Overwatch 2 players will get their hands on the hero shooter’s newest addition Hazard this weekend with a sneak preview ahead of his official launch next season. Revealed earlier this week, Hazard is a spike-studded tank whom developer Blizzard Entertainment describes as “a momentum-based blend between dive and brawl play styles that will leave opponents running for cover.”
Blizzard calls Hazard a “charismatic and contrarian punk rocker who might look a little rough around the edges but is a fierce defender at heart.” Originally envisioned as a villain, Hazard eventually evolved over the course of his development into a hero. In-game, he’s a member of the Phreakz, a rebellious faction who are aligned with the Omnics and who fight for bodily autonomy.
Hazard’s background story touches on his life as a former member of the military and a multiple amputee. His full-body cybernetic enhancements tie into his abilities, some of which overlap with another dive-focused brawler on the Overwatch 2 roster, Doomfist. If you like harassing a backline while also protecting your front line, Hazard might just be your next tank main.
Hazard’s ability kit includes Bonespur, his shotgun-like arm weapon that fires bursts of spikes. He has a jumping attack named Violent Leap, which launches him toward a target and allows him to slash at them with a blade protruding from his left arm. Hazard’s Spike Guard ability protects him from the front, while also firing homing spikes at nearby enemies.
Taking a page from Mei, Hazard can also summon a temporary wall. With the ability Jagged Wall, Hazard can create a spiky wall of Vanadium, damaging and knocking back enemies. Those walls can be placed on floors, ceilings, or other existing walls, creating obstructions or knocking enemies off ledges or into pits. Hazard can also climb up his Jagged Walls (or any wall, really) with the passive ability Vault, giving him extra mobility.
Hazard’s Ultimate is called Downpour. It sees him rain down a shower of spikes, damaging and immobilizing enemies, leaving them vulnerable to attack.
Overwatch 2 lead gameplay designer Alec Dawson describes Hazard’s ability kit as “versatile.”
“Hazard’s abilities can be used for offense or defense depending on the situation he’s in,” Dawson told Polygon via email. “He can be all over the map if you’re making frequent use of his Violent Leap and Vault. Positioning is key with Hazard because while he has a lot of mobility in terms of uptime, it doesn’t take you as far as, say, Winston’s Leap.
“Like some other Tanks, Hazard can find a lot of success on maps with tight chokes. Jagged Wall can separate teams and even deal that extra bit of damage to secure an elimination. Due to his versatile kit though, Hazard also finds success on maps where his mobility comes into play. Say you’re on Hanoaka’s point C, he can easily transition between the low ground and high ground there, switching between holding positions and leaping in for the finish.”
Despite some crossover with Doomfist, Hazard’s “constant pressure really sets him apart,” Dawson said.
“While in Spike Guard, Hazard slowly reloads his primary fire Bonespur,” he explained. “This allows him to stay in the fight, going from Bonespur to Spike Guard with little downtime. So Hazard pairs well with DPS heroes who are able to sustain their pressure in the same way or Supports who can dish out enough healing while Hazard is in the fray.”
According to Blizzard, Hazard was developed under the codename Spiker, and was conceived “with an emphasis on his defense and offense being one and the same.” Previous iterations of his design presented as much more villainous and threatening, with a toxic green color scheme and a razor sharp metal jawline. (That’s the version that the developer teased at last year’s BlizzCon with nothing more than a cartoonish player icon.)
“Initially starting with a cyberpunk, punk rock aesthetic, Hazard began as a monstrous and intimidating villain,” Blizzard said in a blog post. “Over time, his story and appearance has been refined into someone who’s still tough but has that rebellious charm—like a mix of edginess paired with a protector’s heart.”
The final version of Hazard presents him as softer, but still tough, almost himbo-esque. He also has a dog.
Overwatch 2 players will get to try out Hazard from Nov. 22-25. He’ll officially join the Overwatch 2 roster on Dec. 10, when season 14 of the game kicks off. Hazard will be the game’s 42nd hero, meaning that Overwatch’s playable roster has now doubled since the original Overwatch launched in 2016 with 21 characters. Those original 21 heroes are currently playable in the limited-time Overwatch: Classic mode available in Overwatch 2.
Overwatch 2 is free to play on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
