Overwatch Looks To Be Teasing Hero 31 [Update: Sigma Out Now On PTR]

Overwatch has begun to tease something new for the game and, given the timing and the nature of the tease, we expect it's for the next hero to join the roster. The tease comes in the form of a video which, initially, looks like it's going to be another developer update from game director Jeff Kaplan. However, Kaplan is sucked through a dimensional rift or black hole of some sort. Then a bunch of formulae and equations appear on the screen, in case you need it made extra-clear that weird physics stuff is happening. [Update: As expected, the teasers were for a new character named Sigma, a villainous scientist who is available now on the Public Test Realm for owners of the PC version. A release date in the full game on PC, PS4, and Xbox One has not yet been announced, but we now know what his abilities are and that he functions as a tank.]

If this is a hero, it will be the 31st character on the Overwatch roster. It would also be the first addition since Baptiste in March, continuing the trend of rolling out a new hero every 3-4 months.

This is coming just as the game is holding its annual Summer Games event, which once again offers special challenges and exclusive skins. The first Summer Games was themed after the Olympics, but since then it has become a yearly tradition with Overwatch characters sporting their finest summer duds.

Meanwhile, Blizzard has just rolled out a massive change to its matchmaking system on the public test realm with the addition of a Role Queue. The revised system has you pick from one of the three major team roles--tank, support, or damage--and then you'll be matched into a team with two of each type. The studio says it hopes this helps team composition and lets players stick with the type of role they like best. This also introduces some new changes to how skill ratings and leaderboards are handled. It's in testing now, with a wider beta planned to start on August 13.