During Overwatch 2’s reveal event, Blizzard gave fans a closer look at the Junker Queen, a new Tank hero that will finally be joining the roster with the release of Overwatch 2. Alongside a deep dive into the heavily requested character’s abilities, players got to see a new animated short that told her origin story. In this video, the Junker Queen overthrows Mason Howl, better known as the Junker King.
While Junker Queen is very much the focus of this new Overwatch 2 animated short, the video does not end with a scene featuring Odessa Stone. Instead, it focuses on the former ruler of Junkertown. At the end of the clip, he is shown being thrown into the desert with nothing but a small vial of water, left to roam the wasteland by himself. While this is a nice bit of revenge on the part of the Junker Queen, it is an odd place to end the short, leading fans to believe that this will not be the last they see of Mason Howl.
Junker King Fan Theories For Overwatch 2
Shortly after the Junker Queen animated short was revealed, Overwatch 2 fans took to social media to share their theories about the Junker King. Some suggested that he went on to become Roadhog, though this has already been disproven since they have different names and Roadhog can be seen in the crowd during Howl's battle with the Junker Queen. However, the theory from I9Qnl seems a lot more believable, as they suggest that Howl went on to build the area outside the main Junkertown.
This is a solid enough theory, as Howl is clearly banned from living inside the main Junkertown for the rest of his life. However, there is a small city outside the walled off building with little huts and houses. Perhaps Howl made this area for others that were cast out, like Junkrat. While a more likely scenario is that Junkertown was thriving so much under the Queen’s rule that expansion was needed, it could be an interesting bit of lore if Howl build his own home outside the walls of the city.
Redditor -Elixo- suggests that he could join the Talon organization, possibly becoming another playable hero for Overwatch fans to enjoy. What his moveset would be is anyone’s guess, though he could craft himself another mech suit like the one featured in the animated short. Given his cruel, self-centered personality, he would likely be fine with Talon’s terrorism if it meant he was given money and a position of power.
Perhaps the most interesting theory comes from Kaellian, who suggested that Howl could lead an “evil” group of Junkers in Overwatch 2’s PvE campaign. As they say in their comment, this would ensure some enemy variety, letting players face off with some fleshy enemies and mech users instead of the usual Omnics. The Junker Queen could call for Overwatch’s assistance with Howl, as the group of heroes could need to stop a potential uprising. The Junker King could even serve as the final boss, and as pointed out by Kazzack, his reappearance would serve as a good way to involve Junkrat and Roadhog in the narrative. Both characters are too villainous to join Overwatch, but not evil enough to align themselves with Talon, so they could help fight Howl to get back in the Queen's good graces.
No matter what Blizzard does with Mason Howl, the Overwatch community seems to agree that he will appear again at some point. Showing him at the end of the short was an odd move if nothing else is planned for him, as he was made out to be surprisingly sympathetic. Whether he serves as a new hero or a boss in some PvE content, it certainly seems like the Junker King could be back one day.
Overwatch 2 is scheduled to release on October 4 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
