Overwatch fans are currently in the midst of Cassidy’s New Blood challenge. In this event, they can unlock a handful of cosmetics for the hero, including an outfit called Sandstorm. While this initially looks like a reskin of some other Cassidy cosmetics, it is actually a bit more than that, as it appears in the latest comic. Sharing the name New Blood, the first issue lays the groundwork for some interesting things.
As is the case with other Overwatch comics, players can access the new story for free from the main menu. It can also be read on the game’s official website, letting all players who are interested keep up to date on the game’s lore. While the comic is centered around Cassidy, Ana also plays a major role - and two other heroes are teased to appear in future issues.
Cassidy’s Transition Into An Overwatch Leader
As many will have seen in the Overwatch 2 animated short Zero Hour, the titular group has reformed in order to fight off some new Omnic attacks. While Cassidy was not present amongst the new iteration of the group in that cinematic, he has been considering a return - and a meeting with Ana Amari helps to convince him that joining back up is the right idea.
In the new Overwatch comic, Cassidy is given some coordinates by Ana. He then meets her in Cairo, Egypt, wearing the Sandstorm skin players can unlock by playing 27 matches in the hero challenge. The two then share a drink and have a lengthy conversation, with Cassidy opening up about his time as a mercenary. He quickly finds himself thinking about old times, remembering that Ana is family and realizing that he misses Overwatch.
The two then talk about whether they will rejoin the group, with Ana not wanting to out of fear that the past will be repeated if she comes back. Before the conversation continues, the two are ambushed by soldiers from Talon, with the terrorists causing a gunfight in the middle of Cairo. This leads to a fun shootout where Cassidy and Ana fight back-to-back, and the pair eventually escape. They then find themselves at one of Ana’s hideouts to continue their discussion.
Here, Ana doubles down and fully motivates Cassidy to go back to Overwatch. She clearly wants him to take a high-level position, too, recruiting new heroes for the cause. In particular, she shows him D.Va in her mech and her daughter Pharah flying in the sky, confirming that both could end up joining Overwatch if the right person shows them how to save the world. Cassidy gets a brief motivational speech about why it is important for him to move on from his past and be better than he was in Blackwatch and the Deadlock Gang. Cassidy clearly takes her up on this offer, as the comic ends with him meeting a shocked Pharah a few days later.
The description of the next issue confirms that Cassidy is indeed offering Pharah a chance to join Overwatch, though she will supposedly be hesitant due to her troubled history with Ana. As such, Cassidy is going to set up a meeting between the two heroes, and it will be intriguing to see if the mother and daughter can reconcile after so many years apart. With four issues left to go, New Blood will certainly be worth keeping an eye on for those with an interest in Overwatch’s lore.
Overwatch is available now on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.