Overwatch is in the middle of its first Anniversary event, but that did not stop Blizzard from uploading a cryptic message that hints at upcoming new content for the massively popular multiplayer shooter.
The question, however, is whether the message means that Overwatch will soon get a new map, a new hero, or both.
'Overwatch' Teaser Features Horizon Lunar Colony
In the official Overwatch blog, Blizzard revealed details about something known as the Horizon Lunar Colony.
The post, published by Overwatch's in-game media outlet Atlas News, revealed that new details on the fate of the Horizon Lunar Colony have surfaced after years since it went offline.
According to the post, Lucheng Interstellar said in a press conference that the databases and monitoring systems of the Horizon Lunar Colony are surprisingly still up and running. The company has not yet established direct contact with the facility, but it acquired interpersonnel logs that were sent right before losing contact with the base years ago.
Lucheng Interstellar then showed five transmissions that provided clues on what the Horizon Lunar Colony is all about. Apparently, the facility tested genetic therapy on gorillas for prolonged living in space, and Overwatch hero Winston was one of the subjects in the experiments.
According to Overwatch lore, the facility was overrun with intelligent apes, and the transmissions seemingly hint that Hammond, one of the test subjects, had something to do with it. Hammond was described in one of the transmissions as a smaller test subject, and it remains unclear whether he is a smaller gorilla compared to Winston or a different animal altogether.
Lucheng Interstellar has released the first image of the Horizon Lunar Colony's monitoring systems, showing that seven specimens are still alive and well in the facility, along with several scientists, through most of them are huddled close to each other. Two specimens are missing, namely Winston and Hammond.
New Map Or New Hero For 'Overwatch'?
Looking at the image taken through the facility's monitoring systems, it appears that it can be played as a map in Overwatch. A Moon map will be a cool addition to the shooter, and perhaps it can also include the gravitational effects of battling in space.
However, there is also the possibility that the post means that a new hero is coming to Overwatch. As Winston is one of the game's playable characters, there is speculation that Hammond will soon join the roster as another gorilla hero.
Another hint that a new hero is coming soon, as mentioned by various Redditors in the thread of the topic on the Overwatch sub-Reddit, is that game director Jeff Kaplan has been saying that the next character is "on the horizon." With the name of the lunar facility, it is easy to see what Kaplan did there.
'Overwatch' Anniversary Continues
While players speculate on what is coming next for Overwatch, the first Anniversary event for the game is still ongoing. Blizzard recently offered a free weekend and launched the Overwatch Game of the Year edition.
The event added a variety of new skins and dance emotes to Overwatch, including three new Arena maps and the new 3v3 Lockout mode which could soon have a competitive version.
