Tyler’s Take: Who is the next hero?

The buzz surrounding the identity of the new hero in Overwatch is at an all-time high. Many people thought it would be Doomfist, voiced by Terry Crews, but a recent interview introducing a new character to the Overwatch universe has made the internet go crazy with theories and speculation over who, or what, this new hero may be.

Many people believe that Blizzard would never put an 11-year-old girl into a video game such as Overwatch for moral reasons, but sections of the interview with Efi Oladele suggest she is very skilled when it comes to artificial intelligence and robotics. This has caused some users on Reddit to speculate that she will invent a robot that will join the fight, which has been supported by old art work images, easter eggs in the Sombra trailer and a leak about plans for Overwatch that successfully predicted year of the rooster skins.

As you can see in the picture above, the Numbani flag is linked to a hand (assumed to be Doomfist) and a blueprint of what looks like a quadruped Omnic tank. Could this be what Efi invents? If this turns out to be true, people are speculating what further role Efi will play in Overwatch.

One popular theory relates to the closing line of the interview, where Efi mentions going on a plane for the first time. Several theorists believe that Efi will be involved in an accident of some kind and will pass away. Thus, theorists think her mind will then be uploaded into one of the robots that she has invented. It is unclear, however, if she has a robot capable of battle, as she suggests in the interview that one day she would like to invent something to help keep people safe.

Further down in the interview, Efi states that she has an idea but will not start on it until she gets back from her trip. This could mean that if something was to happen to her, she would not currently have a robot to insert her mind into.

Another popular theory is that Efi will pilot her invention from spawn, similar to a UAV drone. This will allow Efi to voice and control the machine, while preventing the moral issues of an 11-year-old in battle. This could also be Blizzard going to great lengths to throw us off the scent of Doomfist, who many believe will be coming to the game relatively soon.

I personally believe that Blizzard will not insert Efi onto the battlefield as herself because she is too young, and given the hint from Sombra’s origins trailer, we will most likely see a quadruped Omnic tank that hopefully has a similar role to Reinhardt. It will be intriguing to see what abilities and ultimate the new hero receives and how it will fit into the current competitive meta. I also expect Doomfist to make an appearance into the game really soon, as Blizzard looks to expand the Overwatch universe before season four starts.

Expect more information or teases, like the Efi interview, in the build up to season four, as many people believe that is when we will see the new hero. I am sure the opinions and theories will change as we get more information about the hero’s abilities and backstory from Blizzard, who will surely be enjoying all of the excitement and hype surrounding these theories.