We may all be waiting for Overwatch's sequel to finally release (or actually get an official release date), but this hasn't stopped Activision Blizzard from continuing to update the original game with new content and the like. And before a number of players jump ship to the sequel, one last hero has been added in the form of the long-since teased Echo.
Echo was only officially announced last month, complete with an origin story trailer to explain her role within Overwatch's lore, and Blizzard have confirmed that she's now available for all players to try out in all versions of the game.
This confirmation announcement also serves to explain/remind us of Echo's abilities, so players already have an understanding of how to play as her and what role she will serve.
Her main weapon, the Tri-Shot, fires three blasts at once in a triangular pattern, and she also comes with Sticky Bombs that detonate after a short delay. She can fly freely through the air and glide while falling, making her extremely mobile.
Echo's Focusing Beam deals more damage to opponents that already have less than half their health and, most exciting of all, her Ultimate Ability, Duplicate, allows her to take on the appearance of any of the opposing team members and use their abilities. Don't be surprised to see Echo plaguing online matches for the next few weeks.
Anyone who finds themselves particularly loving Echo may be interested to know that Blizzard have had her around for a while, and even initially planned to include her in a now-canceled MMO.
Aside from that, Blizzard have launched a new Competitive mode alongside Echo called Competitive Open Queue. It can be found in the Arcade and will be running for the next four weeks. It follows the same rules as standard Competitive Play, including hero pools and the one hero limit, but there are no role restrictions or role queues, so if everybody involved wants to play as a Tank, they can do so.
These inclusions may manage to bring back players that dropped Overwatch for its newest rival, Valorant. Although it's still in beta, Valorant has quickly gained popularity, with it boasting certain technical improvements that make it seem more viable for professional players.
Overwatch is available now for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, and Xbox One.