The next Overwatch hero is… Sombra!

After months of speculation and rumors, including dedicated Overwatch fans trying to crack ridiculously complicated hidden codes all across the internet, Sombra has been revealed as the newest character to join the roster of the popular multiplayer shooter.

First, let’s start with her origin story…

A hacker from Mexico, Sombra is a notorious hacker uses information to manipulate those in power.

“Long before she took up the alias ‘Sombra’, she was among the thousands of children who were left orphaned in the aftermath of the Omnic Crisis. With much of her country’s infrastructure destroyed, she survived by utilizing her natural gifts with hacking and computers. Following her many conquests, she was supremely confident in her skills, but she was caught unprepared when she stumbled into the web of a global conspiracy – one that had also noticed her.”

“With her security irreparably compromised,she was forced to delete all traces of her identity and went into hiding.  She later reemerged as Sombra, upgraded and determined to find out the truth behind the conspiracy she had uncovered..

Next, her abilities! Which is going to be the important part for most players…

Featured are a range of abilities that could drastically impact the way matches will play out.  Playing an Offense role, she mixes stealth with cheeky tactics to frustrate foes and take advantage of them when they’re not paying attention. Not only does she have a short-term cloak that can deceive her foes, she also has the ability to hack enemies, which prevents them from using their abilities. She can even hack Torbjorn’s turrets and even hack first aid kids so that the opposing team can’t pick them up, which could prove incredibly handy.

She can also set up a beacon that she can teleport to, which is going to prove to be a handy escape tactic when in danger. Her Ultimate could be a real game-changer; called EMP, it explodes in a wide radius, hacking all enemies caught in the blast and destroys enemy barriers & shields. Ever been in a match where you just couldn’t capture a point because of all the turrets and shields in the way? Imagine Sombra using her Themoptic Camo, sneaking in and then using her EMP. Talk about a difference maker!

Not only was the character revealed officially along with her abilities and origin story, but another fantastic animated short has been released alongside the announcement! It shows Sombra using her intelligence and hacking skills to really take control. It also includes Reaper, Widowmaker and another familiar face, hinting at perhaps which animated short could be coming next. Check it out below:

No official date for her arrival yet, but it won’t be far off, with her being available in the Public Test Realm next week. For more information on Sombra and Overwatch, check out the official site or even give our review a read!