Overwatch Has Sombra Now, and It's An Okay Thing

I admit, I let this news simmer a bit before reporting on it. Sombra has officially been released on the PTR since early yesterday morning. Why did I wait? Honestly, I wanted to approach this article with a clear head. So I waited until after the hype died. I waited until after I had a chance to play a few rounds with her. Mostly, I wanted to be able to discuss the news without the context of the ARG. And now I feel I'm fully able to do that. Sombra has been released as a playable character in Overwatch, and that's an okay thing.


That skull literally translates to "okay"

Sombra has some neat abilities. She brings a lot of unique things to the table, but she doesn't exactly break the game. She can turn invisible, like the Spy from Team Fortress 2. However, without any way to deliver a one-hit kill, her use of the mechanic isn't infuriating. She can interrupt specials and ultimate abilities. She can even hack into med packs. So she has a lot of neat, situational uses.

What makes her reveal only okay is that I foresee a round of updates coming. Specifically, major balancing changes will come to make her more fair. She'll be buffed and nerfed, and so will everyone else. The same thing ended up happening with Ana. However, unlike Ana, Sombra doesn't bring any game changing. Ana introduced ranged healing, ult interruption, and healing disruption. What's more, her ultimate ability revolutionized the push. Nano-boosting a Reinhardt onto the point gives offense a huge opportunity.

Sombra's abilities are kinda neat, but that's about it. She can shut down abilities, but Ana could already shut down the most deadly ones. She can hack turrets, but players have been countering Torbjorn for months. She can turn invisible, but to what end?

Maybe I'm overlooking her usefulness. She may very well have some abilities that drastically change the game. However, they definitely aren't very apparent. Regardless, I am happy to see her release. Now that the ARG is over, I can say goodbye to the Overwatch forums. I swear, that's where cancer goes to get cancer. It's a terrible place full of whiny babies who are literally never satisfied. Good riddance.