I have a confession to make. I cannot take Overwatch’s newest hero, Hammond or “Wrecking Ball”, seriously. Logically, I know that Blizzard has been known to release interesting and eclectic heroes. Winston, for example, is a giant ape who, like Hammond, was a test subject before becoming a part of the Overwatch roster. But something about Hammond just doesn’t sit right with me.
When Blizzard First Announced Hammond
Suspicions had been flying about the community on what Hammond was. Many thought maybe he’d be an ape like Winston, but Blizzard has been very careful to make sure each hero is unique. So what could he have been? There were a few teasers, but ultimately, it was the announcement and reveal that had me confused.
In an announcement on Twitter, Blizzard revealed Hammond as the Wrecking Ball, a hamster inside a giant ball-shaped mech. I have to admit, my first reaction was to laugh. I thought they were kidding. Then I took a moment and checked that it wasn’t April Fool’s Day. Is there such a thing as June’s Fool? No?
Blizzard followed up with a Developer Update giving more information on the hamster hero. Laced with puns, the video cemented in my mind that this hero was absolutely ridiculous. Jeff Kaplan could barely keep a straight face, and neither could I.
Judging a Book by its Cover
I have to admit, most of my issue with Hammond is his appearance, and that’s wrong of me. Again, Blizzard has introduced a great variety of heroes into Overwatch. We have men, women, robots, giant apes. Some look more serious or realistic than others. All in all, the Overwatch aesthetic has always had a major focus on “fun.” Doesn’t the Wrecking Ball, then, fit perfectly with that theme?
Well, yes. However, he just doesn’t sit well with me. His goofy giggle, his chubby little hamster face, and the fact that he is, in fact, a hamster in a glorified hamster ball, just makes me look at my screen with a massive question mark over my head like some MMO quest giver you need to return to.
I had resigned myself to his existence, ready to accept him as one of our own, until someone posted his “Mad Max” style skin. And that was it, I lost it. The Junker skin wasn’t even so bad, but the Mayham skin not only looks a bit like a four-year-old got let loose with the crayons, but the name is a pun and the word “HAM” is painted on the back in massive, scrawling letters. Hammond dons a neon pink mohawk and an eyepatch and looks altogether too pleased with himself.
Wrecking Ball’s Playstyle
Wrecking Ball is an example of a hero who is pretty hard to play initially but can have a major impact, particularly at lower ranks. His move set is fairly unique, and there is something fun about whizzing around the match as a speedy mechanized hamster ball, crashing into enemies as you go. Slamming into the ground is pretty satisfying, too.
Interestingly, he doesn’t feel very overpowered. Often when a new hero is introduced, they can be tuned a bit too high. Whether this is because Blizzard wants to encourage people to try the hero or because it’s hard to get the balance right first try, remains to be seen. Most likely, it’s a bit of both. Hammond, however, doesn’t feel too strong. At lower ranks he can be quite devastating, but it’s not too difficult to counter him.
The ball is a bit unwieldy, so inexperienced players may lose control a little and be easily picked off from range. This is particularly true if he is hacked by a Sombra. Without his abilities, Wrecking Ball is fairly weak, more so than other tanks, because of how big of a target he presents.
When Wrecking Ball Should Be Picked
Just because I don’t particularly like the hero style doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate where he is useful. Wrecking Ball is pretty great at creating plays for his team. He’s best played somewhat aggressively, especially because he doesn’t have any utility to protect his own team. Rolling into the enemy and throwing them about is a great opener, as long as you can trust your team to follow-up.
Wrecking Ball’s strength lies in manipulating the space around him. He does so by forcing enemies up into the air, and dropping mines with his ultimate all whilst shielding himself from damage. Again, this can be great at breaking through a choke and opening up the field for his team to rush in and assist.
Credit Where Credit’s Due
I may not be able to take Hammond seriously, at all, but Blizzard did something I didn’t expect. They released this hero that no one really considered, except one person on Reddit who everyone laughed at. Who’s laughing now? This redditor was completely correct in their guess that the next hero was a hamster in a giant hamster ball.
On top of that, Blizzard made me laugh. At first it was a derisive laugh. And I still don’t like the hero one little bit, but I’ve started to appreciate the humor in him. I could never say he doesn’t fit within the game’s aesthetic, because he absolutely does, but now I can appreciate that he is quintessential Overwatch ridiculousness.
If nothing else, I spoke often and very freely about my distaste for Wrecking Ball. That means he stood out to me enough to want to share my feelings with friends. I’d say that makes him pretty successful.
Closing Thoughts
There was bound to be a time when Blizzard released a hero I didn’t absolutely love. I’m a little surprised that a hamster was where I drew the line, but there you have it. However, it’s impossible to argue that Blizzard isn’t staying true to themselves. They’ve very intentionally constructed a game world where anything goes. Overwatch’s existing roster shows that.
What did you think of Wrecking Ball? Are you pro- or anti-hamster? Let us know in the comments below!
Related: Column, First Person Shooter, FPS, Overwatch, Play of the Fortnight, ShooterRelated: Blizzard Entertainment
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