Blizzard has added 11 new heroes into the world of Overwatch since it was released, and almost all of them were foreshadowed in-game before their official unveiling. Here’s a look back at a number of in-game teasers.
Overwatch originally launched in 2016 with 21 heroes scattered across the Damage, Support, and Tank roles. In the four years that have followed, we’ve been introduced to a wide array of charming and ominous figures alike, as Blizzard has fleshed out the list of playable characters.
While some of these heroes were simply announced and released without much spectacle, many of them were teased in-game for weeks on end. Let’s take a look back at how Blizzard foreshadowed new Overwatch heroes.
Ana appeared on Temple of Anubis
The first character added into Overwatch after its release was Ana. Coming in as the fourth Support hero, the sniping healer was released in July 2016. However, she was actually visible in-game long before joining the lineup.
Looking closely at a desk on Temple of Anubis, while a game of Hearthstone might have drawn your attention at first, a picture of Ana was actually placed in a small folder. While a mask might have been covering her face, there’s no denying that this was the first in-game teaser for the Support hero.
Sombra might go down as the most-teased hero in Overwatch history
Long before the 2016 BlizzCon crowd erupted as Sombra ‘hacked’ the main-stage and stole the show, the Damage-based character was teased in and out of the game for many months.
Various documents and in-game news articles featured the word ‘Sombra,’ at first. Eventually, Blizzard upped the ante as a number of security terminals were hacked by the character too.
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Her “Global Hacking Spree” made headlines until Sombra was finally unveiled and released into the world of Overwatch in November 2016.
Blizzard has continued with subtle teasers for most heroes
Heroes such as Baptiste and Wrecking Ball were dropped into the game without much in the way of easter eggs. However, many others continued to get the same teasing treatment.
A huge chunk of Doomfist’s narrative played out before the hero was even in-game. As early 2017 updates saw Numbani irrevocably changed and his Gauntlet stolen.
The latest hero, Echo, was stuck inside of the payload on Route 66 for a number of years as well. Blizzard kept that secret hidden until a 2019 animated short with McCree and Ashe.
As we get closer to the release of Overwatch 2, there’s no telling how many in-game teasers might appear. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled as every new update is released.
Perhaps there are already a number of easter eggs scattered across the maps just waiting to be found.