Overwatch 2's newest hero has roots in one of the best PvE missions I played 7 years ago

Overwatch 2 hero 45 La Lupa — (Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)

Overwatch 2 has finally confirmed who Hero 45 is going to be, and the statue in Stadium's Colosseo map was right: the next hero will be a female gladiator called Vendetta who goes by the name of La Lupa, The Wolf.

Revealed in the Vendetta hero trailer, La Lupa shows off a couple of cool tricks that'll likely be part of her kit. While fighting a huge omnic in the Colosseo in front of a rowdy crowd, La Lupa uses her giant sword to take it down. She has a spin attack that launches an energy projectile, pierces its husk with a charged-up sword, and performs what looks like an ultimate as she cuts the omnic in half with a huge energy slash. But most of her attacks are melee, meaning this'll likely be her primary attack.

La Lupa | Vendetta Hero Trailer | Overwatch 2 - YouTube

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Vendetta is unfortunately a DPS hero, which is great for DPS players who want another melee hero to master, but I'm still convinced that she should've been a Tank . Heroes like Junker Queen and Doomfist have already proved that tanks don't necessarily need to be huge or have shields, as long as they can make and hold space, and it seems like La Lupa would be able to do this.

But the most interesting aspect of this hero was her brief flashback midway through the reveal trailer. Reflecting on all that her deceased father taught her, she ends with how it's important not to underestimate an opponent, as we see her dad, Antonio, fall out of a window, after being shot in the head.

Blackwatch heroes — (Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)

This isn't just a tragic backstory wedged in to add some weight to the new hero, but a callback to one of my favourite PvE missions from seven years ago. Way back when in 2018 (I can't believe this is seven years ago now), Overwatch launched the second Overwatch Archives event, Overwatch Retribution, which saw Genji, Moira, Cassidy, and Reaper fight through omnic grunts to find a gangster—Antonio.

After a short exchange, Reaper ends up killing Antonio, much to the dismay of Cassidy, and then the team has to fight their way back out. This was notable as one of the nails in the coffin for Blackwatch and its members. We didn't have much story development for this thread until now.

The fact that Vendetta is the daughter of Antonio may mean this Blackwatch thread is opened back up, and may provide a good angle to dive deeper into Reaper's final days in the Overwatch team.

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Elie is a news writer with an unhealthy love of horror games—even though their greatest fear is being chased. When they're not screaming or hiding, there's a good chance you'll find them testing their metal in metroidvanias or just admiring their Pokemon TCG collection. Elie has previously worked at TechRadar Gaming as a staff writer and studied at JOMEC in International Journalism and Documentaries – spending their free time filming short docs about Smash Bros. or any indie game that crossed their path.

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