The Savior, The Scourge… and now the Successor. Akande Ogundimu is Doomfist—and he’s playable now on Overwatch’s public test region.
And it all started with a line in the Overwatch cinematic trailer: “That’s Doomfist’s gauntlet! Oh man, they said he could level a skyscraper!” The community latched on to that line—and then, to Brooklyn Nine-nine actor Terry Crews. Blizzard had remained quiet on the potential hero for months, until now. Doomfist is here.
A generational hero, the Doomfist mantle is inherited from one hero to the next. There’s been three: The Savior, The Scourge, and the Successor. Until today, Ogundimu’s likeness was shrouded in darkness. Now a prominent member of Talon, Doomfist is a threat to the people of Numbani—but he wasn’t always a bad guy, according to lore just released today.
Part of a prominent Nigerian family, Ogundimu has a prized fighter, skilled in traditional African fighting styles as well as wrestling. His intuition was his main strength, but his speed and strength rivaled it. After losing his arm in the aftermath of the Omnic Crisis, however, Ogundimu was unable to fight. The heir to his family’s prosthetic-technology company, he was able to get a stronger, more powerful arm—but he still couldn’t fight in tournaments.
The Scourge eventually approached Ogundimu, inviting him to fight alongside the second Doomfist. That’s where he was introduced to Talon—and began to believe that humanity could only be made stronger through conflict. It resonated with Ogundimu, who only became more powerful once losing his arm.
That power only rose when Ogundimu killed the Scourge to take over the namesake gauntlet. The Successor was born. He became a prominent leader in Talon, alongside the likes of fellow Overwatch hero Reaper. A council of leaders oversee Talon, and Doomfist plays a major part there.
Doomfist was working to “someday engulf the world” when he was captured by an Overwatch strike team: Tracer, Winston, and Genji. That’s how he landed in Helix Securities maximum security prison.
The history
Banners of Doomfist’s likeness are strewn across Numbani. Celebrating the city’s Unity Day (Numbani is a city of peace) Doomfist’s history in the city is on display. For a while, the city was safe from threat, but that’s no longer true.
A news update posted by Blizzard detailed the events that helped Doomfist break out of the Helix Securities jail. A private security firm financed by the United Nations, Helix Securities operates as a global security force. Sound familiar? That’s where Overwatch hero Fareeha Amari, also known as Pharah, works as security chief.
According to a story from the Times of Numbani, Talon was wholly responsible for his escape from Helix. Two Overwatch heroes in particular played a massive role: Reaper and, likely, Sombra.
“The unidentified assailant easily overcame the Helix security agents,” the post said, “leaving over a dozen dead. Medical records of the casualties reveal injuries and cellular degeneration matching other incidents involving the mercenary known as the Reaper, all but confirming the incursion as a Talon attack.”
The post pointed the blame directly at Reaper. A Sombra mention, however, is a bit more subtle.
Security scans initially reported that there were no passengers on the aircraft. Likewise, the plane passed through Helix Securities’ defense systems without trouble. There could have been moles with Helix, the post read, but we’ve got another idea. Sombra may have hacked Helix’s systems. She’s even got a voice line that mentions hacking Helix’s firewalls.
After leaving the Helix Securities facility, Doomfist resurfaced in Numbani at the airport attack. But he’s not the only trouble that escaped from Helix. Nothing is confirmed yet, but apparently other dangerous assets may have also escaped. With little trouble, he destroyed the city’s OR-15 defense bots designed to protect Numbani from threats. The Numbani International Airport is now in ruins. Bits and pieces of the city’s defense bots—OR15 units—are strewn across the airport lounge.
Not to mention, the Doomfist is no longer encased in the Numbani payload, and, as expected, it was Doomfist who took it. Only broken glass remains in its place.
The future
With Doomfist back in charge of Talon, the world of Overwatch is not safe. Talon represents conflict—Overwatch directly opposes it. It’s likely we’ll see these two organizations clash soon, as Doomfist’s entrance into Overwatch pushes the narrative forward. There are so many questions still to be answered, however: Who are Doomfist’s allies within Talon? What’s his relationship to Sombra, Widowmaker, and Reaper?
Most importantly, how will Overwatch respond to his escape?
