Overwatch fans have something new to get excited about with Blizzard’s official confirmation of Echo being the game’s 32nd hero.
While the new damage-dealing omnic doesn’t have an official release date yet, PC players already have the chance to learn what she can do in the PTR.
While getting to know Echo’s abilities on the PTR, some players are also finding some surprising aspects about the new character. Take this sharp observation from Crimson Manes community lead Caldoran, for example:
Echo apparently brings the futuristic world of Overwatch much closer to home, thanks to some well-placed Singlish.
Asked for comment, former Overwatch lead writer Michael Chu confirmed the claim with a fittingly Singlish retort of his own.
In Overwatch’s latest developer update, lead designer Jeff Kaplan clearly mentioned that Echo’s creator, deceased artificial intelligence expert Dr. Mina Liao was Singaporean. The backstory also revealed that Dr. Liao secretly gave the Echo robot an advanced AI that was capable of learning by observing.
When it comes to gameplay, this translates to Echo having exceptional mimicking abilities as her ultimate. But apparently it also carries over to the robot’s “personality”.
Having learned primarily from her Singaporean creator, Echo also adopted Dr. Liao’s communication style and verbal expressions as her own.
Subtle touches to character development like these are part of the reason games like Overwatch gain so much success across the globe. These local nods are an excellent way to keep fictional future realities grounded, even in the midst of a great deal of creative liberties and imaginative world-building.
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