(Photo : Blizzard / Screenshot taken from official website)
A new hero for Overwatch 2 was just revealed and it is a tank hero known as Hazard who looks menacing and is available in a special limited-time weekend trial.
The game's latest roster addition comes with a brand-new set of abilities that could shake up the meta significantly. Lead gameplay designer Alec Dawson talked a little bit about Hazard and what makes the new hero unique and how he was designed.
Overwatch 2's New Hero
It was revealed that Hazard has a lot of options to deal damage to enemy heroes and traverse the map in general. The latter is thanks to the tank hero's surprising mobility options that are not usually seen in other comparable characters.
Dawson said that Hazard's design was all about balancing strong attacks with similarly powerful defensive options. He added that the team's goal with the new hero was to tie Hazard's offense and defense together.
This means that a lot of his abilities are very versatile and his playstyle revolves around going in and out of fights constantly, according to Dexerto.
Hazard's primary fire is known as Bonespur and is a close-to-midrange shotgun that fires a set of spikes that deal decent damage. The hero can reload his weapon and deal more damage while also protecting himself with his Spike Guard ability.
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Dawson explained that Hazard's Spike Guard ability makes him vulnerable to various abilities such as Anti-Nade. This means that Ana can be a good counter if the new tank hero is not leaping in and out of fights efficiently.
The next ability that was detailed for Hazard is Violent Leap, which is where the hero lunges forward by roughly 10 meters. You can press the ability button a second time and you will slash at an enemy and knock them backward, Forbes said.
Hazard's New Set of Abilities
The new hero's passive ability Vault allows Hazard to clamber up short walls as well as mantle onto ledges. This one pairs nicely with his other ability, Jagged Wall. The latter creates a spiked wall similar to Mei's Ice Wall. The good news is that it can also be positioned horizontally.
Hazard's ultimate ability is known as Downpour and has the hero rain down a shower of spikes from the skies. These will damage and immobilize enemy heroes which will leave them vulnerable to you and your teammates.
Dawson argued that the new hero's arsenal allows him to be all over the map if Violent Leap and Vault are used properly. He added that positioning is key to playing Hazard as he has good mobility options with a low cooldown, according to Polygon.
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