BOSTON–Today at PAX East, Blizzard Entertainment announced new details for its upcoming multiplayer shooter Overwatch, the Warcraft developer’s first new franchise in 17 years.
First, Blizzard announced two new characters, the first of which is McCree, who wears a belt that says “BAMF.” He’s the “ultimate futuristic gunslinger,” the developer explained.
McCree wields a peacekeep revolver that is deadly at short range and is also capable of sniping enemies from afar. His super-ability, meanwhile, is called “Deadeye.” This allows McCree to target multiple enemies simultaneously, killing them all–when locked on–with a single shot.
The other new Overwatch character announced today was Zarya, the game’s first female tank character. According to Blizzard, Zarya originally wanted to be a weightlifting champion, but she later enlisted in battle to fight for the freedom of her world.
Blizzard explained that the developer has heard for a long time from fans that they want to see more diversity in games, spanning body-type, race, gender, and more. Zarya is a response to that feedback. “We’re listening and we’re trying hard,” Blizzard said.
Zarya’s primary weapon is a particle cannon, while her super-ability is the “Graviton Surge,” which sucks enemies into a gravity well.
Finally, Blizzard today revealed a new Overwatch map called Watchpoint: Gibraltar and announced that the game’s beta will begin this fall.
Overwatch, featuring the newly confirmed characters and map, is playable at PAX East all weekend long.
Check back soon for official art and more!