Would a Telepathic/Psionic hero fit into Overwatch's story?

Although the cast of Overwatch can explain most of their capabilities through science or technology, there should always be an exception to the rule. Having a character with actual super powers would be an interesting dynamic, IMO, as long as it’s done with only a very small number.

To that end, I think that adding in a hero/heroine with psychic powers (i.e. telepathy, telekinesis, empathy, etc.) would be a logical fit. Having someone who can read minds would be just the kind of oddity that would fit into the Overwatch universe.

That’s just my opinion, though. What’s yours on the matter?

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Well, you can explain super powers with scince (kind of), like we already have Reaper. But remeber - it’s si-fi, no canon magic there.

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Nothing says we can’t use something similar to X-Men and Mutant powers. And if we’re going into the “magic” argument, then we’d have to bring up Hanzo and Genji (and I’m very doubtful that their dragons are the result of nanomachines).

I’m personally thinking of a heroine who is born with psionic powers and develops them as she grows up.

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Their dragons are technology, and there are plenty of sci-fi tech exept nanomachines there. Hard light, for example.

Well, some sort of freak with powers maybe could work, but it will be more like a result from exprerimentation, I think.

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If you are referring to someone like Psych then I would say that they would fit.

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I think it would fit. We have zennyatta healing’ after all.

Telekinesis could be explained by magnetism or hard light particles moving things

Telepathy, hypnosis, things that affect or target the mind can be explained by waves that stimulate certain parts of the brain

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I’m sure they could come up with a tech-based explanation. A mind reading/controlling helmet isn’t an uncommon trope in fiction.

Yet, to me, it would feel less unique to do it that way. Having it be someone born with psionic powers would feel much more “one-of-a-kind”, especially if it’s cited that, in the Overwatch universe, telepathic powers are an extreme rarity.

They could be written well as a villain for sure

Sure, why not… I can imagine a disruptive hero that see enemies, boop them or even control them to some extent. They can easily rule that it’s a psychology as a science or part spirit. :thinking:

Telepathy/PSI wouldn’t work well. Mind control in general is very hard to ground well in both gameplay and lore. Considering Widowmaker’s conditioning, I would think that the technology does not exist in Overwatch.

Nothing says the mind powers have to extend to mind control. But being able to read another person’s mind, or even move objects with your mind, could fit right in.

Telekinesis is different than telepathy. Telekinesis is in the realm of possibility, but problem with some kind of gadget or gear. Could be magnetism based. But Blizzard tried that gameplay concept with Wrecking Ball and didn’t like it.

There’s always gameplay/story segregation.

Then what is the point of making a character with telekinetic powers… If they will never use them in gameplay?

I’ll guess you’re thinking that the only way for Telekinesis to be in the game is to emulate the Gravity Gun from Half-Life 2. Unfortunately, that weapon (and its gameplay) would be incompatible with Overwatch’s gameplay.

There are other ways that telekinetic powers could be applied to gameplay (i.e. creating force fields).

I’m saying its incredibly unlikely based on them trying a very similar concept with Hammond before they settled on the Wrecking Ball.

Absolutely a possibility for the Overwatch universe. We already have rudimentary capability to map certain signals from the brain to certain stimuli. Pretty easy to sci fi explain away reading peoples’ minds. As for telekinesis, device reading wearer’s own intentions could do the moving somehow (magnetic, nanobots, electrostatic, wind, …).

Technically i would call overwatch a “Science fantasy” over a science fiction. so psionics would fit in as long as there was a hint of science thrown at it.

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If we can having super intelligent gorillas and hamsters from the moon than psychics wouldn’t feel out of place.

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