The new Overwatch hero is Ashe: here are her abilities

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Meet Elizabeth Caledonia Ashe, the 29th Overwatch hero

Blizzard unveiled the next Overwatch hero during Blizzcon today: Elizabeth Caledonia "Calamity" Ashe, better known as Ashe. Ashe is the leader of the Deadlock Gang, the group of thieves which McCree was once a part of before joining Blackwatch. Her newly minted hero page describes her as a legendary outlaw, and as a new DPS hero, she's got abilities to suit her reputation. 

Ashe's main weapon is The Viper, a semi-automatic rifle that can be fired quickly from the hip or down sights for more powerful and accurate shots. She can also throw sticks of dynamite that detonate when shot (or after a short delay) and light enemies on fire dealing damage over time. Then there's the coach gun, a sawed-off shotgun that knocks Ashe and her targets backward. Finally, her ultimate, Bob, summons her hulking mechanical sidekick "who charges forward and knocks enemies into the air, then lays down suppressing fire with his arm cannons." 

This is definitely a DPS kit with a high skill ceiling. Ashe's main weapon rewards precise aim, as does her Dynamite ability. I especially like the look of that shotgun: you could use it to boop enemies, dodge incoming fire, or traverse maps rocket jump-style. Just as interestingly, it sounds like Ashe is voiced by Jennifer Hale, who in 2013 was awarded the Guinness world record for "most prolific female video game voice actor" for her work in games like Metal Gear Solid, Mass Effect and plenty of others. 

Ashe was introduced in the new "Reunion" animated short above. Another character, a white Omnic named Echo, also appears toward the end of Reunion. Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan briefly discussed Echo at Blizzcon, saying "we need to spend more time before we're ready for Echo." Like Ashe, Echo has some sort of connection to McCree, so I get the feeling we'll see her again. 

Wondering what Overwatch hero is right for you? Here are all the best Overwatch characters and a look at how they play.  

Austin Wood
Austin Wood
Senior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.