BlizzCon has been kind to Overwatch fans.
The popular first person shooter game is getting some big support by Blizzard in the form of a new league and gameplay modes, as well as a brand new character thrown into the mix with Sombra, the purple-clad hacker.
The first bit of news shows officially shows of Sombra's kit, which was previously hinted at in an earlier article on TechRaptor. Outside of her standard submachine gun, Sombra's three main abilities include Thermoptic Camo, a Translocator Device, and, of course, Hacking.
The Thermoptic Camo gives Sombra increased speed while she becomes invisible for a short period of time, while the Translocator is a device that when deployed, allows Sombra to instantly travel back to its location, regardless of where she is. Hacking, of course, is her bread and butter attack; it stops enemy players from using their abilities or can stop the use of med-kits by opponents for a short period of time.
Her ultimate is her EMP attack, which destroys enemy barriers and shields, as well as hacking them, in a large radial blast. Sombra is designed to be a hit-and-run offensive-playstyle character, and in the right hands of a seasoned Overwatch player, she will no doubt be a deadly addition to the game when she is officially released.
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The Overwatch League
That seasoned player also has another aspect of the game to look forward to, the official Overwatch League. Also announced yesterday at BlizzCon, the Overwatch League is looking to establish the game as a premier Esports title.The League officially starts in 2017, but Blizzard will be controlling most aspects of the sign-up process from the get go. The company will host a combine- inviting top players in Overwatch to essentially try out for the league- for a chance at a contract with a baseline minimum salary and a benefits package. Teams will also be divided into cities, and the plan is to have these city teams a chance to thrive in the coming years of the League.
"The Overwatch League represents not only the pinnacle of Overwatch competition, but also a genuine career opportunity for the most skilled Overwatch players." stated Mike Morhaime, CEO of Blizzard. "We're building a league that is accessible to players and fans, sustainable, and exciting for everyone involved."
Arcade Page
One more big piece of news for Overwatch is the new Arcade section in the game. Replacing the Brawl section (which is now a mode within Arcade), Arcade will create a variety of new modes of play for players, including a 1v1 mystery duel, a 3v3 elimination, 6v6 no limits and 6v6 mystery heroes.The mystery variants randomly assign a hero to the player. 6v6 mystery heroes is a standard game variant, while the mystery duel is a best of nine, all out fight between two players, with each round being a new hero to play as. Elimination is a best of five mode with no respawns, and both this mode and mystery duel use the new map, Echo Point Antarctica, for their arena's of choice. Finally, no limits allows players to stack teams with more than one hero, meaning a whole team of Tracers can be fighting a whole team of McCree's at once.
Other, seasonal modes, such as LucioBall or Junkenstein's Revenge, will also be located in the Arcade page in the future. Arcade also has another trick up its sleeve to get players interested in the new modes: offering new Loot Box rewards that players can win weekly. Three times a week to be exact, after playing and winning three matches in Arcade.
It has been a good BlizzCon for Overwatch, and chances are there is still more to come for the game in the future.
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What do you think of the Overwatch rundown? Are you excited about Sombra, the League or the Arcade additions? Leave your comments below.