Keen-eyed fans were quick to catch on after Blizzard’s cinematic introduction to Ashe, that the trailer contained more than first met the eye. Admittedly she’s a little hard to miss, but fans weren’t sure of the significance of one character found in the footage Echo. Since then there has been a lot of speculation over her importance and what role she might play going forward.
Blizzard has been fairly tight-lipped over the whole thing, so far they’ve only confirmed that she isn’t scheduled to be the next hero release. They have however hinted at something, more. Lead designer Jeff Kaplan has spoken briefly about Echo, stating that she is an extremely important character and that the team have big, big plans for her.
Until they are ready to confirm anything, we’re left to guess exactly what her involvement in the Overwatch universe is going to be. Thankfully, the trusty fans of the franchise have been on the case and there are already a couple of pretty good theories running, based on some keen observation, about where she might have originally come from.
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While some think there may be a connection to Vishkar Corporation, based on the logo seen on her forehead, others think she might have come from somewhere a lot more…sandy. Players on the Temple of Anubis map have spotted Omnics, half-built scattered about the bazaar. Some carry cautionary warnings but what fans really want to know is, is Echo an Omnic and if so, how did she end up way out West?
Of course, it’s entirely possible that the two theories are interlinked. For all we know, Vishkar Corporation could have had a hand in behind the scenes at Omnica Corporation, where the Omniums themselves were first developed. It could pose for some interesting plot development that’s for certain.
Whatever the origins though, the main question is what will happen next? It would be great to have Echo as the next hero, but as Blizzard has already confirmed this will not be the case it will be interesting to see how she is woven into the game’s overarching storyline. McCree certainly knows her, but it likely won’t be as straightforward as reuniting and as he puts it, getting the band back together.
We’ll have to wait for anything more concrete, but if you’ve not checked out the short film yet you really should. It definitely paves the way for some interesting plot and character developments. We don’t know why McCree has the chip that wakes Echo up, or how she’s linked to the rest of the Overwatch universe yet, though it is apparent at least Winston knows her as well.
Blizzard is keeping fans on the edge of their seats, but hopefully, we won’t have to wait too much longer. The 2019 season of tournaments is coming up fast, and we highly doubt Blizzard will go too far into it before revealing just what in the heck is going on with Echo.
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