Overwatch’s latest hero is a hamster in a Wrecking Ball

Blizzard’s latest Overwatch hero is perhaps the most intelligently designed yet, as Hammond the hyper-intelligent hamster pilots a giant gun-toting mech suit known as the Wrecking Ball. Endowed with the ability to roll around the map at high speeds, paired with a versatile grappling hook, Wrecking Ball is perhaps the most mobile tank in the game.

Tank class heroes are not often seen as having fast mobility, making Wrecking Ball an incredibly unique combination. He utilises his “devastating” quad cannons while in quadruped tank mode, however at the click of a button can roll up into ball mode, which Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan also describes as “devastating” in its impact.

This doesn’t come at the expense of his beefy durability, which is thanks to his Adaptive Shield ability, generating extra temporary shielding when enemies are nearby. His Piledriver attack is a ground pound that launches enemies into the air while dealing damage. His ultimate ability is called Minefield, which deploys a plethora of explosives that detonate when enemies are within proximity.

Wrecking Ball’s Grappling Claw ability is what truly diversifies him from the crowd. Its offensive capability comes from the collision of Wrecking Ball whenever he collides with an enemy, causing a knockback effect, however the true versatility comes from how it enhances the way the player moves around the map. The Grappling Claw rewards players with the most inventive spots to swing from, with Redditors already finding ways to sneakily traverse maps like King’s Row and Einchenwalde.

Hammond’s backstory coincides with Winston’s, with the hamster exposed to the same experiment as the hyper-intelligent gorilla on the Horizon Lunar Colony. Of course, Hammond doesn’t speak any human languages, but a minor AI in how Wrecking Ball helps him communicate in a “fittingly menacing tone.”

Wrecking Ball is live on the test servers now, with a full release expected in the coming weeks.

KitGuru Says: I can imagine that once these unique spots have been figured out for Wrecking Ball’s Grappling Claw, competitive play is going to be all the more interesting to watch as a result. What do you think of Hammond and Wrecking Ball?

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