Overwatch

Overwatch Introduces New Ways to Group Up and Fight for the Future on Xbox One

Exciting updates are coming to the world of Overwatch, giving players new ways to jump into the epic team-based shooter. This month the thirty-first hero, Sigma, joins the lineup and a new Role Queue system goes in to effect, evolving the way players group up to claim victory.

Introducing Sigma, a volatile tank with the power to control gravity

What happens when a brilliant astrophysicist gains the power to control gravity in an orbital experiment gone wrong? You get Overwatch’s thirty-first hero, Sigma. Dr. Siebren de Kuiper’s life changed forever after he attempted to harness the power of gravity, ultimately turning himself into a puppet that is manipulated by the international crime organization, Talon. Outside of his troubling back story, Sigma’s in-game abilities make him a force to be reckoned with. Propelling floating barriers and launching gravitic charges are just some of the way he helps push his team to victory.

Overwatch

When bringing a new hero to life, the Overwatch development team carefully crafts everything from the origin story to gameplay. The process is iterative and often the first concept is not what makes it into the game. The development team is always working on multiple Overwatch heroes at once, adapting concepts as gameplay and lore needs arise. Originally, the thirty-first hero was intended to be Mauga—Baptiste’s Talon buddy introduced in the short story, “What You Left Behind.” The pivot to Sigma occurred when the team evaluated the need for a barrier tank and Mauga’s character didn’t quite fit the mold.

Harnessing the immense power of gravity, Sigma will come crashing to the battlefield on August 13.

Role Queue lets players choose their role and group up to bring their team to victory

The matchmaking and queuing systems are getting an update with the latest feature addition, Role Queue. This new system is designed to help ensure Overwatch matches continue to be fair and fun well into the future, while creating an environment that promotes teamwork.

Overwatch

Competitive and Quick Play players will have the ability to choose which role they want to play—tank, support, or damage—before a match even begins. The system will then match two tanks, two support, and two damage heroes to create a team, and upon entering a match, players will select heroes within their chosen roles. At the end of a match, players will return to the main menu and select their role before queuing for the next game. Ultimately, Role Queue is designed to help take the edge off this process, which will lead to matches that feel fairer and more fun, where players are in roles that they want to be in.

You’re encouraged to jump in to the beta season of competitive Role Queue and let us know what you think! The beta season will run from August 13 to September 1, so you can test the system while still earning competitive points.

Overwatch is available now for Xbox One on the Microsoft Store. Click here for purchase details.