With Overwatch 2 having a full-on PvE story mode, there has never been a better time for Blizzard to address some of the Overwatch story’s lingering questions. While the hero shooter’s lore is wildly expansive and constantly being built upon through hero additions, it has led to many story threads being teased but left fully unexplored. As such, players have been waiting since 2016 to learn what the next move of the Overwatch character Hanzo will be following the discovery that his brother Genji is alive.
While Blizzard often moves on from characters after they are introduced so that new heroes can be explored properly, Overwatch 2 gives the studio a unique opportunity. Not only can Blizzard continue to add new characters to the game’s varied roster within the sequel, but it can also provide a continuation of Overwatch’s biggest plot threads via the new story mode. While intentional mysteries like Junkrat’s treasure will surely remain hidden, there are plenty of other chapters that can be closed in Overwatch 2.
When the Overwatch hero Sombra was revealed after a lengthy ARG, players were thrilled to get their hands on the hacker due to her unique kit. Sombra was also propelled by an interesting story, as it quickly became clear in her animated short that she was using Talon to achieve her own goals. Only working with the Doomfist-led terorrist group to further her own agenda, Sombra has manipulated Katya Volskaya and many others in attempt to gather knowledge on a secretive group called The Conspiracy.
Multiple times throughout her dialogue and out-of-game appearances, Sombra implies to have made a major discovery regarding the Illuminati-like group. With connections to both the heroes of Overwatch and high-profile members of Talon, The Conspiracy seems like the next big threat to the Overwatch universe — and is long overdue some proper exploration. Players love Sombra not just for her hilarious “booping” and engaging playstyle, but also due to the potential storyline that she has already set up. With The Conspiracy involving a majority of the Overwatch universe, the group could become a great antagonist after the Null Sector story arc is concluded.
Zenyatta is both a challenging hero to play and a tough character to get a read on. With so little lore existing for the Shambali monk, all players officially know about the religious Omnic is that he helped Genji become a force for good. Pulling the cyborg ninja away from the dark path he went down following Hanzo’s attempted murder, Genji is heavily impacted by Zenyatta’s teachings. While Zenyatta may have molded Genji into a wise, kind figure as opposed to a Blackwatch assassin, little is known about the Omnic himself. With players knowing so little about Zenyatta, Overwatch 2 gives Blizzard the chance to finally provide some answers on the mysterious orb-wielder.
For starters, a leaked Overwatch skin challenge from last year would have seen players striving to unlock a “human” skin for Zenyatta, implying that the character underwent some kind of transformation into an Omnic. With the event and special Zenyatta skin never coming, however, Blizzard may have scrapped this backstory option—or it could be saving the reveal for Overwatch 2. Beyond this, answers can finally be given as to what exactly The Iris is. Appearing in Zenyatta’s Transcendence ultimate and only being described officially as the symbol of Shambali faith, the appearance of the Iris at the center of Sombra’s Conspiracy board is intriguing. With the involvement suggesting the possibility of a sinister role for Zenyatta and the Shambali, a reveal of The Iris’ true nature could be interesting to see in the upcoming game.
While Zenyatta is undoubtedly the Overwatch character most in-need of some story attention, Reaper is not far behind. While players know a fair bit about Reaper and his former identity as Gabriel Reyes, plenty big questions remain unanswered. The exact process behind Reaper’s transformation is unclear, with players only knowing that Moira conducted experiments on Reyes prior to his transformation. Further, Reaper’s cameo in the Reflections comic shows him stalking an unknown family around Christmas, implying a more tragic side to Reaper’s new obsession. However, the biggest question tied to Reaper is the fall of Overwatch.
While the original shutdown of the organization is partially explained due to details of illegal Blackwatch activities going public, the biggest factor was the explosion of Overwatch’s Swiss HQ. Supposedly caused in a fight between Soldier 76 (formerly Jack Morrison) and the pre-Reaper Reyes, seeing what exactly went down in the fight would make for an excellent animated short — or even better, an Overwatch 2 mission that works as a flashback. Considering that Blizzard may have planned to tell this story in the canceled graphic novel First Strike, it would be great to see answers finally come in the sequel. Adding some extra intensity by making the battle playable, the original fight can be paired with a modern-day clash, with the result of the latter potentially leading to one of the two Overwatch characters dying.
While providing closure for Reaper would be great to see in the sequel, the most likely plot thread to be expanded upon in Overwatch 2 is the end cutscene of the Storm Rising mission. The 2019 co-op level revealed Doomfist’s meeting with a shadowy Omnic figure, with the Omnic being theorized by many to be the leader of Null Sector. With Null Sector returning in Overwatch’s sequel and serving as the main antagonists of the game’s PvE mode, this theory seems likely. As such, players can expect legitimate answers as to who the character is and what the Doomfist meeting was about in Overwatch 2.
While the Null Sector leader may be the final boss of the game’s story, it would be interesting to see the villain become a playable Overwatch hero as well. With several Overwatch characters rumored to be joining the roster in the sequel, surprising fans with a hero addition that was right under their noses could be a great move by Blizzard. Regardless of whether this Omnic antagonist becomes playable, though, Overwatch 2 needs to focus heavily on this loose plot thread. Tying directly to the main foes of the PvE mode, it seems impossible to pass up on the Storm Rising connection.
While players likely would have already had some answers regarding the Null Sector leader had COVID-19 not delayed Overwatch 2’s development and release, they may not be waiting much longer. With the game set to be shown off at BlizzConline, fans could finally be seeing answers to some of their biggest story questions soon.
Overwatch 2 is in development for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
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