In a stunning reveal that literally nobody expected, Blizzard unveiled a brand new character for Overwatch. Such shock! So Surprise! Wow!
Oh who am I kidding? We’ve suspected for months now that a support sniper was coming to the shooter, and last week’s teaser basically confirmed it. Now though, Blizzard have finally told us who the mystery character is (before July 21st even – just as we thought).
Yes, as it turns out, this new hero is in fact Ana Amari. She’s Pharah’s mother, and also a founding member of Overwatch. Here’s her origin story…
Before we go any further, I want to draw your attention to the following image. Who the hell are these two random people? I don’t recall ever seeing either of them. Is that person on the left perhaps Liao? I don’t think it’s Genji, unless I’m horribly mistaken.
Anyhow, besides teasing new characters and informing me that I’ve been pronouncing Pharah wrong for months now (apparently it’s fair-ree-ha, not fair-ra. EDIT: her real name is actually Fareeha… DOH), Ana’s origin video also shares insight into her “death” at the hands of Widowmaker. She somehow managed to survive (minus a right eye), and after an undisclosed amount of time, is now back to continue her fight.
What exactly is she capable of though? Here’s a sneak peek of what Ana’s kit looks like in-game…
Ana’s primary weapon is her Biotic Rifle, which fires long-range darts that can restore the health of her allies or deal ongoing damage to her enemies. Meanwhile, her Biotic Grenade is perfect for a close-quarters clash, simultaneously healing teammates and injuring foes caught in its small area of effect. (Affected allies will also receive a temporary increase to all incoming healing, while affected enemies can’t be healed for a few moments.) And if the battle starts to get out of hand, Ana’s sidearm can fire a Sleep Dart, knocking her adversaries unconscious.
Plus, Ana’s ultimate ability, Nano Boost, empowers one of her teammates, granting faster movement, increased damage, and resistance to enemy attacks.
Ana’s official release date remains unknown. She’s been made playable in the Overwatch Public Test Realm already however, which leads me to believe that she’ll be released to the main client fairly soon. With Heroes of the Storm for example, a new hero will sit in the PTR for a week or two before they get the final nod of approval.
Despite me thinking that Overwatch doesn’t need a new cast member just yet (the existing 21 are still sufficient in my opinion), I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t keen to welcome Ana to the game. Her abilities look interesting, and I think she’ll be a lot of fun to play.
What about you? Are you keen to get your hands on this support sniper?
Last Updated: July 13, 2016
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
July 13, 2016 at 07:44
That sleep dart… and here I thought Mei was annoying as hell
Tarisma
July 13, 2016 at 10:46
thing is with pub teams, she’s gonna sleep you then they Rein swinging his hammer will instantly wake you up.
Pariah
July 13, 2016 at 07:54
I’m going to give this Anah
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
July 13, 2016 at 07:58
LOL
Admiral Chief [Cloak Engaged]
July 13, 2016 at 07:55
IT’S HIGH NOONzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
July 13, 2016 at 08:01
More like, it’s siesta time
Admiral Chief [Cloak Engaged]
July 13, 2016 at 08:05
I love a good siesta, especially after a big lunch
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
July 13, 2016 at 08:05
Ditto
Admiral Chief [Cloak Engaged]
July 13, 2016 at 08:08
(PLEASE refresh to see what I mean)
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
July 13, 2016 at 08:09
………..Ditto
Admiral Chief [Cloak Engaged]
July 13, 2016 at 08:12
Also, haven’t heard/read the word SHAN’T in a while, odd
Ottokie
July 13, 2016 at 08:01
A sniper… RIP trying to win defense missions for 2 weeks with 4 snipers on your side.
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
July 13, 2016 at 08:05
Maybe now it’s possible to attack Hanamura.
Matthew Holliday
July 13, 2016 at 10:02
well, she’s not really going to help get through reinharts shield or torbjorns turrets, soooo…
good roadhog counter though if the player has the reflexes to react
Hammersteyn_hates_Raid0
July 13, 2016 at 10:05
She can heal and do poison like damage if I read that right plus put Bastion to sleep with her darts. So that should open up a window to burst past the gate
Matthew Holliday
July 13, 2016 at 10:17
poison damage seems to be linked to her stun, if theres a window, sure you can get through
Pariah
July 13, 2016 at 08:10
Competitive mode is limiting it to one hero of a kind per side. No more 2-6 Pharah’s. 😀
Admiral Chief [Cloak Engaged]
July 13, 2016 at 08:12
Maybe I’d finally go back to playing now
Ir0nseraph
July 13, 2016 at 08:21
That is great news, it’s fun option in quick play but for competitive mode a very welcome change.
Tarisma
July 13, 2016 at 10:47
we played against 4 monkeys a Lucio and Reaper last night on a control map. It went badly
Matthew Holliday
July 13, 2016 at 09:59
actually, im thinking this makes a decent setup for a legit triple tank team.
zarya + ana is going to be brutal. especially with another core healer.
anas utility looks pretty crazy, stun, sleep, heal, damage boost >
th3SiCn3ss
July 13, 2016 at 08:39
one on far left I believe is Zarya & the one on the right is probably the 2nd new character they are gong to announce. I’m pretty sure they mentioned 2 new characters…
Matthew Holliday
July 13, 2016 at 09:57
that chin on the left is definitely a guys chin
also no boobs.
Deceased
July 13, 2016 at 10:38
Yeah – she’ll be nerfed in like the first week of release 😀