It’s been over half a year since Sigma hit live servers in August of 2019, and Blizzard has finally announced the next Overwatch hero. Hero 32 will be Echo, who Blizzard confirmed for release at BlizzCon 2019 with their Overwatch 2 announcement.
What we know about Echo
Echo is an Omnic who was created by Mina Liao as her “echo” to help make the world a better place. McCree captures Echo from a military train in the lore. He reactivates her and informs her that Winston is recalling Overwatch agents.
Players got their first glimpse of Echo in the Reunion short, where she was in the payload on Route 66. Blizzard would eventually announce that she would be a future hero at BlizzCon 2019, and speculation has ensued ever since.
Introducing Echo.
An evolutionary robot programmed with a rapidly adapting artificial intelligence, Echo represents the cutting edge of technology. pic.twitter.com/aStyP5F4Al
— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) March 18, 2020
Echo will most likely be a Support hero. Overwatch currently has 16 damage heroes, eight tanks, and seven healers. Another healer would even out the squad, and at first glance, she looks to fill that role. If the past is a good resource, we can expect to see her in the Public Test Region (PTR) and a new set of patch notes in the next few days.
How will Echo change the game?
New heroes in Overwatch are few and far between, but each of them generally has at least some impact on the metagame. Some heroes, like Brigitte, made an instant and powerful impact on the game. Others, like Wrecking Ball, took some time for players to learn.
Depending on how strong Echo is and what she brings to a team, she could potentially alter the metagame if teams need to play around her. At the very least, it is likely that more players will be queuing up to heal and try her out.
Be sure to stay tuned for more news and information about Echo! We should know more within the next few days.
