A second new character has been added to one of 2016's biggest new games, "Overwatch," bringing with her a new mode and new map, and the groundwork for a third season of competitive play as the title gets ready for big-time eSports.
First teased during a video for the game's first new post-release character, pink-and-purple-tinted Mexican hacker Sombra arrives after five months -- for some, even more -- of clue-hunting and speculation.
Fans and code-breakers scoured subsequent official "Overwatch" material for hidden messages, and a nod to their efforts was even incorporated as one of Sombra's in-game expressions.
Sombra, an expert infiltrator whose specializations give even seasoned players a new set of possibilities to account for, becomes the 23rd character available to the "Overwatch" community.
The game rose out of the ashes of another shelved project, the massively multiplayer online title "Titan," which had first entered development in 2007.
Drawing favorable comparisons to established team action games "Team Fortress 2" and "Splatoon," "Overwatch" boasted an international cast of characters and came out of a successful public beta to launch on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows PC in May 2016.
By August, "Overwatch" had accrued more than 15 million players across all platforms, accounting for nearly half of its developer's total audience across its portfolio, including iconic MMO "World of Warcraft," strategy staple "StarCraft II" and digital card game "Hearthstone."
So at its annual expo late October, Blizzard Entertainment announced plans for a dedicated eSports tournament format, Overwatch League, whose structure is modeled after physical sports with geographically specific teams, a contrast to customary eSports practice.
The game rose out of the ashes of another shelved project, the massively multiplayer online title "Titan," which had first entered development in 2007.
Drawing favorable comparisons to established team action games "Team Fortress 2" and "Splatoon," "Overwatch" boasted an international cast of characters and came out of a successful public beta to launch on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows PC in May 2016.
By August, "Overwatch" had accrued more than 15 million players across all platforms, accounting for nearly half of its developer's total audience across its portfolio, including iconic MMO "World of Warcraft," strategy staple "StarCraft II" and digital card game "Hearthstone."
So at its annual expo late October, Blizzard Entertainment announced plans for a dedicated eSports tournament format, Overwatch League, whose structure is modeled after physical sports with geographically specific teams, a contrast to customary eSports practice.
While Overwatch League is not due to launch until late 2017, the Sombra update also makes preparations for a new season of competitive play that is to start on November 30.
In addition, there is a new Arcade mode that shuffles maps and game rules, and a new arena map called Ecopoint that relates to another character's origin story.
Among other tweaks, the upgraded PlayStation 4 Pro console is now officially supported, spectator slots have been increased from 6 to 12 per match (the same maximum number as there are players across each match's two teams), and some 10 existing characters have had their abilities balanced.
In addition, there is a new Arcade mode that shuffles maps and game rules, and a new arena map called Ecopoint that relates to another character's origin story.
Among other tweaks, the upgraded PlayStation 4 Pro console is now officially supported, spectator slots have been increased from 6 to 12 per match (the same maximum number as there are players across each match's two teams), and some 10 existing characters have had their abilities balanced.
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