Overwatch Hero 29 is perhaps the thing that fans of Blizzard’s popular game are most excited about as BlizzCon 2018 is set to get underway. Every BlizzCon since Overwatch‘s launch has added a new hero to the game, and with Jeff Kaplan having previously stated that there would be no new map this year, it seems even more likely that the BlizzCon 2018 Overwatch showcase will feature the game’s newest hero.
Here’s all you need to know about Overwatch Hero 29, including potential Overwatch leaks and other BlizzCon announcements that are likely to be made this year.
Overwatch Hero 29 – Hero 29 Leaked
Several reports of Hero 29 being leaked have surfaced online, although none of these reports are particularly trustworthy. However, they are still indicative of changes that could be made to the game at some point, if not in the immediate future.
One such leak appeared on the Blizzard forum and claimed that the new hero was to be named Nemesis. From his build, it is likely that he’ll be a tank/DPS hero, as he’s a large cyborg equipped with a railgun. It would make sense for Overwatch to add such a character given the recent changes to the Route 66 payload, as it seems that something went wrong with the Deadlock Rebels’ stolen nuclear weapon that used to be the object players were tasked with escorting to the arms warehouse at the end of the map.
Overwatch Hero 29 – Other BlizzCon Leaks
Although the above idea sounds great—supposedly, this Nemesis hero has electric nets and a nuke he can call down (yes, like the one that was taken from the payload)—the forum poster was unable to provide a source for his information, which also included details of:
- A new animated short featuring McCree, Reaper, Sombra, and Nemesis.
- More Blizzard World skins, including: Zenyatta Monk, Mercy Spirit Healer, Genji Blademaster, Symmetra Sorceress, Junkrat Fallen, D.Va Kerrigan, and Winston Primal Zerg.
- An announcement of a Story game mode, based on PvE missions that are can be unlocked with credits or in loot boxes.
This seems like quite a lot, to be honest. While it’s true that previous years have seen maps, heroes, and skins all revealed simultaneously, the above information adds up to a pretty incredible amount of new content. Although a story mode has been rumored for quite some time, its implementation this early on seems a little far-fetched. However, this is all of the new information that is available online at present in terms of potential “leaks.”
The above leaks are not from a reputable source, but there is some grounds to some of them. For instance, the revelation of an animated short for McCree with possible references to other members of the Deadlock Gang is highly likely.
Overwatch BlizzCon 2018 – McCree Animated Short
The gun-slinging Jesse McCree was the most popular outlaw around town before the release of Red Dead Redemption 2 last Friday. Although the other parts of the above leak may seem questionable at best, it really does seem likely that McCree will be joining the likes of Bastion, Mei, and Reinhardt with an animated short of his own this Friday.
Last week, a Reddit post drew attention to some changes that had been made to the Route 66 payload on the Overwatch PTR, or Public Test Region. Conspicuously, the patch notes addressed changes to heroes such as Mercy, Reaper, and Roadhog. However, the patch made an inconspicuous change, too. It removed the warhead from the cooling unit on the Route 66 payload—a map that only one Hero is directly tied to: McCree.
Route 66 is where the notorious Deadlock Rebels holed themselves up after hijacking a cargo train, full Red Dead style. However, this cargo train was transporting devastating weapons, which the Deadlock Gang then stored in their warehouse. The last of these is what you escort when you play attack on Route 66, but now you escort nothing more than an empty container.
Interestingly, McCree was once a member of this criminal organization. He left when Gabriel Reyes, a.k.a. Reaper, gave him a choice: help him and the covert opts division of Overwatch known as Blackwatch, or rot in jail like the criminal he is. McCree chose the latter.
McCree’s face can now be seen on the dartboard in the third defender’s spawn room on Route 66, implying that he perhaps left on pretty bad terms. Given the environmental changes to the map, it’s likely that Blizzard is lining up a new animated short that will explain this sequence of events and possibly pave the way for the entry of Overwatch‘s newest hero.
Overwatch BlizzCon 2018 – Other BlizzCon Reveals
Although all of the above is based on speculation, there are some things that are guaranteed to appear at the Overwatch BlizzCon 2018 event. The leaked skins listed above may not be the ones that make the cut, but new cosmetics will definitely be revealed for players to unlock in-game via loot boxes. It’s possible that Blizzard will also mention its plans for some future patches and hero reworks, which will probably be launched a little further down the line.
However, BlizzCon isn’t all about Overwatch. The fans who tune into BlizzCon 2018 will see their fair share of World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, Diablo, Starcraft, and more, as well.
Overwatch BlizzCon 2018 – Overwatch World Cup
It’s not all about in-game revelations at BlizzCon this year, as perhaps the biggest event of all will be the Overwatch World Cup finals. Matches will be played on Friday and Saturday, with the Grand Final being played on Saturday. The last eight teams in the tournament are:
- Team USA
- Team Canada
- Team South Korea
- Team China
- Team France
- Team UK
- Team Finland
- Team Australia
Fans who want to watch the World Cup can do so by tuning in on Twitch. However, this year it’s more worthwhile to watch the World Cup in-client, as there are some brand new features being implemented to improve the quality of spectating. To watch it in-client, you can just select the same option on the main menu that you’d use to view the Overwatch League.
Blizzard’s new feature is revolutionary not just for Overwatch, but for esports in general. Essentially, fans watching the action will be able to choose which players they spectate at any given time, as opposed to the focus of the match being predetermined by whoever is pulling the strings at Blizzard. If you’re a fan of one particular player, you can spend the whole match spectating them—maybe you’ll even learn a few things in the process!
Until now, this viewing mode was only available to the people casting the match, who can also view the game from a top-down perspective. Fans will be able to see ability cooldowns, health bars, hero positioning, and much more with this new feature. This is even bigger than the release of Hero 29 in a way, given that Overwatch League Season 2 announced eight new expansion teams and is set to become the biggest esports tournament in the world when it kicks off in February 2019.
It’s important to note that for now, this feature is PC-exclusive, so console players will need to view the event on Twitch or in-game as they normally would. However, this endeavor is hugely ambitious and if it goes well, it will likely see a wider launch in the near future. There may be unconfirmed leaks surfacing all over the internet, but this information was confirmed by Jeff Kaplan himself.
BlizzCon 2018 will kick off this Friday, November 2.
