Even before their introduction in the McCree short film, Echo has been hyped as an upcoming Overwatch hero by the community at large. Initially thought to be Winston’s Athena personified, Echo’s appearances have recently ramped up since the reveal of Overwatch 2. These numerous new appearances have given the Overwatch community a more detailed taste at what we can expect for Echo and their abilities.

The attempted theft of Echo by the Deadlock Gang suggests that they are valuable and dangerous. Will Echo’s kit prove this to be true?

Echo’s Role

Many have assumed Echo will sit within the Support class. However, with two appearance now there is very little to suggest this. Echo’s abilities on the battlefield seem geared more towards the Offense class, with significant damage output and high maneuverability.

Yet, Support is still the most likely place for them. Sojourn, a hero that is unquestionably Offense, is either intended to directly or closely follow Echo’s release. Echo as Support feels more likely considering this. Their seemingly support-related role within the game lore itself also lends credence.

What Is Known About Echo

There have been two solid looks at Echo’s potential kit. It’s unquestionable that either their main attack or one of their main abilities will be a rapid-fire plasma-based blast emerging from their hands. This Iron Man-esque ability is featured in the Zero Hour cinematic as well as the official centerpiece art for Overwatch 2.

In the cinematic, Echo’s plasma blasts are seen sticking to Null Sector troop’s weapons and bodies before bursting into a fiery explosion. Could this attack have a secondary trigger that causes an explosion, similar to Junkrat’s landmine?

Beyond the plasma attack, little is known. Unlike Sojourn, Echo’s base design doesn’t give away any of their abilities beyond flight.

Similarly to Sigma, Echo hovers just slightly above the ground during casual movement. Echo’s featured high-flying abilities will undoubtedly be a part of their kit, whether that be as a passive ability such as Mercy’s hover or an active secondary ability like Pharah’s Jump Jet.

The Overwatch team has seemingly enjoyed working within the vertical space for several new heroes (Wrecking Ball, Sigma), and Echo is likely continuing the trend. Their rapid movement in the cinematic implies that they will have a great deal of maneuverability, potentially giving players the ability to swerve, dive, and dodge in the air.

Iris, Theories and Overwatch 2

In the early prototype stages of Overwatch, Echo made an appearance as “Iris”. Here, their listed abilities were Particle Beam, Speed Boost, and Shield. It’s clear that the Particle Beam ability has made it into the final hero in some fashion. Additionally, a Speed Boost ability points towards Echo indeed being a highly-maneuverable flyer.

A personal shield would also make sense as a utility ability. Over-reliance on deployable shields for the abilities of newer heroes has been a regular community complaint; it’s doubtful Blizzard is looking to compound the issue by giving Echo anything outside of a personal shield for themselves similar to Wrecking Ball and Zarya.

Echo’s pod from the Reunion short film may point towards another of their abilities, though this is much more theoretical. A potential “recharge” or recovery ability of some sort tied to Echo’s pod would give them a great deal of survivability.

As a pseudo-extension of Athena and a guide to our heroes in the first Overwatch 2 mission, it’s also highly theorized that Echo may have information-related abilities. This could give Echo a different play-style that rests comfortably, but uniquely, in the Support role.

For now, it’s all guesswork. But tomorrow TimtheTatman will reveal what we have been waiting for.

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Featured Image Courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment

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