While we’ve already covered a lot of the changes that have made their way to the PTR server for Overwatch, the biggest and most important new content is undoubtedly the latest hero, Wrecking Ball. While a lot of the community will likely keep calling him Hammond the Hamster, Wrecking Ball is a breath of fresh air for tank players who like to keep things interesting, rather than just deploying shields and letting your team do the work.
As outlined in the blog post on the current changes to the PTR: “Wrecking Ball’s tinkering capabilities and iron-clad mech make him a formidable tank hero, capable of bowling through the front line of the opposition and causing mayhem in the back line. His primary weapon, Quad Cannons, are two sets of twin machine guns that shred enemies caught in their crosshairs. No team is too much for Wrecking Ball to engage against with his Adaptive Shield, which generates more health based on the number of enemies nearby. This shield makes him incredibly difficult to kill when he bulldozes into the fray and, once he starts to get low on health, also provides him the endurance to escape. The Roll ability allows Wrecking Ball to withdraw the mech’s robotic limbs, transforming it into a ball with increased movement speed. No obstacle can stand in Wrecking Ball’s way when he uses Grappling Claw, a short-range ability that grips the environment, letting him swing across terrain gaps or around corners to smash enemies. Grappling Claw also allows Wrecking Ball to reach top speed and ram into foes, dealing destructive damage and knocking them back. While airborne, the mech’s Piledriver ability causes Wrecking Ball to slam down from the air and knock his enemies off their feet.
When Wrecking Ball is at his strongest, he can use Minefield which flings mines onto the ground that deal a considerable amount of damage to enemies unfortunate enough to trigger them.”
His ability to dive into the enemy and disrupt formations is certainly something to try for yourself if possible, and while we don’t yet know when exactly he’ll make his way to the live servers, we’re eagerly anticipating the chance to wreak havoc on the field of battle, all while maintaining out tiny Hamster physique.
