She’s finally here. After what feels like eons of waiting, wondering and datamining, Sombra is officially playable in Overwatch on all platforms.
While the augmented-reality game (ARG) surrounding her didn’t quite finish with the flourish many fans were hoping for, her reveal was nonetheless well-received, and her playability as a character is quickly garnering some interesting reactions.
But Sombra didn’t stroll into Overwatch alone; she brought a new map, Ecopoint: Antartica, with her. But the biggest feature coming with the 1.5/2.0 update (PC/console) for the game is the introduction of the “Arcade” mode.
Arcade mode is the next evolution of the rotating “Brawl” playlist that used to be featured prominently in the Overwatch play menu. Brawls are still around; they just now exist as their own curated playlist within “Arcade” mode, and it includes a rotation of every “Brawl,” regardless of the week.
Arcade mode also features a “No Limit 6v6” mode, which is where those players who form teams entirely of one character can find solace now that “Quick Play” is limited to one type of hero per team.
“Mystery Heroes” returns, adding some nice variety by forcing each player into a new character upon death.
But the crown jewels of the Arcade are the most revolutionary match types: “3v3 Elimination” and “1v1 Duels.” Both modes take place on the new Ecopoint map and offer a much tighter, more competitive style of play than the traditional matches.
“Arcade” mode also offers incentives for participating: One loot box of cosmetic items can be earned for every three wins, with a maximum of three loot boxes available per week.
What’s more, both the “3v3 Elimination” mode and the “1v1 Duels” award one additional loot box for the first win of the week.
After some time spent with these new match types and with Sombra herself, it’s fair to say that Blizzard has served up another exciting bit of content for the newest game in their stable.
The Overwatch 1.5/2.0 update is available now on Xbox One, Playstation 4 and PC.
