The wait is over! Doomfist, one of the leaders of the Talon organization, has finally surfaced into the game but only in the public test realm (PTR) for now. He will be the 8th offensive hero to join the ranks and will also play a vital role in Overwatch’s main storyline.
Also known as Akande Ogundimu, the cybernetic villain has been long spoken of since the release of the past few heroes, especially Orisa. Many players have heard voice lines, such as those of Widowmaker, that mention Talon, but do not specifically depict its leaders. Now that he is a playable character, Blizzard will shed some light on what Talon signifies, Doomfist’s motives against Overwatch and how he will achieve them alongside affiliates like Widowmaker and Reaper.
His character design resembles that of Thanos (Marvel) and Kratos (God of War), outraged by conflict and takes matters into his own hands. He trained and became strong in traditional African martial arts until the Omnic Crisis, where he lost his right arm. It was later replaced through prosthetic-technology. After breaking out of the maximum-security prison managed by Helix Security International, he returns to Numbani to acquire the Doomfist gauntlet that we currently see him sporting.
Though Doomfist is depicted as an incredibly formidable villain, players are feeling a bit lukewarm about his in-game abilities (not only because Terry Crews isn’t voicing him). With the exception of his hand cannon, Doomfist is a melee character whose extensive mobility can quickly turn the tide of battle.
Starting at 250 HP, his health can rise to 400 HP with each successful ability with his passive barrier. His short-range hand cannon, though 4 shots per round, can regenerate over time and will usually take 2-3 blows (body or headshot) to eliminate a hero at 200 HP. His rocket punch, similar to Captain Falcon’s famous Falcon Punch, enables him to charge 30-100 meters forward, knocking back anyone in range. Any 200 HP hero will be automatically eliminated if they hit a wall from the charge. This ability could also be used to flee from battle when he is low on HP.
Seismic slam knocks enemies toward him and deals roughly 50 damage, perfect for combos with other abilities, which can quickly raise his health. The drawback, however, is that this may be the weakest of all his abilities because it provides very little effectiveness to his mobility. Rising uppercut also deals 50 damage to enemies, but knocks them into the air, setting them up for other combos or to provide disruption to a dive composition. This ability could also be used to access the high ground in situations where airborne heroes such as Pharah could be a threat.
Finally his ultimate ability, Meteor Strike, is one of the most destructive ones we’ve seen. Doomfist becomes invisible to enemies for a few seconds while he positions a radius over them for impact. Once he slams back down into the ground, 300 HP is dealt to enemies within the epicenter, while 25-175 HP is inflicted on enemies further away.
To sum it all up, Doomfist’s abilities were created in response to several complaints from players who have had difficulties dealing with certain heroes. He can charge into battle faster than Reinhardt and can fire his hand cannon at the same speed as Roadhog. Since he is mostly a melee hero, there leaves us with some issues with how he deals with far-ranged heroes such as Widowmaker, Pharah, or even Soldier 76 on high ground. Perhaps these will be fixed before releasing Doomfist into official servers.
If Doomfist sounds like your type of hero, be sure to join the Overwatch PTR now!
