlier than usual this year!
All this came from the most recent Overwatch developer update, which was overseen, as usual, by Director Jeff Kaplan:
While Kaplan certainly affirmed that Hero 31 is on the way, but it may take a bit longer to see him added to the roster. Kaplan also emphasized the use of “he,” confirming that the next hero will be a male. At the very least, Kaplan assured us Hero 31 will be “awesome,” though that’s all he would say. The most recent addition to the Overwatch crew was the Support hero Baptiste, who released earlier in the year.
While fans may have to wait a bit longer to get their hands on the next hero, they’ll have less of a wait until the next annual event! While he wouldn’t say when, Kaplan did tease the Summer Games will kick off earlier than usual. With regards to the 2019 incarnation of the event, Kaplan said, “the event is coming back, but it’s going to happen much sooner than it usually happens.”
Though the event will still last three weeks, Blizzard is planning on mixing things up. Each week of the event, a new mini-challenge will be live for players to take on. As expected, there will be a prize for completing these challenges: an epic skin! The challenges should be similar to the recent Baptiste’s Reunion challenge earlier in 2019. Expect to see more information, including a timeframe, in the coming weeks.
2019 looks to be a major year for Overwatch. In addition to a rumored expansion and/or sequel, there are also rumblings that a major balance change is on the way, though both of these are unconfirmed.
