Overwatch
Jeff Kaplan: What’s up everyone, welcome to the Overwatch arena. I think the arena is absolutely amazing. We are going to be here– (yeah it is, let us hear it for the arena), and you guys are amazing. We want to say a special hello to everybody watching at home. Everybody here at BlizzCon, whatever hall you are in, give it up for everybody watching at home right now.
And for you guys who are here with us today, we can’t thank you enough. It is amazing to have you here in Anaheim, California. California is my home state, I think it is the best state in the entire union. We have everything here. If it is not in California (as far as I am concerned), it doesn’t exist. We have– (I said it, that is right) We have the most beautiful mountains, we have the most beautiful beaches, right outside these doors, right in front of me. There is even a theme park, now how many of you are here in California with us for the weekend are going to also hit up the theme park?
Now, it gets me wondering sometimes, and it gets the Overwatch team wondering, have you ever imagined what a Blizzard theme park might look like? The Overwatch team certainly has, and I present to you now Blizzard World. Let us check it out.
Yeah, we did it. We went there. We had so much fun making this map, but the super fun part for us in making the map is seeing what you guys do on it. So we cannot wait for you to be playing this map. You will be playing it all weekend here at BlizzCon, also the map will be going live early next year, and you will see it on the PTR very very soon.
So, the map is awesome, we had a ton of fun making it, it is a hybrid map. So that means it is part assault and part payload. Now I know most of you don’t know what payload is, so everybody turn to the Zenyatta mains to your left, and you he will figure it out. You don’t have to worry about it. Don’t worry about what payload means.
Now, one thing we always say about Overwatch is that the world needs heroes. And the Overwatch team thinks that you guys need another hero. (Audience screams) I would like to announce and to introduce you to: Moira. She speaks for herself. Let’s check her out.
There she is. Moira is our newest support healer. Now I know a lot of you were begging for a DPS, but we made a healer instead. So I hope you are okay with that. She is so much fun to play. She does a tremendous amount of healing, she also can do a tremendous amount of damage as well, so she’s really fun and interactive to play, she has that Fade ability so that gives her great mobility as a support character as well. In case you are wondering how to spell Moira, it is spelled OPAF, just in case you are wondering. (Audience laughs harder. NOTE: OPAF means “Overpowered as F*ck“)
So, there are some other cool notes about Moira that we should talk about. She has a really great backstory as well, not only was she a part of Reyes’ secretive Black Watch, she also has a storied history with Talon.
Now you guys are going to learn all about Moira, Blizzard World, and maybe even another announcement in the Overwatch: What’s Next panel. It is going to be on the mythic stage at 2:45pm today. I cannot encourage you enough to check out that panel. We even have an origin video for Moira that will be debuting during that panel; and Moira is fully playable here on the showfloor in Blizzard World all weekend long; and dare I say, it is no limits. Oh my God, it is going to be a mess; but you will have so much fun.
Reinhardt: Excuse me, Mr. Kaplan. I am here to deliver the payload.
Jeff: What is this?
Reinhardt: HAMMER… DOWN!!!! Candy! Candy! (throws candy to the audience) I am coming my friend. You wait right there, it is a long way. Aha-haha-haHa! I live for this.
Jeff: Darin de Paul, voice actor for Reinhardt.
Darin: Once again, Halloween not popular in my neighborhood. Three kids. Three. Jeff… candy? Here we go. I am here because Blizzard changed my life as an actor, as a person, you guys have been amazing to me, I remember exactly where I was standing a couple BlizzCons ago when Overwatch was first announced; because I didn’t even know it was called Overwatch. That first session you didn’t tell me anything. It was like a line drawing of Reinhardt with the helmet off, and so there was the first animated shot, and I was going, a gorilla from the Moon? I think I am in that.
Darin: And then they showed the gameplay trailer where they announced all the heroes, and I didn’t hear me, I didn’t hear me, I didn’t hear me; and the last guy to come around was Reinhardt, and it was my birthday. So thank you. Happy birthday to me on that one. And now guys, we are here, and we are all part of this amazing community, because– thank you, I am going to cry.
Darin: Crying is my ultimate, I will cry; but you guys have taken these characters and these worlds to your hearts, and to your minds. They have inspired you. We have seen amazing cosplay, we have seen spectacular fan art, and of course there are the animated shots that are jaw-droppingly wonderful; and what we have seen may science her way out of a problem, we have seen the rivalry between Genji and Hanzo, we have seen Bastion be so just darn cute and lovable.
So, now… (long long silence followed by audience excited-cheers) as a friend of mine might say: “Bring me ANOTHER!” (in Reinhardt’s voice characterization).
NEXT: WORLD OF WARCRAFT
| BlizzCon 2017 Opening Ceremony panel transcript | |||
| 1. Intro by Morhaime | 2. Heroes of the Storm | 3. Hearthstone | 4. Overwatch |
| 5. World of Warcraft | |||
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