It’s the time of year again where Blizzard Entertainment hosts its own gaming convention to promote and market its small but significant roster of games. Overwatch players have a lot to look forward to. A new hero, Moira, was announced, and a theme-park-inspired map called Blizzard World is set to hit the PTR fairly soon. On top of all that, another animated short featuring everyone’s favorite German Crusader launched, fleshing out Reinhardt’s story.
Moira is an upcoming support hero who uses biotic abilities to support her team. The Talon-affiliated scientist shoots beams from her hands that heal allies, and a long-range beam can be used against enemies to drain them of their health, healing her in the process. One of her abilities is an orb that can either heal or damage people around it, depending on the player’s choice, and it seems to bounce off walls, similar to Hanzo’s scatter arrow. She has some mobility from her teleportation ability called Fade. Lastly, her ultimate unleashes a giant beam that simultaneously heals allies and harms enemies, which could turn the tide in any team fight. You can read more about her abilities and background on the Overwatch website.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tLopqeL9s8
The newest map for Overwatch, Blizzard World, is a celebration of all things Blizzard. It’s a theme park where all the rides and attractions are based on the other games in the developer’s repertoire, like Starcraft 2, Hearthstone, and World of Warcraft. It’s the kind of map only Blizzard could make, considering its iconic lineup of games that have impacted their respective genres. Blizzard World will be a hybrid map, much like King’s Row and Hollywood. It’s the second of its kind to be added to the game post-launch. You can play in the theme park on the PTR soon, with a public release expected in early 2018.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ii3Hce3_fOw
Finally, Reinhardt received an animated short, titled “Honor and Glory." It tells the story of why he joined Overwatch in the first place. We get to see the crusader in his younger days when he still had blonde hair and two functioning eyes. Reinhardt now joins the likes of Mei, Sombra, and Bastion as heroes who have had their stories explored through these kinds of videos. As with previous animations, it added extra flavor and history to the character, and this now marks the eighth short released for the game.
