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Getting limited-time trial this weekend.
BlizzCon is back – as an in-person event for the first time in four years – and Blizzard kicked off its opening ceremony with a bit of an Overwatch 2 blowout, including a reveal for the series’ 39th hero, chaingun-wielding tank Mauga.
Mauga’s announcement wasn’t, admittedly, much of a surprise, giving he inadvertently got a pre-show unveiling on Switch’s eShop news channel, but he’s now been made official thanks to BlizzCon. And, as seen in his reveal trailer, Mauga – which means “mountain” in Samoan – is armed with two chainguns: affectionately known as Gunny and Cha-Cha.
Gunny is an incendiary chaingun, whose bullets will burn enemies that receive sufficient damage; Cha-Cha, meanwhile, is a a “volatile” chaingun that deals critical burn damage. Blizzard notes they can either be fired individually or in unison.
As for Mauga’s moveset, he can deploy Overrun, a charging ability that can’t be stopped by any crowd control abilities, and that’ll deal a powerful knock-back when it connects with enemies. Then there’s Cardiac Overdrive, which conjures an aura around Magua reducing incoming damage so allies can heal while continuing to attack.
And finally, there’s Mauga’s ultimate ability, Cage Fight, which creates a cylindrical barrier that traps enemies inside. It also blocks incoming enemy fire and prevents healing from the outside, meaning those stuck within are forced to deal with Mauga and a barrage of infinite ammo while the ultimate lasts.
Mauga will be available in Overwatch 2’s live game this weekend for all players as part of a limited-time trial and returns permanently in Season 8 from 5th December. He’ll be unlocked instantly with Season 8’s Premium Battle Pass and at Tier 45 in the standard Battle Pass.
Elsewhere in the Overwatch 2 portion of BlizzCon’s Opening Ceremony presentation, Blizzard teased an upcoming new PvP game mode called Clash that’ll see teams attempting to secure five capture points. This will come with a new Clash map known as Hanaoka, drawing heavy inspiration From Overwatch’s classic Hanamora map.
There was also talk of an overhaul for Overwatch 2’s competitive systems, bringing “all-new competitive rewards” in early 2024, as well as teases for upcoming seasons, including ones themed around eldritch horror, Egyptian mythology, witches, and a mirror universe where heroes become villains and vice versa. And finally, 2024 will also bring three more heroes, two of which Blizzard teased today: one is a new damage hero, Venture, coming in Season 10, and a new support hero, currently codenamed Space Ranger, arrives in Season 12.
