Developer Update: ‘Multiple’ New Overwatch Heroes In The Works For 2017

As good as Overwatch's 2016 was – it's currently running away with the consensus Game of the Year, according to more than 50 year-end lists – it may have an even better 2017.

In the most recent Developer Update, Jeff Kaplan not only gave a brief review of 2016, but he also outlined a few features that could see the light of day in 2017. One such feature is new heroes. Kaplan revealed that multiple new heroes are in the works for 2017, and one such hero has even been moved "through our art pipeline," meaning that people are already working on this new hero's design.

Kaplan did give the disclaimer that they tend to work on much more content than actually gets released, but is relatively confident in that hero's 2017 release. Of course, the name on every Overwatch fans' tongues is Doomfist, but Kaplan was markedly tight-lipped on any details of this mystery new hero, as is to be expected.

Other features from the developer update that Blizzard hopes to have for Overwatch in 2017:

  • Ability to choose from multiple different voice lines, emotes and sprays in-game.
  • Add an easy button to join Team chat, to encourage those in group chat to join while in competitive.
  • Improving the eSports scene, particularly with an enhanced spectator mode.
  • A new map in which Kaplan has "a pretty good level of confidence" regarding a 2017 release.
  • Server browser for custom games – should have a "solid version 1.0" up in early 2017 (seems to imply Q1, but could technically be anywhere up to the end of Q2).