Long before Overwatch 2 introduced the Junker Queen teased by Junkrat and Roadhog's story, Overwatch was somewhat of a phenomenon. Though class-based arena shooters weren't anything too new, with Team Fortress 2 dominating the genre for years before it, Overwatch's bright visual style, unique character designs, high level of accessibility, and tight class mechanics led it to becoming one of the most popular games of 2016. Now Overwatch 2 is getting close to release, and fans are hopeful that it can live up to the lofty expectations set by its predecessor.

Over the last few months, fan perception of Overwatch 2 has changed quite dramatically. When the sequel was first announced, fans were critical on the game's new free-to-play model, the introduction of 5v5 teams, and the fact that it looked less like a fully-fledged sequel, and more of an expansion and tweaking of the first game. However, once fans started to get their hands on Overwatch 2 via its betas, the general reception shifted somewhat, and fans are now looking forward to its full release on October 4. Before jumping in, fans may want to brush up on some Overwatch lore, as quite a bit's been added since the first game, including the Junker Queen.

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The Shared History of Junker Queen, Junkrat, and Roadhog

overwatch 2 junker queen art

The Junker Queen is one of Overwatch 2's brand new characters, and being the leader of Junkertown, she's related to Junkrat and Roadhog, two of the series' most iconic heroes. For over a decade, the Junker Queen has ruled over Junkertown, an impressively large scrapyard located in the Australian Outback. While Overwatch is filled with bright and friendly characters, the Junker Queen is not one of them, being a ruthless leader with a harsh streak.

As a child, the Junker Queen, whose real name is Odessa Stone, was banished from Junkertown alongside her family by the Junker King Mason Howl. Forced to survive in the desolate wasteland, Odessa's family eventually began to die off, leaving her alone. Being alone, Odessa relied on her tenacity and ruthlessness to survive, eventually earning a reputation for being a brutal killer.

Eventually, Odessa found her way back to Junkertown, and competed in the gladiatorial arena known as the Scrapyard. This gave her an opportunity to face off against the man that banished her family, who she defeated, landing her the title of Junker Queen. The Junker Queen ruled with no challenge, and Junkertown saw a decade of prosperity. At one point during her reign, an erratic Junker by the name of Junkrat came to the Queen to tell her of a treasure he'd found in the ruins of the destroyed Omnium.

Believing his story but not trusting him, the Junker Queen tasked her bodyguards with interrogating Junkrat for more information. Before they could do so, Junkrat's partner Roadhog rescued him from captivity. The two became fugitives, and the Junker Queen's public enemies. While avoiding her enforcers, Junkrat and Roadhog stole most of the Junker Queen's gold treasury, and used explosives to destroy some of her newly constructed buildings.

Following their streak of destruction and theft, the Junker Queen issued an official exile on both Roadhog and Junkrat, forcing the entire town to turn the duo away. After fleeing Junkertown, Junkrat and Roadhog took their criminal tendencies around the world, committing a plethora of robberies in just about every continent. After their spree had ended, the two wanted to return home, and plotted an assassination attempt on the Junker Queen, using some of Junkrat's trademark explosives. However, Junkrat and Roadhog were stopped at the gates of Junkertown, with their payload not even making it through the door.

Overwatch 2 launches on October 4 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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