Will Sombra be revealed at BlizzCon 2016? What to expect from 'Overwatch' at the event

Impact

Update: Sombra is here

Meet Sombra. Blizzard finally revealed the highly anticipated new Overwatch character at BlizzCon 2016 Friday afternoon. Read on for a complete roundup of the Sombra ARG rumors. 

***

Friday afternoon is when BlizzCon's biggest event, the opening ceremony, kicks off. It will be livestreamed on Blizzard's site starting at 2 p.m. Eastern, and if any big Overwatch news is going to hit — including the highly anticipated reveal of a new character called Sombra — that's where it will be.

Will Sombra be revealed at BlizzCon?

The biggest question on the minds of Overwatch players is whether Blizzard will finally unveil Sombra, the character that fans have been hunting for through an alternate reality game that has them solving riddles and searching for clues in various corners of the internet.

In recent weeks, the Sombra ARG has ramped up considerably, in a new phase of the ARG that involved Sombra disrupting the debut of LumériCo's new nuclear power plant in Dorado. 

That particular chapter seems to have come to a close, so it seems like a good time for Blizzard to finally release her on the public test region before she enters the live version of the game.

That said, those participating in the ARG seem to have found some new clues that potentially hint at a new phase of the ARG involving Volskaya, so it's unclear whether Blizzard is delaying her release even further with additional ARG clues, or whether the ARG will continue even after she's revealed.

Either way, fans are hungry for answers. The hunt for Sombra has gone on for months, and a second seemingly official image of the character leaked on Reddit recently, so fans are chomping at the bit for more information.

A new Overwatch animated short?

Reddit user Starlord_who noticed that the Overwatch YouTube account's folder for Overwatch animated shorts was updated Thursday. This could theoretically be an indication that there's a new animated short hiding in that folder, listed as private, waiting to be unleashed on the public at BlizzCon. 

Updates on a Symmetra buff?

Blizzard Entertainment

One of the other big updates on the horizon is the overhauling of Symmetra's abilities. Jeff Kaplan previously pegged November as the earliest time players would get a glimpse at what changes she'll undergo, so maybe Blizzard will be ready to talk about that.

As always, Mic will keep you posted about Overwatch developments. Check back for more.

Nov. 4, 2016, 2:28 p.m. Eastern: This story has been updated.