Following Monday's teaser, Blizzard revealed today
Overwatch's 28th hero, Wrecking Ball. As predicted, Wrecking Ball is Hammond, also known as "Specimen 8."
Blizzard released a short cinematic detailing Wrecking Ball's origin story and while it's definitely worth watching, the gist of it is Hammond is a genetically modified hamster. Like Winston, Hammond was granted increased size and intelligence while on the Horizon Lunar Colony. Described as a
"witty and conniving creature that loves to cause mischief," Hammond attached his escape pod to the back of Winston's ship and hitched a ride to Earth where he crash-landed in the Australian Outback near Junkertown. While there, he transformed his escape pod into a formidable mech - becoming Wrecking Ball.
Wrecking Ball is a tank hero (the sixth in
Overwatch's lineup). He provides disruption while also being an aggressive bruiser that bullies the enemy backline and eliminated unguarded, vulnerable heroes. Currently playable on the PTR, here's a breakdown of Wrecking Ball's abilities:
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Quad Cannons: Wrecking Ball fires machine guns
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Adaptive Shield: Grants Wrecking Ball a number of temporary shields based on the number of enemies nearby
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Roll: Wrecking Ball transforms into a sphere with increased speed
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Grappling Claw: While in Roll mode, Wrecking Ball can launch a short grappling hook to attach to surfaces, swing around, clear gaps, and move upwards. Using this ability allows Wrecking Ball to gain momentum, dealing damage and knocking back enemies upon impact
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Piledriver: Wrecking Ball slams down from the air, pulling enemies towards the center of impact and dealing damage
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Minefield (Ultimate): Wrecking Ball litters the ground around him with damage-dealing proximity mines
Game Director Jeff Kaplan also released a video introducing
Overwatch's newest hero. Check it out below: