Sombra confirmed. Also new maps, modes, and a competitive Overwatch league.
Blizzard finally revealed the long-rumored Overwatch hacker character Sombra at Blizzcon. She will join Overwatch as the game's next hero. She is described as a stealth character who uses hacking abilities to turn the tide of battle. Sombra will be available on Overwatch's PTR servers next week.
Here is Sombra's announcement trailer:
The Overwatch website has been updated to include Sombra's abilities. She's listed as a three-star skill character who is able teleport around the map much like her buddy Reaper. The difference is that Sombra's teleportation is based on a projectile which can put her in some rather unique positions.
Additionally, Sombra is able to "hack" the opposing team in order to shut down their abilities, can become temporarily invisible (or at least Predator invisible), and her ultimate is an EMP bomb that will completely shut down hero abilities, turrets, and Reinhardt's shield.
Further Overwatchreveals announced during the game's panel included a brand-new Arcade mode. Arcade is going to replace Overwatch's weekly Brawls, but it will offer something similar in that it provides entirely new ways to play the game. Specifically, this mode will include the sub-modes Mystery Duel, Elimination, Mystery Heroes, No Limits, and a playlist of all the game's existing Brawls.
Mystery Duel was highlighted during the conference and features Overwatch's first one-on-one setting. Each player will control a random hero and compete in a best-of-nine challenge. This mode will play out across a new map in Antartica that once housed Mei's research facility. Elimination was also briefly detailed during the presentation. That will be a 3v3 mode in which players are locked into whatever team composition they choose in a best-of-five format.
No Limits, meanwhile, is arguably the most significant of the new modes as its 6v6 "pick as many hero types as you want" ruleset doubles as an announcement that Overwatch's Quick Play mode will soon feature a one hero selection cap much like we see in Competitive Mode.
The biggest selling point of Arcade is certainly the fact that players can earn an additional three loot boxes a week through their time spent in that mode. Arcade will be added to the game's PTR servers next week along with Sombra.
Finally, Blizzard briefly mentioned the formation of a competitive Overwatch league as well as some brief looks at new Overwatch maps. More information on the new maps should be available soon, and you can learn more about the Overwatch League by watching Bizzard's introduction video here.