5 Unsolved Mysteries in Overwatch Lore

Overwatchs's storytelling style has been elliptical at best, filling in gaps in the narrative seemingly at random and leaving huge gaps between the release of new information. As a result, the story is full of loose ends and enigmas. Here are five unsolved mysteries in Overwatch lore.

1. Why is Reaper Working With Talon? What’s His True Motivation?

Before the events of the game, Reaper was an Overwatch agent named Gabriel Reyes. He and Jack Morrison — later known as Soldier: 76 — were the original leaders of the program. Tension between the two escalated over how best to lead Overwatch, and their conflict eventually culminated in a fight that destroyed Overwatch headquarters and (supposedly) killed both.

While each apparently survived without Overwatch's help, Morrison remains committed to the goal of saving the world. Reyes, meanwhile, has swapped sides.

But why? Reyes and Morrison might have had their differences, but their goal of justice was always the same. Working with Talon expressly goes against that goal. Revenge is also unlikely, as Reaper would hardly need to engineer a global conspiracy to find and kill Morrison. So why is he working with Talon? What does he truly want?

2. What is Overwatch Searching For in Ilios, Petra and Ayutthaya?

All of Overwatch's maps have some bearing on the story surrounding the game, but Ilios, Petra and Ayutthaya's meanings have been elusive at best. Logs and other environmental details point to the locations as archaeological sites, but exactly why these sites are important to Overwatch is unclear.

And it's not just Overwatch who cares about the sites. All three have been protected explicitly against Talon attacks.

Overwatch isn't exactly a cultural or historical organization. Ditto Talon. So what interest could these futuristic superpowers possibly have in investigating ancient ruins? What are they hoping to find, and why does it matter?

3. What Did Junkrat Find in the Omnium?

Omniums are self-improving automated robotics factors that the Omnica Corporation built before the first Omnic Crisis. After being shut down in the wake of fraud allegations against the company, the omniums awoke of their own accord and started the first Omnic Crisis by producing armies of omnics.

Junkrat is a native of the wasteland that was left behind when the Australian omnium detonated. His claim to fame, which he talks up constantly, is that he found something of incredible value in the ruins of the Australian omnium. It’s the reason bounty hunters pursue him, and for Roadhog’s agreeing to be his bodyguard.

But we still don’t actually know exactly what Junkrat found. It’s been referred to only as his treasure, and could be anything. Some think he discovered the omnium’s core, but if the core survived, why is the Outback so irradiated? Whatever Junkrat got his hands on, it’s hugely important to the struggle for world domination.

4. Who Wants to Kill the Omnics in King’s Row?

King's Row is a hub of omnic life in London that serves as a pseudo slum for the marginalized class. When Overwatch players take to the map, the escort section has them transporting a huge EMP device with the power to instantly kill a massive number of omnics in the area.

The question is, why would anyone want to kill the omnics in King's Row? And who are the would-be murderers? Overwatch is out of the question, of course. Talon doesn't seem a good fit either, as Maximilien, one of the leaders of the group, is himself an omnic.

Still, Talon seeks to create a new worldwide conflict and a mass execution of the King's Row omnics would likely set off another Omnic Crisis. With no other reasonable suspects at hand, Talon seems the most likely.

5. Who is the New Character at the End of Storm Rising?

Overwatch's newest mystery is also one of its most straightforward. At the end of the Storm Rising PVE mission, players watch a cinematic in which Doomfist, Talon's main leader, seems to recruit an unfamiliar omnic.

This omnic is described as fighting for his people, and his design is not unlike that of Reaper, leading some to believe the two are one and the same. Still, we know for a fact that Ana and Soldier: 76 have seen Reaper's face and confirmed it to be Reyes, so the theory is hardly proven.

So just who is the new character? This question, like dozens of others (Why were McCree and Sombra in a bar together in the Reflections comic? Who is the person on the far left of the Overwatch group photo?), will likely remain unsolved for quite some time.

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Photos courtesy of Blizzard