Through an article posted on the Overwatch blog on behalf of Atlas News, the Overwatch universe revealed Efi Oladele, a new character hailing from Numbani.
According to the blog post, Efi has “built a resume of impressive achievements in robotics and artificial intelligence,” while also becoming the recipient of the Adawe Foundation’s “genius grant.”
An 11-year-old robotic genius’ role in Overwatch
There is no confirmation on whether Efi will be a new playable heroine, but she does mention robots that are supposed to keep people safe in the Overwatch universe, known as OR15s.
“I want to create things that make our lives better. And someday, my dream is to build something that can keep us safe, like the new OR15s! I think that would be great,” she stated when asked how did she get into robots and artificial intelligence.
The post does not show any in-game image of Efi or an OR15, although the interview does showcase a concept art of the 11-year-old inventor. When asked about the “genius grant,” Efi responded to “have an idea,” perhaps hinting at a new game mode where her robots will play a role in how the match develops.
When pressured to give out a hint on what she plans to do with her grant, Efi replied: “It’s a secret for now… but my parents are taking me on a trip to celebrate! It’ll be my first time flying, so I can’t wait.”
Fans ought to look closely at the interview to find clues about what Efi will accomplish in future Overwatch patches. In the article, she claims to have built robots to help her do her chores, which her parents considered cheating.
Although the most obvious addition to the game would be a new playable character, Team Fortress 2, a game that’s similar to Overwatch, eventually added a game mode where the whole enemy team would be comprised of robots, called Mann vs. Machine. Perhaps Efi will build robots to assist players or to have them accomplish certain missions, all to create a brand new game mode rather than just another hero to shoot with.
https://twitter.com/playoverwatch/status/834115546090123264
Comments below the article suggest that “there’s no way a character this young would be in the game,” which hints at the possibility of Efi employing robots to assist herself or others to take down the other team.
What’s clear is that Efi will not be fighting directly, seeing that she still has to deal with her protective parents, who are sure to keep her out of harm, even more so after earning that “genius grant.”
Players are commenting that, instead of Efi joining the fight, she could “BUILD the new hero,” or perhaps act like a “hero that doesn’t directly go to the battlefield.”
When thinking about robots and shooter games, turrets come to mind, but all that’s left is to wait and see how Efi Oladele will fit in Blizzard’s Overwatch universe.
Source: Overwatch