Doctrine, Sombra, and a New Map: Details from the Xbox Podcast

The highlight of the podcast was the reveal of Doctrine, a new support hero inspired by vampire lore. Aaron Keller explained that while the character has a villainous aesthetic, his kit revolves around manipulating life energy, making him a natural fit for the support role. Doctrine utilizes a scepter that can both heal allies and damage enemies, alongside a drone that accelerates ally attacks. A standout mechanic involves the ability to empower his other skills, creating a high-skill-cap gameplay experience that requires strategic decision-making.

The team also addressed the "re-reworks" for Sombra and Roadhog. Sombra is moving from a DPS role to a support role. While she retains her identity through stealth and hacking, hacking will now only be available via her ultimate. Roadhog will gain the ability to absorb incoming damage, and his primary fire will shift to a two-hit cadence, making it more difficult to achieve one-shots and giving opponents more time to react.

The new map, Watchpoint Grimsvötn, is set in Iceland at the world's highest-security prison, the same location where Doomfist was once imprisoned before his escape.

The podcast also touched upon a mysterious character with a "cool hat" hinted to play a role in next year's story. Additionally, the team discussed the Questwatch event, where Overwatch voice actors will participate in a tabletop game using the Dagger Heart system for charity.