When it comes to gameplay, few heroes have been more prevalent in Overwatch 2 than Roadhog. The Australian Tank may not have the most important part to play in the franchise’s ongoing story, but he has been so dominant in multiplayer that many are patiently waiting for a rework. The Tank role’s equivalent to Sojourn when it comes to his prominence in the meta, Roadhog’s one-shot capabilities, hook, and self-healing have all elevated him above the competition.
As Orisa players attempt to counter the Roadhog problem until Blizzard can make the necessary changes to the character, story fans may want to read up on the lore of Roadhog. Though he is unlikely to become as integral to the ongoing narrative as someone like Ramattra, his cruelty ensures that he cannot be trusted by anyone - even his partner in crime. When Overwatch 2 rolls around, players should not be shocked if they come across Roadhog wreaking havoc, at it feels like his violent path has only just begun.
How Roadhog Became a Monster
In the world of Overwatch, Australia is a wasteland, with harsh locations like Junkertown being all there is to find within the post-apocalyptic outback. However, it was not always this way. Following the Omnic Crisis, a large portion of Australia was given to the Omnics in the hope that a lasting peace between the robots and humanity could be established. Unfortunately, this act displaced several humans who simply wanted to live their lives, including Mako Rutledge - the man who would go on to become Roadhog.
Not wanting to lose their homes, especially to a civilization that had just been fought in a global war, Mako and others formed the Australian Liberation Front. After attacking groups of Omnics, the militia destroyed the Australian Omnium, a facility used to craft new Omnics. Though they believed this would be a final blow that allowed them to regain control of their home, the explosion irradiated Australia instead, covering the land in scrap metal that would go on to be used for Junkertown.
Ramattra’s lore has proven that Omnic lives are precious, making the Omnium sabotage a heinous act. The destruction of Mako’s home could have been a harsh lesson for him, but instead, seeing the place where he lived so heavily damaged made him far more twisted. He donned his mask to survive in the new environment, losing his humanity and becoming a ruthless killer.
The fact that Mako was willing to kill so many Omnics before he became a cruel monster should make it clear how evil he is in his current form. This makes him the perfect bodyguard for his partner-in-crime Junkrat, as few would be willing to mess with him. However, if he grows tired of committing crimes or following Junkrat’s lead, he could easily turn on his so-called friend. Junkrat and Roadhog’s relationship seems to be one of convenience more than anything else, and for the right price, it is easy to imagine Roadhog moving on to assist a far more problematic group like Talon.
Similar to the problem with Reaper, official Overwatch media has struggled to properly portray how intimidating Roadhog can be, and he admittedly shows moments of lightness like his odd love for pachimari. Based on his backstory, though, there are no redeeming qualities about the gas-inhaling, hook-throwing figure. Donning the gas mask and embracing the harsh world he created has only allowed Roadhog to go more off the deep end, and it may only be a matter of time before he starts doing some major damage to the world once again.
Overwatch 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
