There has been a bit of speculation as to who the 24th hero in Overwatch is going to be. Many speculated that Doomfist, the hero turned villain, would make an appearance. It turns out that the new hero selected as the latest playable hero is the entity selected to protect the city of Numbani: Orisa!
The hero is a tank-based centaur-like character and is meant as a counter-balance to Reinhardt fans who want a change of pace. Her primary weapon is called the Fusion Driver, which is an automatic cannon. When using it, she sacrifices movement speed but gives her team constant damage. That weapon’s alternate ability is Halt, which launches a charge which, when detonated, slows and draws enemies toward the blast.
Among her abilities is Fortify, which reduces damage done to her and can make her immune to effects that impair her. Protective Barrier is a stationary barrier that can help block enemy attacks. Her ultimate, Supercharger, gives a buff to all teammates that are-line-of-sight, but can be targeted and destroyed by enemies.
Orisa’s backstory, in typical Blizzard fashion, is deftly woven into the foundation for Overwatch. In Numbani, life after the Omnic Crisis is peaceful. The humans are able to co-exist with the omnics peacefully, and the city is one of the most technologically advanced in the world. But a new threat arises from an unforeseen source: Doomfist, the second being to sport the name. Unlike the previous Doomfist named “The Savior”, this incarnation, dubbed “The Scourge”, aims to use his abilities to destroy omnic-human relations in Numbani. As a defensive measure, the citizens there develop an enhanced version of the OR14 units of which Bastion is based. These new units, dubbed OR15, were primed as the main defense for Numbani.
Unfortunately, the “Scourge” Doomfist made short work of the OR15s deployed. At a Numbani airport, however, 11-year-old wunderkind scientist Efi Oladele came across an OR15 that was not completely destroyed. She took this OR-15, rebuilt her (she had the technology), and imbued in her a personality. That OR15 was named Orisa by Efi.
Personally, I have fallen off of the Overwatch bandwagon a bit ago. The game is a lot of fun for a competitive FPS (which I suck at), but months of smashing my head into the same wall have diminished my enthusiasm. I may still jump in and play a few quick matches, but not as much as before. A new hero like Orisa may be able to change the game’s meta enough to lure me back in. It wouldn’t be the first time Blizzard has pulled me back in. I experienced a Diablo III renaissance when the Anniversary Event in January reignited my love for the game. I played long enough to score every reward from the event and gear my Inna’s Monk main for Season 9.
Orisa is available right now on the PC Public Test Realm. She does not have a live release date as of yet. I have linked a video of her origin story below. You can catch clips of her in action here.
