Although Overwatch Game Director Jeff Kaplan confirmed earlier this week that Blizzard will not be unveiling a new map at this year’s BlizzCon, the latest PTR build of the game seems to contain some hints that there might be a new hero on the way. Blizzard Watch reports that in addition to implementing changes to Mercy, Reaper, Roadhog, and Symmetra (which Kaplan also mentioned in the recent developer update video), the latest PTR patch has changed the payload on Route 66, which now appears to have been broken open and its contents removed.
As Blizzard Watch notes, “the last time we had a payload change we got two new heroes. The Numbani payload that housed the Doomfist gauntlet was shattered and it wasn’t long until we heard about Orisa and then Doomfist himself.” So if previous experience is anything to go by, Overwatch’s big BlizzCon reveal seems likely to be a new hero who’s somehow related to the payload’s former contents, whatever they may have been.
The latest PTR patch also brought a change to the Blizzard World map, which now features a tribute to Blizzard co-founder and former President Mike Morhaime, who recently handed the reins over to Executive Producer J. Allen Brack. The tribute consists of a potrait of Morhaime surrounded by a timeline of Blizzard’s releases as well as plaques bearing “Blizzard’s core philosophies that he no doubt helped create.” It’s a fitting tribute for someone who helped to shape the company that has become such a giant in today’s gaming industry.
