We might know that Winston can kill players with his butt in Overwatch 2, but we still don’t know all the new heroes in Overwatch 2 ahead of the sequel-replacement’s full launch later this year. However, this looks like it’s going to change. Why do we think this? Well, Overwatch players are spotting strange text strings in-game and it looks like yet-another teaser for an unreleased Support hero.
Earlier in the year, Blizzard’s Overwatch 2 release date reveal trailer offered players a new look at the Junker Queen, the Overwatch 2 release date, and… an unusual blue spirit fox. The appearance of this fox has, as you might imagine, piqued the interest of fans. It’s something that players think is related to an unannounced Overwatch 2 hero – just like the strange new text string spotted in-game.
Reddit user ‘Alt48931’ is just one Overwatch player to share this text string online – but, don’t expect any of it to make sense at first glance. It’s actually in code.
As you can see below, the text string in question is the following: “V2hhdCBkb2VzIHRoZSBmb3ggc2F5Pw==”. If that doesn’t make sense, you’re not alone – but someone has worked out what it means.
Weird string of text that appeared in chat just before the beta closed. Anyone know what it means? from Overwatch
Decoding this code in base64, a binary-to-text coding language, reveals the following message: “What does the fox say?”
This might come across as a reference to Ylvis’ 2013 (we know, 2013!) banger “The Fox”, but it’s actually looking like a reference to the blue spirit fox in the Overwatch 2 release date reveal trailer and the next Overwatch 2 hero.
If you’re not clued up on your lore, allow us to explain where all these rumours about a fox-related Overwatch 2 hero have come from. At the start of 2021, Blizzard delved into the lore of Overwatch’s Shimida brothers (Hanzo and Genji) with a letter written by a new character named Asa Yamagami.
In this letter, which you can find below, it is revealed that the woman’s husband has been captured by the Hashimoto Clan and she is alone in Kanezaka – home of the Shimida Clan – with her daughter. In this letter, Asa says that she’s asking “the fox spirit for strength to continue” the fight for peace in Kanezaka. “The kitsune can change your luck with a flick of even one of her tails.”
[CORRESPONDENCE] As winter leads to spring, let me write a letter of lightness. Perhaps it will grant us both a little peace, even as I turn my blade to keeping the peace here from shattering altogether. – Asa
📨 https://t.co/ZjcmZZcCI7 pic.twitter.com/HoKTQoN1Oe
— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) January 11, 2021
Of course, this does little to confirm that the next Overwatch 2 hero is going to be a fox-based one. However, the appearance of a bright blue spirit fox leading the charge in the trailer and, now, a coded text string relating to a fox seem suspicious.
We know that there’s an unknown Support hero coming to Overwatch 2 at launch and a desperate mother who’s adept with a sword and has the backing of a mysterious kitsune sounds like a fantastic addition to the roster. This is also something that has been talked about as a rumour since BlizzCon 2019 – so, it’s not completely out of the blue.
However, right now we don’t know when any announcement regarding this mysterious Support hero is coming – although, it has to be soon if there’s strange text teasers in-game, right? Wondering where a new support will stack up, check out our Overwatch 2 tier list ahead of any announcements now.