Overwatch

Overwatch’s Voice Actors Hang Out, Are Cute As Hell

Lucio’s voice actor Jonny Cruz got together with the Overwatch cast recently, and the result is almost too much to handle. Oh my god: So much chemistry between all the voice actors, it’s no wonder the fandom has latched on the way it has. Important questions to consider: Who is D.VA’s boyfriend? And how do…

Overwatch‘s New Arcade Mode Wants To Make You A Better Team Player

Overwatch’s new “Arcade” mode wants to make you a better team player. Announced at BlizzCon last week, the mode features five ways to play Overwatch that will make you a versatile teammate in a way that maining Bastion will not, ever. Arcade mode is currently available on the PTR and is comprised of “1v1 Mystery…

Blizzard, On Overwatch‘s Sombra: ‘We’re Not Very Good At ARGs’

Before Overwatch’s latest character, Sombra, was unveiled at BlizzCon over the weekend, she was the focal point of an alternate reality game (ARG) that lasted months. It was like a hydra. Fans would reach the end of one countdown, only for the belligerent beast to sprout two more. At BlizzCon, I spoke to two of…

Sombra is now available to play on Overwatch’s public test servers. I got to try her out at BlizzCon over the weekend and found her to be extremely powerful and fun, but potentially frustrating to play against. Go hack the planet and let me know what you think.

Kotaku ‘Shop Contest: Sombra’s Day Job

Sombra is finally here! After a months long, arduous ARG campaign from Blizzard teasing the latest Overwatch character’s reveal, the punk hacker will be available to play this week. She was greeted with a mixture of joy and sorrow, laughter and crying, and jokes…and more jokes So what took so long? What was Ms. Purple…

Overwatch‘s Play Of The Game Feature Is Gonna Get An Overhaul

Overwatch’s Play of the Game feature is iconic as it is infamous. On one hand, it gives big moments a few seconds of fame and encourages friends and foes alike to say, “OK yeah, that was pretty cool.” But it goes against the grain of Overwatch’s team focus, and it misfires. A lot. In the…

South Korea Walks All Over Russia In Overwatch World Cup Finals

So that was a bloodbath, to put it mildly. Kind of like an Overwatch tournament finals brought to you by Quentin Tarantino. Perhaps South Korea was favored going into this match-up, especially after their triumphant march up through the rest of the bracket. But no one expected Russia to lose so easily, much less roll…

Boss Reaper Plays Help Sweden Take Bronze At Overwatch World Cup

It looked like anyone’s game for much of the best-of-three series between Sweden and Finland in today’s opening contest for third place in the Overwatch World Cup. Tied at one game each, both teams went into the final round trading advantages back and forth until it looked like Finland was on the verge of clinching…

The Weekend In Esports: BlizzCon 2016 And Smash Bros. Galore

BlizzCon 2016 is in full swing. So in addition to things like new Overwatch characters and the announcement of the Overwatch League, there’s also a ton of actual tournaments going on for each of Blizzard’s major competitive games. Details on when and where to catch all of the action are below. Overwatch It all comes…

Overwatch‘s Sombra Is Fun To Play And Very Powerful

Sombra is basically the Overwatch version of the DDOS script kiddies who bring down services like Steam and PSN. She takes shit you rely on, she breaks it, and then she disappears. In the right hands, I think she’s gonna be devastating. During BlizzCon in Anaheim, California, I got to play a couple games as…

Overwatch‘s Arcade Mode Will Balance Quick Play’s New Single-Hero Limit

Overwatch will soon get a new “Arcade” mode, Overwatch’s Game Director Jeff Kaplan announced at Blizzcon today. It offers five new and—ever-changing—ways to play Overwatch and will be available on the PTR early next week. Now that Quick Play will get a single-hero limit on Monday, I say, burying the lede, this is where you’ll…

Who is Sombra? Blizzard just released her origin video, which describes how she became one of the world’s best hackers after investigating the Mexican government, as well as greater Overwatch universe conspiracies.

The Internet Reacts To Overwatch’s Sombra

Sombra hacked her way into our hearts today, now that Blizzard decided to stop messing around and just announce her. All of the agony and frustration is gone. The internet lost its collective shit after the Sombra reveal, with many Overwatch fans unable to say anything else than “boop” now. Those who aren’t completely incapacitated…

Blizzard’s Building A Professional Sports League For Overwatch

Announced today at BlizzCon 2016, the Overwatch League is a professional gaming organization modeled after traditional sports organizations, complete with regional teams, baseline minimum salaries and benefits. Basically Blizzard is looking to create the NFL or NBA of Overwatch esports. Teams will be based around major cities, fostering regional fan and player bases. “The Overwatch…

Blizzard Reveals Sombra, Finally

Today, at BlizzCon, Blizzard unveiled Sombra, Overwatch’s newest hero. The announcement comes after apparently endless wild goose chase for information about her that has left fans exhausted. Sombra is a stealth hacker offense hero who infiltrates other players’ heroes. “Her hacking can disrupt her enemies, ensuring they’re easier to take out, while her EMP provides…

Tracer cosplay by Rose. Photo by Martin Wong

Getting Charged By Overwatch’s Reinhardt Sucks

Charged by Overwatch’s Reinhardt? You’re in for a wild ride, my friend. Maybe halfway through that ride you’ll realize what’s happening and feebly struggle, smashing buttons as if anything could help you. Nothing can. Maybe your impending doom is quite obvious to you. Your eyes deaden in anticipation. Your fate is assured. Smile: The receiving…

China’s Banned Overwatch Players Have Excellent Names

A ton of Chinese cheaters got banned from Overwatch recently, and if we’re going solely by their usernames, our lives are poorer for their absence. Farewell 不上电视直播吃屎, aka “If I don’t get POTG I’ll stream me eating shit”, you will be missed. The players were banned on November 1, and as is Blizzard policy, their…

Overwatch Halloween Event Ends Early, Leaving Some Players Hanging

Yesterday, Overwatch’s Halloween event came to a conclusion. All those snazzy skins went back into the vault, never to be released again until society reaches sufficient levels of spookiness. Problem is, the event ended a bit earlier than Blizzard forecasted, and some players were banking on those final few moments. You might think, “Why the…

Soldier 76 Makes It A Very Dad Halloween

Halloween isn’t about getting hold of candy. It’s about who is in control of the supply. And when it comes to Overwatch, only one character is in charge: the dad. Cajun Captain Cosplay dressed as Dad 76 for Halloween, and went all out, with t-shirt, dad shoes, dad pants and rocking chair (to match Soldier…