Overwatch's New Hero: Meet Sigma, A Villainous Scientist [Update: Abilities Detailed]

Blizzard has been teasing some kind of impending announcement for Overwatch, and all signs pointed to it being Sigma, the rumored Hero 31. That has now been confirmed, with a story trailer (watch it above) that sheds more light on the mysterious scientist. [Update: While Blizzard first discussed Sigma's backstory, we didn't know what sort of character he was. We've since learned he is a tank and have gotten details on his abilities. Additionally, Blizzard plans to add him to the PC version's Public Test Realm today. As for when he'll leave the PTR and launch in the game properly across PC, PS4, and Xbox One, that remains unclear, though that usually happens within a few weeks of a PTR debut.]

Hero 31 is indeed Sigma, though "hero" is a pretty loose term. The trailer makes him seem downright supervillainous, complete with an ambitious experiment gone horribly wrong. It isn't long before Sigma's mind is severely disturbed and he's monologuing about harnessing the power of the universe. It seems like a safe guess that he's not exactly on the side of the good guys. Blizzard describes him as "an eccentric astrophysicist who hopes to unlock the secrets of the universe, unaware that he is being used as a living weapon."

The trailer didn't indicate when exactly we'll see Sigma become a playable character, but the wait between the story trailer for Baptiste, the last hero to join the roster, and when he became playable was very short. That means Sigma's arrival could be imminent, although history suggests he'll initially only be available on the Public Test Realm on PC.

Meanwhile, Blizzard is testing a new Role Queue feature that revises competitive matchmaking. Rather than simply pick a hero, you pick a role type and you're matched into a game with two of each type. The feature will roll out into a beta on August 13. The game is also hosting its ongoing Summer Games event, with special summer-themed cosmetics and skins.