Unraveling Zenyatta's Enigma: Overwatch 2 Resolves the Mysteries at Last

Highlights

Overwatch 2's sixth season brings long-awaited PvE story missions, including three paid missions and one free co-op mission called "Underworld."

The story missions' art and cinematics have been highly praised, particularly the final cinematic that reveals a significant revelation in Overwatch concerning Zenyatta. The latest cinematic showcases Zenyatta's association with the Shambali Monastery and unveils his capability to stand, ultimately resolving the longstanding inquiry regarding his ability to walk.

The sixth season of Overwatch 2 debuted on August 10, featuring the highly anticipated PvE story missions. Named Overwatch 2: Invasion, these quests include three paid missions and one free co-op mission called "Underworld." The paid missions, titled "Resistance" in Rio, "Liberation" in Toronto, and "Ironclad" in Gothenburg, each have their own distinct cinematics before and after the gameplay.

Despite the disappointment caused by the cancellation of the original PvE content, the recent story missions have generally been well-received by the Overwatch 2 player community. While the decision to charge for these missions sparked controversy, the art and cinematics have received a great deal of praise. The final cinematic, following the Gothenburg mission, focuses on Zenyatta and provides answers to one of Overwatch's longstanding mysteries.

Overwatch 2 Finally Divulges a Long-Running Secret

The Overwatch universe has a rich and diverse lore, thanks to its expansive roster of 38 heroes. This already significant number doesn't even include characters associated with playable heroes, such as D.Va's MEKA Squad members or Kiriko's Yokai clan. Many of these heroes have interconnections, which is expected as they are part of the Overwatch international task force.

Zenyatta, being one of the original support characters in the first Overwatch game, has piqued interest for years. He is known to be affiliated with the Shambali Monastery and its late leader, Mondatta. In November, Overwatch 2's second season introduced Ramattra, sparking speculation about a shared history between Zenyatta and the other omnic. This suspicion arose from Ramattra's reveal trailer, which showcased his involvement with the monastery.

The recent mission cinematic depicts one of Zenyatta's flashbacks, specifically the moment when Rammatra departed from Shambali and before he formed the terrorist group known as Null Sector. Surprisingly, the animation portrays the omnic monk standing alongside Mondatta and Rammatra, defying expectations. Some view this as a symbol of equality among the three, while others choose to focus on the fact that Zenyatta is shown using his legs.

It has become a sort of meme that Zenyatta does not, or is unable to, walk. He is almost always observed peacefully floating in a meditative state, so the concept of him walking seems somewhat bizarre. Although Blizzard did create an animation of him walking for the first season of Overwatch League, it was purely for comedic purposes. Hence, the question still lingers: Can Zenyatta truly walk?

In 2019, a Halloween Terror emote featuring Zenyatta showcased him firmly planting his feet on the ground and stretching his legs. A video capturing these moments sparked reactions like "This is truly terrifying for a Halloween emote" and "Four minutes and thirty-four seconds of pure horror." However, there remained uncertainty regarding the intention behind the emote.

Even in 2023, there were still lingering inquiries about whether Zenyatta was physically unable to stand or if he simply chose not to. Unlike Zenyatta, other omnics were frequently observed walking instead of floating. The release of the "Ironclad" cinematic finally put an end to this prolonged mystery by revealing Zenyatta standing. With this revelation, it is possible that future PvE missions in Overwatch 2 will continue to shed light on unanswered questions about the beloved characters.

Overwatch 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.