Blizzard's surprise announcement at the Xbox and Bethesda Showcase about a new hero joining the ranks for Overwatch 2 was unforeseen but exciting news for many. This new information came in the form of a cinematic trailer which also revealed that early access to Overwatch 2 would be free to play, starting in October. Dedicated fans have been obsessing over this announcement and Junker Queen's preview trailer, scanning for hidden or glossed-over details that the developers may have left behind.
From analyzing the ruthless queen of Junkertown's weaponry and kit, a rumored "fox-girl" character that may be a support hero, and the free-to-play decision by Blizzard, there certainly is no shortage of conversation topics regarding Overwatch 2 in the community. Three new characters were officially revealed in a Junker Queen teaser, which included Junker King, Geiger, and Meri, though it has not been confirmed if any of them will be playable in the future.
Junker Queen's Antagonist
During Junker Queen's minute-long teaser, viewers got a glimpse of the cutthroat Junker Queen facing down Mason Howl, also known as the Junker King. For the extremely detail-oriented, fans may realize that Junker Queen's finger is never on the trigger of her shotgun throughout the trailer until she is looking Howl in the eyes. This may be interpreted as a very serious threat from the Queen to the King since it is already known that the two are at odds with one another.
Junker Queen has no qualms with killing, as proven by her willingness to slay foes in the Scrapyard, a gladiatorial arena, in order to climb to the top of the social ladder. Additionally, she has made it clear her intent to kill a familiar duo, Roadhog and Junkrat, for their transgressions against her in past Overwatch history which are referenced in voice lines and on posters across the Junkertown map. This may mean the Junker Queen has dealt with the Junker King lethally.
The Undefeated Junker King
The Junker King is shown only briefly in the trailer, lounging on an enormous throne as he prepares to take on Junker Queen in a "free-for-all, with no rules." The Junker Queen looks to be gearing up to fight alongside two of her theorized rivals or underlings, Geiger and Meri, in an event called "The Reckoning." It's here that the Queen reveals she is the first Wastelander to compete, and that the Junker King has been undefeated in combat for thirteen years - until her arrival, that is.
As this is shaping up to be Junker Queen's origin story, before she became the relentless ruler of Junkertown, it is likely that this marks Mason Howl's final year on the throne. Further evidence that this takes place years before the current Overwatch timeline can be seen around 24 seconds into the video, where the shadowy back of a figure that looks like Junkrat can be seen hollering in the crowd. Since it is known that Junker Queen exiled both Junkrat and Roadhog from her land, it seems that these events take place quite a while before then.
Now, whether the Junker King will be an Overwatch 2 PvE enemy, playable character, or simply a part of Junker Queen's story remains to be seen. The trailer ends with a cryptic "to be continued" message that leaves the fate of the characters up in the air.
If the Junker King dies, he will likely not be shown again, although he could make cameos in relevant flashbacks. If he lives, it could be interesting to see him take up a playable Tank role of his own, or become an NPC to battle against when PvE does release. Some fans believe it would be interesting to see him return from the dead with a plan to avenge his throne, while others believe that it might take away too much from the main Overwatch narrative.
Overwatch 2 launches in early access on October 4 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
