Who’s the mysterious character at the end of Storm Rising?

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At the end of the Overwatch Storm Rising mission, a cinematic plays. Maximilien is captured by the Overwatch strike team and Mercy demands that he introduce them to his boss. The scene cuts to Egypt, where Talon’s leader, Doomfist, is talking with an unknown character dressed in a dark cape. This mysterious omnic dramatically drops his hood to reveal his face—and we have no idea who he is. Here are some theories about where he fits into the lore and what his presence means for the future of the game.

It’s been over a week since Storm Rising’s release, and the identity of the character at the end of the cinematic has yet to be revealed or expanded upon. He’s an omnic, an artificially-intelligent robot that’s gained sentience. Omnics are present nearly everywhere in the Overwatch universe and include playable characters like Zenyatta, Orisa, and Bastion. This particular omnic has a grey and purple color scheme, with ominous red lighting and accents.

His sharp features, color scheme, and lighting strongly suggest that he’s a part of the Null Sector terrorist organization. The first Overwatch Archives event, 2017’s Uprising, revolved around the Overwatch strike team’s attempt to stop a Null Sector attack in King’s Row. While the strike team mostly fought droves of attack bots, the uprising must have been planned by someone smart, capable, and powerful. Could this mysterious omnic be responsible?

Null Sector was formed because of the unfair treatment toward omnics in Great Britain—they were denied basic rights and treated as second-class citizens. In the Storm Rising cinematic, Doomfist tells his omnic companion, “I respect what you are trying to accomplish. You fight for your kind.” This implies that the omnic is interested in, and has possibly participated in, a push for omnic rights and supremacy.  

Doomfist also tells this omnic that his cause is “noble, and doomed to fail.” The Uprising Null Sector attack is said to have happened seven years before the “current year” in Overwatch lore. Storm Rising’s mission takes place one year after the Null Sector attack. Doomfist could be implying that the omnic’s cause will fail because it has failed in the past, thanks to Overwatch agents.

Many fans theorized that the omnic was a part of Talon, the criminal organization that Doomfist heads—but Jeff Kaplan confirmed that the omnic isn’t a part of the organization. During a livestream with Fareeha and OhNickel from the Blizzard Headquarters, Kaplan was asked about the new character. While he wouldn’t reveal his name or any secrets, he did give a hint as to what part the omnic will play in the future of the game.

“We should all be curious about what Talon and this omnic have planned for the future,” Kaplan said. This meeting between Doomfist and the omnic took place in the “past” as far as Overwatch lore is concerned. Three weeks after this meeting, Doomfist was captured by Overwatch and placed under arrest. In the “current time” of the game, Doomfist has escaped captivity. Kaplan heavily implied later in the stream that the plans Doomfist and the omnic made together would manifest soon in the current storyline.

While no concrete data has been provided about the omnic, Kaplan’s comments indicate that he’ll play an important role in the future of the game.