Last weekend, Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan confirmed the addition of new heroes in their expansion, Overwatch 2. Of these heroes is the long awaited Sojourn. Fans of the game will remember Sojourn from the beginning. She’s seen on Winston’s screen during the first cinematic, and was one of the few called back during the recall. Additionally, she appeared in this past year’s Archives event. She leads the mission set on Maximilian, where the team attempts to capture him and convict him of his crimes.
Sojourn’s addition to the game is long overdue. She’s been in conception since 2015. Along with being the first playable black female character of the game, Jeff also confirmed that she’s the first Canadian hero from the game. The new map, Toronto, is set in her home, and a maple leaf can be seen on her uniform. Beyond lore, however, not much is known about Sojourn, and what kind of hero she’ll turn out to be.
From the images seen throughout the Overwatch 2 trailer and gameplay teaser, Sojourn has many cybernetic enhancements. Much like Lucio’s legs, Sojourn’s arms are both equipped with guns at the end. One resembles a rifle, while the other appears to be a giant cannon blaster. These additions, however, are new. Old photos of Sojourn, both from the recent cinematic and Ana’s letter to Pharah, show her looking much more human. Perhaps the omnic crisis encouraged her to upgrade herself for war. Or, maybe Sojourn suffered a fate similar to Genji that left her in need of repairs.
Either way, Jeff himself confirmed that they wouldn’t reveal much of anything else. This means fans should keep their eyes on Overwatch 2 development for more information.
Image courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment.
Based on what they’ve presented, however, it’s fair to assume that Sojourn will be a damage dealing hero. With two massive weapons on either arm, she’ll most likely have the same effect that Baptiste does. Two different barrels of ammunition that deal damage on a varying degree. The blaster cannon will probably deal more damage, while the rifle could be used for long distance shooting.
The rifle resembles Soldier: 76’s main weapon. However, upon further inspection, fans will notice that her ammunition is blue. It looks something like Zarya’s beam, or Symmetra’s light energy. How this affects enemies is unknown, but the rapid fire of the bullets means she’ll be on the front lines with ease. The cannon, when exposed, narrows into a thin barrel. This could mean one of two things. She could, like Ashe, have a gun that allows her to scope. Giving her a secondary fire with a more precise shot makes her a double threat. Or, on the other hand, it could be something like a large blast of damage, similar to Zarya’s alternate fire.
In the brief time we see her on screen during the gameplay trailer, Sojourn is also seen sliding and jumping. The slide could be something unique to her character, much like Hanzo’s extra jump when wall riding. Allowing some mobility while playing a damage hero rewards risky plays. The jump could function like Baptiste’s, in which a charged crouch launches her into the air for precise shots.
Together, her two guns could combine for a deadly Ultimate. By using both at once, Sojourn could have a concentrated beam of damage. It could resemble something like Coalescence, in the way it looks and acts. Or, perhaps these two guns could combine damage in a small radius, allowing her to influence an area of effect that combines well with other damage ultimates.
It’s been confirmed that both Echo and Sojourn will be coming to Overwatch 2, but there’s no confirmed date yet on when they’ll be included. There also hasn’t been any solid information on when they’ll be added to the current game as well. Since Jeff explained that things will be carried over, and Overwatch will update to Overwatch 2, it’s safe to assume that all new heroes are for both games.
Featured Image Courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment.
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