Overwatch 2’s Next Hero Is Mauga, the Game’s First Samoan Hero – BlizzCon 2023

After the announcement leaked earlier this morning on the Nintendo Switch eShop news channel, Blizzard has confirmed that Overwatch 2’s next hero is Mauga.

Revealed during BlizzCon 2023, Blizzard shared an overview trailer of the character, showing off Mauga’s weapons and abilities. As a heavy assault character, Mauga wields a number of heavy artillery weapons like the incendiary chaingun and the volatile chaingun (which he has lovingly nicknamed Gunny and Cha Cha).

Mauga also has an unstoppable charge move called Overrun, which seems him rushing through the battlefield. Blizzard also shared that Mauga is Overwatch’s first Samoan hero.

Several more heroes are coming to Overwatch 2 next year, and Blizzard shared some teases of what fans can expect. A new damage hero named Venture will join Overwatch 2 in Season 10, and a new support hero currently codenamed Space Ranger is coming in Season 12.

Beyond new characters, Blizzard detailed a new core PvP game mode called Clash, revealed that the Hanamura map from the original Overwatch is coming back as Hanaoka in 2024, and that early 2024 will see a reworked version of the competitive system with new competitive rewards.

Polygon and redditors reported the eShop spilled the beans on Mauga, Overwatch 2’s next tank hero, who joins the roster of playable characters alongside Season 8 on December 5 following a sneak peek trial this weekend.

For more on everything to come out of BlizzCon 2023, check out IGN’s guide on how to watch BlizzCon 2023.

Overwatch 2 has proven to be a controversial release for Blizzard. It was the worst user-reviewed game ever on Steam (it’s now the second-worst), with fans complaining about a number of issues, including Blizzard’s decision to replace the premium Overwatch with the free-to-play Overwatch 2, the controversial decision to cancel Overwatch 2’s long-awaited PvE Hero mode, and aggressive monetisation. During a recent financial call, publisher Activision Blizzard admitted Overwatch 2 engagement and player investment was declining.

The pressure is now on Blizzard to convince Overwatch 2 players the game is set for bigger and better things.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].