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[[File:Links.png|left|thumb|Sombra examining the conspiracy]]
 
[[File:Links.png|left|thumb|Sombra examining the conspiracy]]
Colomar received cybernetic grafts on her spinal cord and her brain and re-emerged as "Sombra," a powerful (and devilishly charismatic) technomancer capable of manipulating computers and technology with the whim of her fingertips as if the data were an extension of herself. In her words, "the girl was gone."<ref name = "SombraOrigin"/> Determined to find out the truth behind the conspiracy she had uncovered<ref name = "Sombra"/> to "find out who really runs the world,"<ref name = "SombraOrigin"/> Sombra launched an even more audacious string of hacks,<ref name = "Sombra"/> initiating a world-wide hacking spree,<ref name="hacking newspaper"/> striking against governments, organizations,<ref name = "Searching"/> and corporations such as [[LumériCo]] and [[Volskaya Industries]].<ref name = "What'sNew"/> Her exploits earned her no shortage of admirers, including [[Talon]]. She joined the organization's ranks and is believed to have contributed to its massive cyber-attacks against corporations with strong ties to their governments.<ref name = "Sombra"/> While in Talon, she met a combat medic named Baptiste, and over time, the two became close friends. While Baptiste ended up leaving Talon, she kept an eye on him, interested to see what her old friend was getting up to.<ref name = "BaptisteQA">2019-03-13, [https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/overwatch/t/baptiste-developer-q-a-answers/317030 Baptiste - Developer Q&A Answers]. ''Blizzard Entertainment'', accessed on 2019-03-14</ref>
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Colomar received cybernetic grafts on her spinal cord and her brain and re-emerged as "Sombra," a powerful (and devilishly charismatic) technomancer capable of manipulating computers and technology with the whim of her fingertips as if the data were an extension of herself. In her words, "the girl was gone."<ref name = "SombraOrigin"/> Determined to find out the truth behind the conspiracy she had uncovered<ref name = "Sombra"/> to "find out who really runs the world,"<ref name = "SombraOrigin"/> Sombra launched an even more audacious string of hacks,<ref name = "Sombra"/> initiating a world-wide hacking spree,<ref name="hacking newspaper"/> striking against governments, organizations,<ref name = "Searching"/> and corporations such as [[LumériCo]] and [[Volskaya Industries]].<ref name = "What'sNew"/> Her exploits earned her no shortage of admirers, including [[Talon]].<ref name = "Sombra"/>
   
===What You Left Behind===
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===Talon===
  +
Sombra joined Talon's ranks and is believed to have contributed to its massive cyber-attacks against corporations with strong ties to their governments.<ref name = "Sombra"/> While in Talon, she met a combat medic named Baptiste, and over time, the two became close friends. While Baptiste ended up leaving Talon, she kept an eye on him, interested to see what her old friend was getting up to.<ref name = "BaptisteQA">2019-03-13, [https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/overwatch/t/baptiste-developer-q-a-answers/317030 Baptiste - Developer Q&A Answers]. ''Blizzard Entertainment'', accessed on 2019-03-14</ref>
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====Code of Violence====
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{{Stub}}
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====What You Left Behind====
 
{{Quote|Hey mijo. It's been awhile.<br/>Hey Sombra. Can you do me a favor?|Sombra and Baptiste}}
 
{{Quote|Hey mijo. It's been awhile.<br/>Hey Sombra. Can you do me a favor?|Sombra and Baptiste}}
   
 
A few days after the [[Overwatch (group)|Overwatch]] recall order, Baptiste contacted Sombra. He requested her aid in contacting Dr. [[Angela Ziegler]], to warn her that Talon might be targeting her.<ref>''[[What You Left Behind]]''</ref>
 
A few days after the [[Overwatch (group)|Overwatch]] recall order, Baptiste contacted Sombra. He requested her aid in contacting Dr. [[Angela Ziegler]], to warn her that Talon might be targeting her.<ref>''[[What You Left Behind]]''</ref>
   
===Dethroning the King Viper===
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====Dethroning the King Viper====
 
Still with Talon<ref name = "Sombra"/> Sombra worked with Los Muertos again, and was able to hack the website of LumériCo, posting claims that its CEO, [[Guillermo Portero]], was plundering the riches of Mexico to fill his own purse, that he had corrupted the government, and wouldn't stop until the entire country was under his control.<ref>2016-10-26, [http://overwatch.blizzplanet.com/blog/comments/sombra-arg-lumerico-website-update-oct-25 Sombra ARG: Lumerico Website Update (Oct 25)]. ''Blizzplanet'', accessed on 2016-10-27</ref> Sombra was able to infiltrate Portero's personal email, and use it without Portero knowing about the intrusion. She sent out an email via Portero's own webmail, promising to unveil his "dirty laundry" to the public.<ref>2016-10-19, [http://overwatch.blizzplanet.com/blog/comments/sombra-arg-lumerico-website/3 Sombra ARG: Lumerico Website]. ''Blizzplanet'', accessed on 2016-11-04</ref> Sombra successfully released a number of internal documents to the public, catching the attention of both Mexican law enforcement and [[Atlas News]]. The documents indicated that Portero used the company's funds as his own piggy bank, that he was personally involved in bribing public officials and creating a system of kickbacks and payoffs beneficial to LumériCo, and finally, that he proposed a plan to seize privately held land via government expropriation to expand LumériCo's facilities throughout Mexico. The emails also showed that LumériCo was in conversations with the [[Vishkar Corporation]], in regards to exporting its energy systems; a cause of concern given the company's actions in [[Rio de Janeiro]].
 
Still with Talon<ref name = "Sombra"/> Sombra worked with Los Muertos again, and was able to hack the website of LumériCo, posting claims that its CEO, [[Guillermo Portero]], was plundering the riches of Mexico to fill his own purse, that he had corrupted the government, and wouldn't stop until the entire country was under his control.<ref>2016-10-26, [http://overwatch.blizzplanet.com/blog/comments/sombra-arg-lumerico-website-update-oct-25 Sombra ARG: Lumerico Website Update (Oct 25)]. ''Blizzplanet'', accessed on 2016-10-27</ref> Sombra was able to infiltrate Portero's personal email, and use it without Portero knowing about the intrusion. She sent out an email via Portero's own webmail, promising to unveil his "dirty laundry" to the public.<ref>2016-10-19, [http://overwatch.blizzplanet.com/blog/comments/sombra-arg-lumerico-website/3 Sombra ARG: Lumerico Website]. ''Blizzplanet'', accessed on 2016-11-04</ref> Sombra successfully released a number of internal documents to the public, catching the attention of both Mexican law enforcement and [[Atlas News]]. The documents indicated that Portero used the company's funds as his own piggy bank, that he was personally involved in bribing public officials and creating a system of kickbacks and payoffs beneficial to LumériCo, and finally, that he proposed a plan to seize privately held land via government expropriation to expand LumériCo's facilities throughout Mexico. The emails also showed that LumériCo was in conversations with the [[Vishkar Corporation]], in regards to exporting its energy systems; a cause of concern given the company's actions in [[Rio de Janeiro]].
   
 
Law enforcement categorized the break-ins as a criminal action, and Atlas News reported on the "Sombra collective," mistaking Colomar's identity as a group, not an individual. Sombra claimed that she was "only acting the public interest."<ref>2016-10-28, [https://playoverwatch.com/en-us/blog/20353652 LUMÉRICO REVELATIONS: CEO GUILLERMO PORTERO UNDER FIRE]. ''Blizzard Entertainment'', accessed on 2016-11-15</ref> Her efforts incited a popular revolution in Mexico against LumériCo,<ref name = "Sombra"/> and pro-Sombra grafitti was reported across the world. Less than a week after the leak, Portero stepped down as CEO. By this point, Sombra was already hacking the network of her next target&mdash;[[Volskaya Industries]].<ref name = "StepsDown">2016-11-03, [https://playoverwatch.com/en-us/blog/20356130 LUMÉRICO CEO STEPS DOWN]. ''Blizzard Entertainment'', accessed on 2016-11-15</ref>
 
Law enforcement categorized the break-ins as a criminal action, and Atlas News reported on the "Sombra collective," mistaking Colomar's identity as a group, not an individual. Sombra claimed that she was "only acting the public interest."<ref>2016-10-28, [https://playoverwatch.com/en-us/blog/20353652 LUMÉRICO REVELATIONS: CEO GUILLERMO PORTERO UNDER FIRE]. ''Blizzard Entertainment'', accessed on 2016-11-15</ref> Her efforts incited a popular revolution in Mexico against LumériCo,<ref name = "Sombra"/> and pro-Sombra grafitti was reported across the world. Less than a week after the leak, Portero stepped down as CEO. By this point, Sombra was already hacking the network of her next target&mdash;[[Volskaya Industries]].<ref name = "StepsDown">2016-11-03, [https://playoverwatch.com/en-us/blog/20356130 LUMÉRICO CEO STEPS DOWN]. ''Blizzard Entertainment'', accessed on 2016-11-15</ref>
   
=== Attack on Volskaya ===
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==== Attack on Volskaya ====
 
[[File:Boop 1.png|thumb|Sombra in Volskaya Industries]]
 
[[File:Boop 1.png|thumb|Sombra in Volskaya Industries]]
 
Sombra, with [[Widowmaker]] and [[Reaper]], infiltrated Volskaya Industries to assassinate it's CEO, [[Katya Volskaya]]. Sombra deactivated the security alerts and turrets within the facility to allow Reaper and Widowmaker access. The mission appeared to go without a hitch, Widowmaker was unable to get a clear line of sight before the operation was interrupted by an alarm&mdash;one that Sombra had set off herself. Widowmaker held the perimeter while Reaper cleared the ground floor, he was unable to get to Katya in the elevator and was forced to confront a [[mech]] as she fled to safety. Sombra gave chase, killing and incapacitating Volskaya guards, until she made it into Katya's lock-downed office. While ostensibly there to kill the CEO, Sombra played a different game, revealing her intentions to be Katya's "friend." A friend with benefits, for if Katya helped her out from time to time, she wouldn't leak evidence that Katya had been receiving technology from omnics in order to help her country in the [[Second Omnic Crisis]]. Sombra also noted how exposure would affect "the future of Russia" while handing Katya the photo of her daughter from her desk, hinting at how the fallout of a scandal would impact her.<ref name = "Infiltration"/> Sombra's motives for gaining Katya as an informant was to help her uncover the greater global conspiracy she had discovered.<ref name = "Searching"/> As her security was nearly through with getting the door open, Katya agreed to the terms, and Sombra teleported out of the office, reporting to her comrades that the operation had failed. The Talon operatives returned to the ship, with only Sombra in good cheer.<ref name = "Infiltration">''[[Infiltration]]''</ref>
 
Sombra, with [[Widowmaker]] and [[Reaper]], infiltrated Volskaya Industries to assassinate it's CEO, [[Katya Volskaya]]. Sombra deactivated the security alerts and turrets within the facility to allow Reaper and Widowmaker access. The mission appeared to go without a hitch, Widowmaker was unable to get a clear line of sight before the operation was interrupted by an alarm&mdash;one that Sombra had set off herself. Widowmaker held the perimeter while Reaper cleared the ground floor, he was unable to get to Katya in the elevator and was forced to confront a [[mech]] as she fled to safety. Sombra gave chase, killing and incapacitating Volskaya guards, until she made it into Katya's lock-downed office. While ostensibly there to kill the CEO, Sombra played a different game, revealing her intentions to be Katya's "friend." A friend with benefits, for if Katya helped her out from time to time, she wouldn't leak evidence that Katya had been receiving technology from omnics in order to help her country in the [[Second Omnic Crisis]]. Sombra also noted how exposure would affect "the future of Russia" while handing Katya the photo of her daughter from her desk, hinting at how the fallout of a scandal would impact her.<ref name = "Infiltration"/> Sombra's motives for gaining Katya as an informant was to help her uncover the greater global conspiracy she had discovered.<ref name = "Searching"/> As her security was nearly through with getting the door open, Katya agreed to the terms, and Sombra teleported out of the office, reporting to her comrades that the operation had failed. The Talon operatives returned to the ship, with only Sombra in good cheer.<ref name = "Infiltration">''[[Infiltration]]''</ref>
   
=== Reflections ===
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==== Reflections ====
 
[[File:McCree and Sombra in Calaveras.png|thumb|Sombra and [[McCree|Cassidy]] at Calaveras]]
 
[[File:McCree and Sombra in Calaveras.png|thumb|Sombra and [[McCree|Cassidy]] at Calaveras]]
 
Sombra spent Christmas drinking at the bar in [[Calaveras]].<ref>''[[Tracer: Reflections]]''</ref>
 
Sombra spent Christmas drinking at the bar in [[Calaveras]].<ref>''[[Tracer: Reflections]]''</ref>
   
===The Hero of Numbani===
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====Searching====
{{Spoiler|Title=[[The Hero of Numbani]]|Text=Using the Wi-Fi signature 344X-Azúcar, Sombra participated in [[Doomfist]]'s attack on the Numbani airport by hacking the airport's security cameras. Later, Efi witnessed her hacking the Omnics working at an [[Axiom]] warehouse. Efi was able to stop the attack using an antidote program.}}
 
 
===Searching===
 
 
{{Quote|You!<br/>Uh, yes, me.|Zarya confronts Sombra}}
 
{{Quote|You!<br/>Uh, yes, me.|Zarya confronts Sombra}}
 
[[File:Sombra-searching.jpg|thumb|Sombra 'greets' Zarya]]
 
[[File:Sombra-searching.jpg|thumb|Sombra 'greets' Zarya]]
 
Katya, not keen on being Sombra's 'friend', dispatched Russian soldier [[Zarya|Aleksandra "Zarya" Zaryanova]] to track her down. Alongside the [[omnic]] [[Lynx Seventeen]], Zarya caught up with Sombra in Dorado. The two exchanged words and bullets, but Zarya was able to incapacitate Sombra through a [[graviton surge]]. Sombra warned Zarya that if anything happened to her, Katya's secrets would be revealed to the world, including her dealings with omnics. Zarya in turn revealed that she knew Sombra's real name, which briefly fazed the hacker. However, Sombra maintained that she wanted Katya to remain in power, as she wanted her as a source for information. However, the conversation reached its end as Lynx collapsed (as Sombra had hacked them in [[Numbani]] when they'd tried to trace her), and revealed that the warehouse they were in would be destroyed in an explosion in one minute. Zarya rescued Lynx and let Sombra live.<ref name = "Searching"/>
 
Katya, not keen on being Sombra's 'friend', dispatched Russian soldier [[Zarya|Aleksandra "Zarya" Zaryanova]] to track her down. Alongside the [[omnic]] [[Lynx Seventeen]], Zarya caught up with Sombra in Dorado. The two exchanged words and bullets, but Zarya was able to incapacitate Sombra through a [[graviton surge]]. Sombra warned Zarya that if anything happened to her, Katya's secrets would be revealed to the world, including her dealings with omnics. Zarya in turn revealed that she knew Sombra's real name, which briefly fazed the hacker. However, Sombra maintained that she wanted Katya to remain in power, as she wanted her as a source for information. However, the conversation reached its end as Lynx collapsed (as Sombra had hacked them in [[Numbani]] when they'd tried to trace her), and revealed that the warehouse they were in would be destroyed in an explosion in one minute. Zarya rescued Lynx and let Sombra live.<ref name = "Searching"/>
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====Masquerade====
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{{Stub}}
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====The Hero of Numbani====
 
Using the wi-fi signature 344X-Azúcar, Sombra participated in [[Doomfist]]'s attack on the Numbani airport by hacking the airport's security cameras. Later, [[Efi Oladele]] witnessed her hacking the omnics working at an [[Axiom]] warehouse. Efi was able to stop the attack using an antidote program.<ref>''[[Overwatch: The Hero of Numbani]]''</ref>
   
 
==In-Universe References==
 
==In-Universe References==

Revision as of 09:43, 22 May 2022

Sombra
"Everything can be hacked... and everyone."

Real Name
Olivia Colomar[1]
Status
Alive
Age
30
Nationality
Mexico Mexican[2]
Occupation
Hacker
Base
Dorado, Mexico
Affiliation
Los Muertos (formerly)
Talon (currently)
Carolina Ravassa (English)

Emmanuelle Rivière (French)
Lara Trautmann (German)
Shourei (Mandarin (China))
Lin Fang-syue (Mandarin (Taiwan))
Chiwa Saitō (Japanese)
Kim Yeon-u (Korean)
Carol Crespo (Brazilian Portuguese)
Lourdes Arruti (American Spanish)
Anahí de la Fuente (European Spanish)
Tiziana Martello (Italian)

Cosmetics
Cosmetic page
Quotes
Quotation page
Role
Damage
Health
200
Character Video

Sombra is a Damage hero in Overwatch.

Overview

Stealth and debilitating attacks make Sombra a powerful infiltrator. She is the archetypal technomancer of Overwatch the same way Widowmaker is the archetypal sniper. Her hacking can disrupt her enemies, ensuring they're easier to take out, while her EMP provides the upper hand against multiple foes at once. Sombra’s ability to Translocate and camouflage herself makes her a hard target to pin down.[3]

Abilities

Opportunist
Hero-ability-circle
Ability Sombra Opportunist
Type
Passive Ability
Sombra detects critically injured enemies through walls.

Ability details:
  • Opportunist detects enemies below 50% health.
  • The silhouette has a glowing effect to it, different from other wall vision effects.
  • Reveals enemy health bars that are below 100% to Sombra only, without requiring Sombra to have dealt any damage to them.


Machine Pistol
Key mouse 1
Hero-ability-circle
Ability Sombra Machine Pistol
Type
Weapon
Effect Type
Hitscan Hitscan
Blocked by barriers.
Ignores barriers.
Blocked by Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Ignores Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
Blocked by Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Ignores Deflect/Javelin Spin.
Affected by damage boosts.
Ignores damage boosts.
Affected by Amplification Matrix.
Ignores Amplification Matrix.
Sombra’s fully-automatic machine pistol fires in a short-range spread.
Damage:
2.4–8
Falloff range:
15 to 35 meters
Headshot:
Rate of fire:
20 rounds per second
Ammo:
60
Reload time:
1.4 seconds
Spread angle:
Max: 2.4 degrees
    Example Video


    Hack
    Key mouse 2
    Hero-ability-circle
    Ability Sombra Hack
    8 seconds
    4 seconds (Health Pack)
    2 seconds (broken)
    Type
    Ability
    Effect Type
    Targeted Targeted
    Blocked by barriers.
    Ignores barriers.
    Blocked by Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
    Ignores Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
    Blocked by Deflect/Javelin Spin.
    Ignores Deflect/Javelin Spin.
    Affected by damage boosts.
    Ignores damage boosts.
    Affected by Amplification Matrix.
    Ignores Amplification Matrix.
    Sombra hacks enemies to temporarily stop them from using their abilities, or hacks first aid kits to make them useless to her opponents.
    Cast time:
    0.65 seconds
    Duration:
    Enemies & B.O.B.: 5 seconds
    Health Packs: 60 seconds
    Other: 10 seconds
    Max. range:
    15 meters

    Ability details:
    • Taking damage interrupts Hack and it will go on a 2 second cooldown. If Hack is interrupted without taking any damage, it does not go on cooldown.
    • Barriers break line of sight instantly. Walls also break line of sight, but there is a brief grace period where Hack can continue.
    • Hacked enemies cannot activate their abilities. For passive abilities, Hack only disables the ones that require a button to press. For transformations, Hack cancels transformations from normal abilities, but not from ultimate abilities. Hack also turns off Lúcio's song and disables Sigma's barrier. Hack does not affect weapons.
    • Hacked enemies have their health bar revealed to Sombra's team for 20 seconds. If their ultimate ability is ready, an icon appears on top to show this.
    • Hacked Health Packs respawn four times faster—2.5 seconds for small Health Packs, 3.75 seconds for mega Health Packs—and can be seen through walls to all allies within 30 meters. Hacked Health Packs cannot be used by the enemy team.
    • Although healing from hacked Health Packs is treated as Sombra's, she does not gain any ultimate charge from it.
    • Health Packs cannot be hacked before the game starts.
    • Sombra cannot hack Health Packs that have already been hacked by an enemy Sombra.
    • Hack can also target the following: Ashe's B.O.B., Baptiste's Immortality Field, Orisa's Supercharger, and Torbjörn's turret. With the exception of B.O.B., they are disabled for 10 seconds. Sombra cannot hack Symmetra's Sentry Turrets or teleporter normally, only with the use of EMP
    • Non-heroes that are hacked have a skull above them that drains over time. This represents the duration of the hack.
    • It is possible to target something that is already hacked. In that case, the duration resets.

    Example Video


    Stealth
    LSHIFT
    Hero-ability-circle
    Ability Sombra Thermoptic Camo
    6 seconds
    Type
    Ability
    Sombra becomes invisible for a short period of time, during which her speed is boosted considerably. Attacking, using offensive abilities, or taking damage disables her camouflage.
    Cast time:
    0.75 seconds stealthing/unstealthing
    Duration:
    Area of effect:
    2 meter radius (detection)
    Move. speed:
    +65% buff

    Ability details:
    • While stealthed, Sombra cannot be targeted by auto-targeting attacks (e.g. turrets, Biotic Orb, Deadeye, etc.), unless Sombra is detected.
    • Sombra becomes detected if there is an enemy within 2 meters of her, or through abilities such as Sonic Arrow and Infra-Sight. In case of the former, only the nearby enemy detects Sombra, but in the case of the latter two, the entire enemy team detects Sombra. A "DETECTED!" message will appear at the top of Sombra's screen.
    • The cooldown triggers after the ability is deactivated.
    • Sound effect and voiceover distance is 15 meters.

    Example Video


    Translocator
    E
    Hero-ability-circle
    Ability Sombra Translocator
    6 seconds
    Type
    Ability
    Effect Type
    Arcing projectile Arcing projectile
    Blocked by barriers.
    Ignores barriers.
    Blocked by Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
    Ignores Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
    Blocked by Deflect/Javelin Spin.
    Ignores Deflect/Javelin Spin.
    Affected by damage boosts.
    Ignores damage boosts.
    Affected by Amplification Matrix.
    Ignores Amplification Matrix.
    Sombra tosses out a translocator beacon. She can instantly return to the beacon’s location while it is active (including when it’s in mid-flight).
    Health:
    5
    Duration:
    Projectile speed:
    25 meters per second

    Ability details:
    • Cooldown for Translocator begins immediately upon throwing it, or when it is destroyed.
    • Can be manually destroyed using the Interact key. Destroying it this way does not reset the cooldown.
    • The Translocator bounces off walls but not slopes.
    • Sombra has a very brief moment of invincibility upon translocating.

    Example Video


    EMP
    Q
    Hero-ability-circle
    Ability Sombra EMP
    1400 points
    Type
    Ultimate Ability
    Effect Type
    Area of effect Area of effect
    Blocked by barriers.
    Ignores barriers.
    Blocked by Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
    Ignores Defense Matrix/Kinetic Grasp.
    Blocked by Deflect/Javelin Spin.
    Ignores Deflect/Javelin Spin.
    Affected by damage boosts.
    Ignores damage boosts.
    Affected by Amplification Matrix.
    Ignores Amplification Matrix.
    Sombra discharges electromagnetic energy in a wide radius, destroying enemy barriers and shields and hacking all opponents caught in the blast.
    Damage:
    10,000 against barriers and shields
    Cast time:
    0.35 second activation + 0.3 second recovery
    Duration:
    Same as Hack.
    Area of effect:
    15 meters

    Ability details:
    • In addition to everything Hack can hack, EMP also hacks Symmetra's Sentry Turrets, Symmetra's Teleporter, and Wrecking Ball's Proximity Mines for 10 seconds. They must be within Sombra's line of sight, ignoring barriers.
    • EMP inflicts 10,000 damage to all barriers and shields in the area. EMP also destroys Baptiste's Amplification Matrix.
    • If Zarya projects a barrier on a target with shields (e.g. herself), the barrier protects the shields, but the target will still be hacked.
    • Unlike other ultimate abilities Sombra alerts her entire team regardless of distance from her that she had used her EMP. This is done by Sombra's image appearing in the bottom right hand corner of the screen to all allies accompanied by a radio transmission sounding "EMP activated."
    • Sombra cannot gain ultimate charge until after EMP wears off for enemy heroes.
    • Sombra receives a small vertical boost from activating EMP.

    Example Video


    Strategy

    Stealth and debilitating attacks makes Sombra a powerful infiltrator. Her hacking can disrupt her enemies, ensuring that they're easier to take out, while her EMP provides the upper hand against multiple foes at once. Sombra’s ability to Translocate and camouflage herself makes her a hard target to pin down. She lacks alternative means of dealing damage, so using Opportunist and Hack can help even the odds between Sombra and her opponents.

    Weapons & Abilities

    • Opportunist: Sombra's passive ability. Sombra will see through walls the position of any enemy whose health is less than 50%. She also sees any enemy health bar when they aren't in full health. Only Sombra alone can gain this enhanced vision, as her allies do not.
      • Communication is vital to utilize this ability to its fullest; Opportunist specifically highlights targets who are low on health, which is vital information Sombra can share with her teammates.
      • Always keep in mind that Opportunist sees anything below 50% health, so some enemies may not be as weak as you think. Don't charge in against large health pools like Roadhog, since his 50% is almost double your full health.
    • Machine Pistol: Sombra's primary weapon. Her Machine Pistol shoots in a very fast fire-rate and has a large magazine. It has a large spread and deals little damage per shot. The gun works best in short-range combat, as it has damage falloff around mid-range.
      • While the Machine Pistol is lacking in accuracy at range, it makes up for that in magazine size and fire rate. Sombra can unload onto close-range targets and dispatch them with ease, especially when aiming for headshots.
      • The Machine Pistol's reload is finished slightly after Sombra inserts the magazine into the gun, not after the animation completes.
      • Early reloading of the Machine Pistol can be cancelled by activating Hack during the reload animation.
    • Hack: Sombra's key ability. The Hack can be performed by pressing secondary fire towards a target for 0.65 second. After Sombra finishes the Hack, the enemy will have their abilities disabled for 5 seconds. Sombra can also hack health packs to make them respawn even faster while simultaneously preventing the enemy from using it. Sustaining any amount of damage during the activation of Hack will interrupt the ability.
      • Hack will disable most active abilities. Some secondary attacks that are shown in the ability interface (such as Soldier: 76's Helix Rockets) will also be disabled. Most passive abilities will work like normal, except those that require button presses.
      • In terms of player objects, Torbjörn's Turret can be hacked and be deactivated for 10 seconds once placed. Orisa's Supercharger can also be hacked once placed to disable its effect. Conversely, Symmetra's Turrets and Teleporters can only be hacked with EMP. Untargetable objects, such as Mei's Blizzard robot, Widowmaker's Venom Mine, Junkrat's Concussion Mines and Traps, and an enemy Sombra's Translocator cannot be hacked.
      • Sombra can hack health packs that are still on cooldown, but can't hack any health packs already hacked by an enemy Sombra.
      • Hack cannot target enemies protected by a barrier.
      • Hacking an enemy will show their health bar and ultimate status when it is ready, which is visible to Sombra and her teammates.
      • Since Hack will notify your target of your presence, it can sometimes be better not to do it, even if it will make them weaker. Bastion in Sentry mode is a good example of where it may be more valuable to just go straight for the kill.
    • Stealth: This is the main method for Sombra to infiltrate the enemy team. She will cloak herself and enter into an invisible status with increased movement speed. Any offensive actions, emotes, or taking any amount of damage will break the invisibility.
      • The cooldown triggers after the stealth is broken.
      • Sombra will say a voiceline whenever she comes out of Stealth that can be heard by enemy players within 15 meters.
      • Sombra can perform a couple of actions while remaining cloaked, such as throwing/activating her Translocator and reloading her Machine Pistol. However, she is unable to contest/move objectives while cloaked.
      • Sombra will be detected by any enemy hero/turret she comes within 2 meters of, which causes an audio cue to play for both Sombra and the enemy. Certain abilities such as Hanzo's Sonic Arrow or Widowmaker's Infra-Sight will also detect her.
      • Sometimes using the speed boost is more important than the invisibility itself; you can use it to run towards objectives and rely on your Translocator to get you out of danger instead.
      • There is a somewhat lengthy period between when Sombra breaks out of stealth and when she can act. When you intend to cancel your camouflage, know that you will be vulnerable for this time, so choose your location carefully.
      • When beginning a cloak, Sombra is visible for the entire cloak animation until the animation ends and she becomes fully cloaked.
      • Most friendly buffs will not reveal Sombra's location, but Zarya's bubble does (and possibly some other buffs). Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do about this except communicate with your team.
    • Translocator: Sombra will throw a beacon in an arc, bouncing off any vertical surface until it hits solid ground. The beacon lasts indefinitely until she activates the ability again to teleport herself back to its location or until it is destroyed.
      • The beacon will have a light effect and pulsing sound effect that are detectable by enemy players that come close enough to its location.
      • The beacon can be destroyed by enemies. Sombra can also remotely destroy it herself by using the Interact button.
      • The cooldown triggers after Sombra activates it or when it is cancelled/destroyed.
      • The time it takes to teleport to the Translocator is not instant, being delayed for a fraction of a second. Keep this in mind when jumping across pits and escaping from enemies when the device isn't planted on ground.
      • Sombra will be invincible for a moment when she recalls. The timing is somewhat precise.
      • When Sombra recalls, a visual effect displays the direction of her teleport, as well as showing at the point of her recall.
      • It can be tempting to place a beacon right on top of a health pack, but enemies will also be looking for packs as well. Instead, place your translocator nearby, so enemies will be less able to destroy or wait next to it to kill you while you're vulnerable.
      • When Sombra teleports, it will purge the burning effect from Ashe's Dynamite.
    • EMP (Ultimate): Sombra's ultimate ability. Sombra discharges her energy and creates a blast in a large radius around herself. All enemies within the blast will be Hacked and unable to use any abilities for 5 seconds. Any active barrier from enemies will be destroyed. It also destroys shields on all targets, including Symmetra's Teleporter.
      • EMP is able to pierce through barriers to hack multiple targets, and hack all health packs in the area of effect.
      • EMP's blast doesn't go through walls, floors, ceilings, or solid objects. Keep this in mind when moving into position to activate EMP.
      • EMP is an excellent "initiator" ability; that is to say, it should be the first ultimate to be used during a team fight, as it can leave the enemy team with no abilities or barriers to escape or protect them from your teammates' ultimates.
      • EMP is the only way to hack Symmetra's Sentry Turrets and Teleporters, which disables them for the duration. Orisa's Supercharger and Torbjorn's Turret will be hacked and disabled as well. Other objects that cannot be targeted by Hack will continue to be unaffected by EMP.

    General strategies

    • Choose fights carefully. Sombra requires planning before taking engagements to maximize her chances. If you're going for a backline kill, determine your target ahead of time and consider if and how many of the enemy team can potentially one-shot you. Heroes like Cassidy and Roadhog can often stun and kill you before you are able to escape.
    • Timing is critical for Sombra. Engaging when your team is not fighting the enemy means more opponents can freely target you. If you're planning a distraction, use your team's chevrons to determine if they are in position to capitilize. Communicating who you have lured away from the choke is also useful for your team.
    • Adaptability is also crucial for Sombra. You need to be able to recognize when you need to remain back with your team to peel an enemy flanker like Genji, to infiltrate the backlines and land a critical hack, or to constantly pressure the enemy team by contesting the objective and pulling them from the choke. Often you will switch between all of these styles in the same match. Keeping tabs on what the enemy is running, the kill feed, and your own team's communication is key to determining what you need to be doing.
    • Sombra's stealth and translocator allow her to get behind enemy lines easier than any hero. Getting the jump on an enemy Widowmaker or taking down Reinhardt's shield with a good Hack can mean all the difference when trying to take a point. Remember, however, that she cannot take on a whole team by herself. Be sure to communicate with your team so they can jump in after you've done your piece.
    • Highground is very useful for Sombra, try to utilize it as frequently as you can. It acts as a sort of defense against some heroes and it is easier to pull off hacks from above. Additionally, Sombra's gun is deceptive — its range and spread is good enough to fight from the high ground, and the angle will help you land headshots.
    • If Sombra takes any damage of any kind, stealth is instantly broken. As such, try to avoid running through fights while invisible; you may get caught in the crossfire and become exposed as a result. Coming within 2 meters of enemies will cause you to be detected, allowing turrets to target you.
    • Sombra is highly reliant on her teammates to capitalize on her abilities during team fights. Communicating with your teammates on enemies with low HP, your intended hack target, and when you are going to use EMP is necessary to realize her full potential during team play.
    • Translocator
      • A common mistake with the Translocator is to deploy it in places where it removes Sombra from engagements for extended periods of time, such as placing it in spawn or rarely traveled healthpacks. These places are likely safe, but translocating to them effectively puts your team down a member. Try to place your translocator in places that give you the most options. High-ground positions that give you the choice of continuing the fight, retreating to get healed by your team, or if necessary, to grab a nearby health pack, are ideal positions.
      • Don't be afraid to use the translocator as more than a means of escape. It provides Sombra with some of the best mobility in the game, and also has useful utility. Use it to take the high ground mid-fight to throw off your opponent's aim, or to avoid important cool-downs such as Helix Rocket or Chain Hook and turn the fight in your favor. It can also open hack opportunities that might otherwise be difficult to secure, such as hacking a flying Pharah.
      • The Translocator is a visible object to enemies on the map. An observant player may note your Translocator and either destroy it or wait nearby for you to appear. To help prevent this, be unpredictable with your translocator placement. Avoid repeatedly placing it in the same area, on top of or nearby healthpacks, and try not to keep it down for long periods of time.
    • Hack
      • Priortizing who to hack is a core part of mastering the ability. Try to think of who would be the most affected by a Hack, and keep in mind that it also highly depends on the current situation. Instead of a support hero such as Mercy or Ana — perhaps there is a Genji harassing your backline that your team is having trouble pinning down, or you've spotted a hiding Reaper who may have his Ultimate ready.
      • Choose your hack targets wisely. At a cooldown of 8 seconds, wasting it on a health pack closer to your respawn that your team won't end up using may mean you won't be ready to hack an enemy or health pack closer to the objective or at a choke point.
      • Don't underestimate the power of hacking Health packs; although it no longer generates ultimate charge, they still respawn quicker and are unusable by the enemy. However, it is important to prioritize hacking packs based on their use by your teammates and/or denying their use from the enemy team.
    • EMP
      • EMP has a variety of potential uses. Identify the most valuble use for the EMP before popping it. Using it as an initiation ult can be effective, but if you miss the enemy Zenyatta, he may cancel out your push by using his Transcendence.
      • Determine whether or not you need to use your Translocator to pull off an EMP, or if you can place it somewhere nearby and then use it to reposition and take advantage of your ult. Sometimes you can simply drop from high ground, use EMP, and then translocate back and fight from above.
      • Coordination is key to ensure that your teammates are in position and have their abilities ready to follow-up on your EMP, lest you waste it and only inconvenience the enemy team for the 6 seconds they are hacked.

    Match-Ups and Team Synergy

    Tank

    Hero Match-Up Team Synergy
    Icon-dva
    D.Va
    A battle against D.Va all comes down to whether or not you land a hack. If you hack the D.Va, she's rendered useless, a slow brick with pitiful gunfire that can't fly or negate attacks. Even in a one-on-one fight, a hacked D.Va is easy prey. Should the D.Va catch you before you land the hack, though, you will have more difficulty fighting her. However, if you hang back behind your team, you can usually hack D.Va while she's distracted, as she'll often be using her Defense Matrix before being able to react to your hack. Just be wary that D.Va has much higher health than you, and if you fail to hack her in a one-on-one fight, a skilled D.Va can easily track you down and take you out, regardless of whether you Translocate (since she can just follow your trail of light). Shattering enemy barriers with your EMP can pave the way for a full team wipe with D.Va's Self-Destruct. In general, it's better to have the D.Va use her ability before yours; this way, the enemy team will more likely huddle around a barrier for you to break with EMP and not be able to react in time, whereas if you activate EMP first, they'll be more likely to split apart and flee.
    Icon-orisa
    Orisa
    Hacking Orisa unfortunately doesn't have quite the same impact as Hacking other Tanks does. All you remove is her ability to activate Fortify, Halt! and Protective Barrier, but her high health and Fusion Driver primary attack can help her fend for herself even once hacked. EMP will shatter her barrier, though, which can help your team push forward or utilize a team-wiping Ultimate in conjunction with yours. A Hack or EMP will temporarily shut down her Supercharger, but in most situations it would be simpler to sneak up to it and shoot it down. While Sombra typically shouldn't be fighting on the front lines, a full team boosted by Supercharger can help finish off weakened targets who Sombra can see and call out with her Opportunist ability.
    Icon-reinhardt
    Reinhardt
    Reinhardt is by far one of Sombra's easiest marks. While you can't hack through his shield, it's simple enough through stealth to get behind or above him to perform a hack, at which point he becomes nearly useless, allowing your previously held back team to move in and steamroll the opposition. At close range he may be dangerous, but it's incredibly simple to toss your Translocator and flee his low range. Even Fire Strike is easy enough to avoid if you see it coming. When activating EMP, Reinhardt should always be one of your top priorities to hit with it. Not only does EMP negate his abilities as usual, but if his shield is active at the time it will be destroyed. Even if he survives the following assault, his shield will have incredibly low health, making him an easy target. One of the only counters to Reinhardt's powerful Earthshatter Ultimate is an enemy barrier. With that in mind, hacking an enemy Reinhardt or performing an EMP to shatter all barriers in the vicinity can pave the way for your allied Reinhardt to smash the enemy team.
    Icon-roadhog
    Roadhog
    If you're hooked by Roadhog, you're easy pickings. However, if you manage to hack him, like all Tanks he becomes much easier to handle. Losing his Hook and Take a Breather makes him a large target with a short range and a low clip size. However, he still has sizable health, which may make it difficult to kill him before your hack wears off or if he has a friendly healer nearby. With your stealth abilities, it should be easy enough to hack him before he can notice you. Even when hacked, his Scrap Gun can still deal heavy damage, so be wary and try to avoid its fire. Your Machine Pistol's large spread means you'll need to fight Roadhog rather close to effectively damage him, which is where he's more comfortable. Try to converge on him with your team when he's hacked, or keep your distance so he can't deal heavy damage to you. Hacking him during Whole Hog will cancel the ability completely, so try to land a quick hack while he's facing away from you. Using hack or EMP to nullify an enemy barrier can help your Roadhog plow through them with his Whole Hog Ultimate. This will also make it easier for him to hook opponents who may have been protected by barriers.
    Icon-sigma
    Sigma
    Hacking Sigma leaves him unable to reposition Experimental Barrier, but even when hacked his Hyperspheres deal massive damage, so be wary around him. When he is activating Kinetic Grasp, though, he's prone to a quick and easy Hack. Gravitic Flux can be cancelled with Hack or EMP within the cast animation, before he places the ultimate. Hacking or using EMP on enemies can reduce their ability to flee or deploy barriers, which can help a friendly Sigma grab them all with his Gravitic Flux. Also, flankers will see Sigma as a prime target to harass, so if you stay by him and hack any flankers that come his way, you should both be able to quickly eliminate them.
    link=http://overwatch.gamepedia
    Wrecking Ball
    You are one of Wrecking Ball's greatest counters, and one of his greatest nightmares. Wrecking Ball's strength comes from his ability to quickly barrel through an enemy, disrupt them, and flee. By Hacking him, you force him out of his ball and strip him of his mobility, making him a big slow target for you and your team to snuff out. Be sure your team quickly kills him once he's hacked, though, because as soon as his Hack wears off he's certain to attempt a quick getaway. In addition to removing his mobility, EMP will also strip him of any shields that he may have active from Adaptive Shield. In a pinch, a Hack or EMP can shut down the mines of his Minefield. Triggering EMP over a hoard of enemies huddling under a barrier can help ensure that a friendly Wrecking Ball's Minefield hits as many opponents as possible.
    Icon-winston
    Winston
    Due to Winston's constant mobility, it will be more difficult for you to go unnoticed than it would be with other Tanks. His Barrier Projector blocks hacking just like Reinhardt's shield, but unlike Reinhardt, Winston's shield covers him in a 360 degree radius, making it more difficult to sneak behind him and hack him. If you manage to begin a hack on Winston, it's very simple for him to jump away to avoid the hack, and if his jump is on cooldown, he'll usually be close enough during your hack to retaliate with his Tesla Cannon, nullifying the hack. Even if you hack him, his Tesla Cannon will track your movements, making combat with him very difficult. Hacking during Primal Rage won't negate it, but it will stop him from using his Jump Pack, rendering him much less volatile. If you hack an overextending Winston nearer the end of his ultimate, he will be unable to escape or redeploy his barrier, and will usually be easy pickings for your team. On the plus side, EMP will immediately destroy a projected barrier. Still, overall you should keep away from Winston if you can and let your more well-equipped teammates handle him. Hacking mobile heroes or heroes with barrier abilities can help a friendly Winston keep a bead on them and finish them off.
    Icon-zarya
    Zarya
    Hacking Zarya strips her of her shielding abilities. Not only does this nullify her defense, but by removing her ability to charge her gun, it also indirectly weakens her offense as well. Once she's been hacked, she's still more of a formidable foe than the likes of Reinhardt or D.Va, but she's still generally rather easy to handle. EMP not only destroys her active barriers, but it also also eliminates her shields, making her much easier to kill, although she does gain 40 energy per barrier destroyed by EMP. Keep in mind that Zarya can't be targeted by Hack while she has a barrier up, so just back off and wait until the barrier dissipates before performing the hack. A cluster of enemies gathered by Graviton Surge are easy prey for a massive EMP. Be wary of enemy Zenyattas, though, who will instinctively activate Transcendence once his team is grabbed by a Graviton Surge. If the enemy team has a Zenyatta, it's often better to hack him or use EMP before your Zarya activates Graviton Surge, which will keep him from activating Transcendence and secure a team wipe for your allies.

    Damage

    Hero Match-Up Team Synergy
    Icon-ashe
    Ashe
    At a range and up close, Ashe is a very threatening opponent to fight. Hacking her has little impact, as most of her power comes from her impressive rifle. In general it's best to stay out of her line of sight and focus on other opponents to Hack. When Ashe deploys BOB, though, you can Hack him to completely shut him down, an incredibly helpful maneuver. Breaking an enemy's barriers with EMP can not only help a friendly Ashe land more accurate shots, but can also help ensure BOB has a clean line of sight to gun down your enemies.
    Icon-bastion
    Bastion
    If you manage to hack an unaware Bastion, he's forced into Recon Mode, making him an easier target to fight. With your stealth abilities and Bastion's tendency to focus on what's in front of him, it shouldn't be difficult to hack him before he notices you. Don't bother fighting him in Sentry Mode; simply sneak around him and hack him to quickly take him down. Keep in mind that even in Recon configuration, Bastion can put up a decent fight. If he is in Tank Mode, hacking him will not disrupt his transformation, so if he activates his Ultimate it's best to flee until it cools down or fight back if he's weak enough to kill. Hacking or using EMP on enemies can help Bastion run them through quicker, and can help him make easier shots while in Tank Configuration.
    Icon-cassidy
    Cassidy
    If you wish to hack Cassidy, you'll need to catch him by surprise; otherwise, he'll be able to quickly land a shot on you to cancel the hack, if not outright kill you. Should you hack him, though, just stay close range and you should be able to take him out, as without Flashbang or Fan the Hammer, he's not as potent at close range. If the Cassidy hits you with Flashbang by surprise, you will most likely be finished off by Fan the Hammer; however, if you have a Translocator already planted elsewhere, you have a slight chance of one of his shots missing. In this scenario, mash the ability button as quickly as you can, and you may just manage to Translocate to safety. Hacking Cassidy negates Deadeye, so if you hear him activate it nearby, try to sneak up on him and hack him before he can fire. Sombra's hacks can stop tanks like Reinhardt from keeping their barriers up, allowing a friendly Cassidy to make better unblocked shots. Using EMP on a crowd of enemies hiding behind a barrier can help Cassidy wipe them all out with Deadeye.
    Icon-doomfist
    Doomfist
    As Doomfist's power comes from comboing his abilities one after the other, you're one of his harshest counters. Land a quick Hack on him while he's focused on a teammate, and he'll become nearly defenseless. Just be sure to stick with your team when your opponents have a Doomfist, as he'll try to isolate not only your teammates if they're left alone, but also you; if you're trapped in a fight alone with Doomfist, you'll want to use your Translocator to flee as quickly as possible, because a few punches from him will quickly finish you off. As barriers will protect enemies from Doomfist's Meteor Strike, it may be helpful to use EMP to break through them to give your friendly Doomfist a clear shot.
    Icon-echo
    Echo
    Hacking Echo removes her incredible mobility as well as a lot of her kill potential because she will not be able to use sticky bombs or focusing beam and will have to rely solely on her tri-shots, which your machine pistol can beat out most of the time in close to mid range combat. However, Echo is very difficult to kill if you don't get the hack off, because she can easily fly out of your effective range and burst you down, so if she thwarts your hack attempt, translocate away. Try to hack Echo out of the sky if she's flying over your teammates, as you can drop her onto them with no way to escape. In addition, if Echo ever uses Duplicate, hacking her can take away a lot of her ultimate's value as the whole point is to use the ultimate or abilities of another hero. (To be added)
    Icon-genji
    Genji
    When hacked, Genji can do very little against Sombra; at the loss of his Swift Strike, Cyber Agility and Deflect, all he has are his Shuriken, which are far less effective than your Machine Pistol at close to mid range. Hacking after a Swift Strike or during Deflect is incredibly easy, as Genji is unable to attack back during the duration of the hack. You can also use your stealth abilities to get around Genji and hack him before he can notice you. When unhacked, Genji is more difficult to deal with. It's wise to have a Translocator ready at a safe location if he gets you to low health so you can warp away. If he attempts to Deflect your fire, that's a perfect time to perform a hack and seal his fate. Hacking during Dragonblade doesn't cancel his Ultimate, but it does stop him from performing Swift Strike, making the Ultimate much less potent. Hacking or using EMP on enemies can help make them easier targets for a friendly Genji, especially when he's using his Dragonblade.
    Icon-hanzo
    Hanzo
    It's easy enough to close the gap with Hanzo with Translocator and Thermoptic Camo; the problem is fighting him once you've done so. Even if you hack him, that only removes his trick arrows, and his primary fire is still powerful enough to handle himself in a fight. Try to jump around frequently to avoid his fire, and you should be alright. Be wary of Hanzo's Sonic Arrow while camouflaged; you will receive a notice that you're being detected, so watch out for stray arrows flying your way. A quick hack can disrupt Dragonstrike, but the timing has to be precise, making this a very difficult maneuver. Hacks or an EMP can immobilize quick heroes such as Tracer or Winston, which can make them easier shots for Hanzo's standard fire as well as his Dragonstrike.
    Icon-junkrat
    Junkrat
    Hacking Junkrat will cause him to lose his Concussion Mine and Steel Trap, but it will only take a few of his grenades to quickly kill you. If you keep your distance when attacking, though, you should be alright. If you manage to hack him while activating Rip-Tire, it will cancel Rip-Tire while consuming his Ultimate charge; however, the timing on this is extremely precise, so it's not likely you'll catch him in the act. Instead, if you hear him activating his Ultimate, your stealth and speed should make it easy to find his vulnerable body, allowing you to quickly shoot him down. Removing barriers with EMP or hacking enemies such as Reinhardt can give Junkrat clearer shots with his grenades, as well as helping him hit more enemies with RIP-Tire.
    Icon-mei
    Mei
    By hacking Mei, you deny her of her two greatest defensive stalling assets, her Ice Walls and Cryo-Freeze. While a Mei will normally try to stall an objective while her team regroups, hacking her makes her incredibly easy to pick off by you or your team. It helps that you can keep your distance while hacking and avoid her primary fire, and you should be able to avoid her icicle shots until she's hacked. Once she's hacked, you can quickly mow her down without breaking a sweat. Just be careful not to get too cocky; even if she's hacked, she can still freeze you solid and follow up with a headshot, so keep your fight at a distance so you won't get frozen. Have a Translocator planted nearby in case she starts freezing you. EMP can keep heroes with mobility abilities from fleeing Mei's Blizzard, and it can also disable D.Va's Defense Matrix and Sigma's Kinetic Grasp, preventing them from absorbing the projectile.
    Icon-pharah
    Pharah
    If you land a hack on Pharah, she'll lose her Jump Jet and Hover, rendering her a much easier target for you and your team to take out. Hacking also interrupts Barrage, so if you catch her mid-fire, you should attempt to hack her to cancel the ability. If the Pharah sees you and is fighting you off while you try to hack her, disengage and flee, as it will only take a couple of rockets to quickly snuff you out. Using Hack or EMP to nullify enemy barriers can help Pharah land more direct hits with her standard rockets and with Barrage.
    Icon-reaper
    Reaper
    Hacking Reaper removes all of his mobility, forcing him to walk at a slow pace. That being said, at close range, Reaper can still easily outdamage you, hacked or not. Always be sure to keep your distance from Reaper, and you should be able to handle him okay. If caught by surprise, attempt to Translocate out of the engagement rather than fighting back. You can hack him to cancel Death Blossom, but he will most likely hit you with his barrage mid-hack, so it may not be worth the attempt. Destroying enemy barriers with Hack or EMP can help clear the way for Reaper to run through your enemies with Death Blossom.
    Icon-Soldier 76
    Soldier: 76
    Hacking Soldier: 76 strips him of his Helix Rockets, Biotic Field, and Sprint, but his Pulse Rifle shouldn't be underestimated. At close to mid-range, a hacked Soldier: 76 is still capable of going toe to toe with you. If he isn't hacked, he can maintain his health or quickly hit you with rockets, so be cautious. Hacking him during Tactical Visor won't cancel his ability, it will only cause him to lose the abilities previously mentioned; while losing Helix Rockets will reduce his lethality slightly, his regular fire will still be more than enough to gun down you and any unprepared teammates. Hacking or using EMP to destroy enemy barriers or reduce enemy mobility can give Soldier: 76 more clear shots with his standard gunfire and with Tactical Visor.
    Icon-sombra
    Sombra
    If the enemy team has a Sombra, then you'll both be competing for hacked health packs. Try to claim as many as you can; not only will this stop the enemy Sombra from hacking them, this will also refuse the enemy team of a good deal of healing while providing more healing for your team. Unless you catch the other Sombra by surprise, don't attempt to hack her, because she may be attempting to hack you too, and it's not worth the gamble to see who started the hack a split second sooner. It's better to engage with gunfire, which will stop her hack if she's attempting one on you. In a No Limits game with multiple Sombras, you can cover more ground, hack more health kits, and land more hacks on enemies. That being said, running two Sombras means having a smaller damage output than usual, which will make it difficult for your team to eliminate Hacked enemies.
    Icon-symmetra
    Symmetra
    While you can move past Symmetra's turrets while cloaked, you're incredibly vulnerable to them if you get caught due to your low health. If you encounter Symmetra head to head, unless she's already wounded, your best chance is to fling your Translocator far away and escape. Even if you somehow manage to hack her, all you're removing is her capacity to build turrets or project a teleporter, which won't matter that much in a direct battle. If Symmetra has a teleporter active, you're an excellent candidate to sneak behind enemy lines and hunt it down. EMP will completely eradicate Photon Barrier, making your Ultimate an effective counter to hers. Sombra has no notable team synergy with Symmetra.
    Icon-torbjörn
    Torbjörn
    You can hack Torbjorn's turrets, but they must be focused on an enemy to do so (or you must hack from around a corner so it can't hit you), which is often easier said that done in a firefight. As for Torbjorn himself, all hacking will do is negate his ability to deploy a new Turret or activate Overload or Molten Core. That being said, if Torbjorn is without his turret and doesn't have Overload active, you can generally handle him in a one-on-one bout. If you're having difficulty with his Turret, EMP will completely shut it down for a brief period of time for your team to move in. Using EMP to annihilate enemy barriers can help Torbjorn's turret land more shots, as well as allow Torbjorn himself to land direct hits with his Molten Core.
    Icon-tracer
    Tracer
    The outcome of a battle with Tracer all comes down to who gets the drop on whom. If you manage to Hack Tracer while she's unaware, then she's child's play; without Blink or Recall, she can be gunned down in seconds. However, if she catches you by surprise, you'll be in for a much tougher fight. Her continuous fire will grant you little opportunity to perform a hack, and with Blink she has the upper hand in disorienting you. Don't forget, you have your own Recall-like ability in the form of your Translocation; if your Translocator is planted on a health kit, you can retreat from the fight at any time and heal. Otherwise, if the fight isn't going well, you can throw the Translocator to high ground where she will have difficulty chasing you down. Hacking or using EMP on enemies will make them more stationary targets for an allied Tracer to attack. If you see wounded enemies with Opportunist, inform your Tracer; she may be able to slip into the enemy's back line, eliminate them, and retreat before she can be attacked.
    Icon-widowmaker
    Widowmaker
    Like Hanzo, you can use your stealth abilities to bypass Widowmaker with little difficulty. Unlike Hanzo, however, Widowmaker is much less dangerous at close range. Even with her automatic fire, you'll generally outdamage her. If you hack her prior to the engagement, you'll remove her ability to use her Grappling Hook to escape. If you're in danger of dying, you'll always be able to Translocate to a safe location if you set up your Translocator prior to fighting the Widowmaker. Infra-Sight will allow Widowmaker's team to notice you while you're invisible; don't try to wade too far into enemy territory during its duration and stay under cover, and you should be safe. When a friendly Widowmaker's Infra-Sight is active, your team will be able to see the locations of every opponent. Since you have the ability to detect which enemies are at low health, you can call out weakened targets to eliminate one after the other.

    Support

    Hero Match-Up Team Synergy

    Icon-ana
    Ana
    Ana doesn't have sustained fire like many other heroes, which means that even if you don't catch her by surprise, it's still pretty easy to avoid her fire to land a hack on her. Without her Sleep Dart or Biotic Grenade, all Ana has is her primary fire, which while potent even at close range, is still not enough to overpower you if you land your shots right. However, if she catches you with a Sleep Dart before you can hack her, you're as good as dead, so be cautious. Likewise, if she hits you with Biotic Grenade, it's better to escape since it will only take a shot or two from her rifle to finish you off. While a Nano-Boosted Sombra is rarely a good idea, using EMP to weaken the enemy team can help a Nano-Boosted ally more efficiently wipe them out.
    Icon-baptiste
    Baptiste
    EMP completely destroys an active Amplification Matrix, but Hack does not. Hacking the Immortality Field's generator will temporarily disable it; in a pinch, you can use EMP to disable it and anyone nearby. As teams tend to huddle around an Immortality Field, though, this could be an easy way to Hack a good number of opponents at once, opening up a window for a powerful follow-up ultimate. Sombra has no notable team synergy with Baptiste.

    Icon-brigitte
    Brigitte
    Hacking Brigitte will cut off her abilities that can help her fight off enemies. However, it doesn't cut off Inspire; while her self-heal from Inspire is manageable, in a group fight she'll still be more than capable of healing her team through her flail attacks. Only land a Hack on her from a safe distance or from behind a barrier, otherwise you run the risk of her quickly taking you out with a Shield Bash. If she fails to activate Inspire once she's been hacked, her huge hitbox for a support will more often than not lead to a kill. Sombra has no notable team synergy with Brigitte.
    Icon-lúcio
    Lúcio
    Hacking a Lúcio turns off his auras and wallride, leaving him a sitting duck with only his primary fire. Regardless, in a 1 on 1 battle, unless Lúcio knocks you into a pit when you have no translocator down, you should be able to handle yourself fairly against him. A well-timed EMP will immediately nullify Lúcio's Sound Barrier, which can be imperative if your teammates use an Ultimate such as Gravitic Flux. Sombra has no notable team synergy with Lúcio.
    Icon-mercy
    Mercy
    If you land a hack on Mercy, she loses Guardian Angel, her prime method of escape. Without it, she'll be incredibly easy to gun down if her team isn't nearby to protect her. If a Mercy is in the process of using Resurrect, hacking her will cut it off and provide you and your team enough time to finish her off. Sombra has no notable team synergy with Mercy.
    Icon-moira
    Moira
    Hacking Moira strips her of both Biotic Orb and Fade, her most potent abilities for fighting and survivability. Due to Biotic Grasp's lock-on ability, though, it will be difficult to complete a Hack against a Moira aware of your presence. Try to Hack Moira while she is distracted; otherwise, don't attempt to engage if you're alone. Even if you do Hack her, her Biotic Grasp's self-heal may be able to keep her alive long enough to recover from your Hack. If you land a Hack on her in a team fight, you and your team can quickly finish her off. A Hack or EMP will instantly stop Coalescence, so if she activates it, stay out of her view and Hack her while her attention is focused on your team. Sombra has no notable team synergy with Moira.
    Icon-zenyatta
    Zenyatta
    Hacking Zenyatta will remove his ability to send out his Harmony or Discord orbs, though if they're already on a target they will remain so until they are returned automatically. This will reduce Zenyatta's viability, but it won't make him harmless. Even without his Discord Orb, a Zenyatta with good aim is still an even match for you. He has more advantage at a range, so try to keep the fight in close quarters, running around him and disorienting him. Zenyatta should be one of your top priority target to eliminate after activating EMP because he only left with a measly 50 Health if caught inside your Ultimate. Also, if your team is preparing a team-killing ultimate such as Graviton Flux or Graviton Surge, it's crucial to hack Zenyatta or use EMP near him so he won't be able to protect his team with Transcendence. With your ability to see enemies with low health, you can call out targets for a friendly Zenyatta to hit with a Discord Orb, which will help you and your team quickly finish weakened enemies off.

    Story

    Icon-sombra

    One of the world's most notorious hackers, Sombra uses information to manipulate those in power.[3]

    Sombra's skills include computer hacking and cryptography;[4] these are activities she greatly enjoys, to the point where the desire to get past locks and solving mysteries is ingrained in her personality.[5] She is a known associate of Reaper, specializing in espionage and intelligence assessment.[6][7] She is equipped with devices that allow hacking of technology just through touch. This includes cybernetic grafts implanted along her spine and her brain[8] which basically makes her a living computer.[5] She is a loner emotionally, finding it difficult to make friends[9] (outside coercion).[10] Her personal calling card is a sugar skull.[1]

    Background

    Long before she took up the alias "Sombra," Olivia Colomar was among the thousands of children who were left orphaned in the aftermath of the Omnic Crisis. With much of Mexico's infrastructure destroyed, she survived by utilizing her natural gifts with hacking and computers.[3] She likewise proved adept at manipulating individuals to suit her own ends.[8]

    Hack

    Olivia gets noticed

    After Colomar was taken in by Mexico's Los Muertos gang, she aided it in its self-styled revolution against the government,[3] performing hacks against said government on their behalf.[11] Los Muertos believed that the rebuilding of Mexico had primarily benefited the rich and the influential, leaving behind those who were most in need of assistance.[3] Commissioner Rivera was one such example, when she brought him a basket of bread straight to his desk, which gave her the opportunity to access his computer. She came to realize that knowledge was power, and so, she kept hacking—politicians, corporations, governments,[8] famous people;[5] all were in her domain of inquiry. The retrieval of information became an addiction,[8] and her hacks became more audacious over time.[5] Following her many conquests, Colomar was supremely confident in her skills, but she was caught unprepared when she stumbled into the web of a global conspiracy—one that had also noticed her. With her security irreparably compromised, Colomar was forced to delete all traces of her identity and went into hiding.[3]

    Links

    Sombra examining the conspiracy

    Colomar received cybernetic grafts on her spinal cord and her brain and re-emerged as "Sombra," a powerful (and devilishly charismatic) technomancer capable of manipulating computers and technology with the whim of her fingertips as if the data were an extension of herself. In her words, "the girl was gone."[8] Determined to find out the truth behind the conspiracy she had uncovered[3] to "find out who really runs the world,"[8] Sombra launched an even more audacious string of hacks,[3] initiating a world-wide hacking spree,[12] striking against governments, organizations,[1] and corporations such as LumériCo and Volskaya Industries.[5] Her exploits earned her no shortage of admirers, including Talon.[3]

    Talon

    Sombra joined Talon's ranks and is believed to have contributed to its massive cyber-attacks against corporations with strong ties to their governments.[3] While in Talon, she met a combat medic named Baptiste, and over time, the two became close friends. While Baptiste ended up leaving Talon, she kept an eye on him, interested to see what her old friend was getting up to.[13]

    Code of Violence

    This article or section is a stub. You can help Overwatch Wiki by expanding it.

    What You Left Behind

    Hey mijo. It's been awhile.
    Hey Sombra. Can you do me a favor?
    ~ Sombra and Baptiste

    A few days after the Overwatch recall order, Baptiste contacted Sombra. He requested her aid in contacting Dr. Angela Ziegler, to warn her that Talon might be targeting her.[14]

    Dethroning the King Viper

    Still with Talon[3] Sombra worked with Los Muertos again, and was able to hack the website of LumériCo, posting claims that its CEO, Guillermo Portero, was plundering the riches of Mexico to fill his own purse, that he had corrupted the government, and wouldn't stop until the entire country was under his control.[15] Sombra was able to infiltrate Portero's personal email, and use it without Portero knowing about the intrusion. She sent out an email via Portero's own webmail, promising to unveil his "dirty laundry" to the public.[16] Sombra successfully released a number of internal documents to the public, catching the attention of both Mexican law enforcement and Atlas News. The documents indicated that Portero used the company's funds as his own piggy bank, that he was personally involved in bribing public officials and creating a system of kickbacks and payoffs beneficial to LumériCo, and finally, that he proposed a plan to seize privately held land via government expropriation to expand LumériCo's facilities throughout Mexico. The emails also showed that LumériCo was in conversations with the Vishkar Corporation, in regards to exporting its energy systems; a cause of concern given the company's actions in Rio de Janeiro.

    Law enforcement categorized the break-ins as a criminal action, and Atlas News reported on the "Sombra collective," mistaking Colomar's identity as a group, not an individual. Sombra claimed that she was "only acting the public interest."[17] Her efforts incited a popular revolution in Mexico against LumériCo,[3] and pro-Sombra grafitti was reported across the world. Less than a week after the leak, Portero stepped down as CEO. By this point, Sombra was already hacking the network of her next target—Volskaya Industries.[18]

    Attack on Volskaya

    Boop 1

    Sombra in Volskaya Industries

    Sombra, with Widowmaker and Reaper, infiltrated Volskaya Industries to assassinate it's CEO, Katya Volskaya. Sombra deactivated the security alerts and turrets within the facility to allow Reaper and Widowmaker access. The mission appeared to go without a hitch, Widowmaker was unable to get a clear line of sight before the operation was interrupted by an alarm—one that Sombra had set off herself. Widowmaker held the perimeter while Reaper cleared the ground floor, he was unable to get to Katya in the elevator and was forced to confront a mech as she fled to safety. Sombra gave chase, killing and incapacitating Volskaya guards, until she made it into Katya's lock-downed office. While ostensibly there to kill the CEO, Sombra played a different game, revealing her intentions to be Katya's "friend." A friend with benefits, for if Katya helped her out from time to time, she wouldn't leak evidence that Katya had been receiving technology from omnics in order to help her country in the Second Omnic Crisis. Sombra also noted how exposure would affect "the future of Russia" while handing Katya the photo of her daughter from her desk, hinting at how the fallout of a scandal would impact her.[10] Sombra's motives for gaining Katya as an informant was to help her uncover the greater global conspiracy she had discovered.[1] As her security was nearly through with getting the door open, Katya agreed to the terms, and Sombra teleported out of the office, reporting to her comrades that the operation had failed. The Talon operatives returned to the ship, with only Sombra in good cheer.[10]

    Reflections

    McCree and Sombra in Calaveras

    Sombra and Cassidy at Calaveras

    Sombra spent Christmas drinking at the bar in Calaveras.[19]

    Searching

    You!
    Uh, yes, me.
    ~ Zarya confronts Sombra
    Sombra-searching

    Sombra 'greets' Zarya

    Katya, not keen on being Sombra's 'friend', dispatched Russian soldier Aleksandra "Zarya" Zaryanova to track her down. Alongside the omnic Lynx Seventeen, Zarya caught up with Sombra in Dorado. The two exchanged words and bullets, but Zarya was able to incapacitate Sombra through a graviton surge. Sombra warned Zarya that if anything happened to her, Katya's secrets would be revealed to the world, including her dealings with omnics. Zarya in turn revealed that she knew Sombra's real name, which briefly fazed the hacker. However, Sombra maintained that she wanted Katya to remain in power, as she wanted her as a source for information. However, the conversation reached its end as Lynx collapsed (as Sombra had hacked them in Numbani when they'd tried to trace her), and revealed that the warehouse they were in would be destroyed in an explosion in one minute. Zarya rescued Lynx and let Sombra live.[1]

    Masquerade

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    The Hero of Numbani

    Using the wi-fi signature 344X-Azúcar, Sombra participated in Doomfist's attack on the Numbani airport by hacking the airport's security cameras. Later, Efi Oladele witnessed her hacking the omnics working at an Axiom warehouse. Efi was able to stop the attack using an antidote program.[20]

    In-Universe References

    "¿Quién es 'Sombra'?"

    Sombra's existence has been hinted at since early pre-beta builds of the game.

    • The name Sombra first appeared during Ellohime's pre-beta stream of Overwatch. While exploring Dorado, Ellohime discovered a table in the LumériCo power plant's control room with three classified manila file folders labeled "SOMBRA [CLASIFICADO]," "SOLDADO: 76 [CLASIFICADO]," and "JACK MORRISON [CLASIFICADO]," along with photographs of Morrison before and after becoming Soldier: 76. These folders can still be seen in-game.[21][22]
    • Some newspapers on the ground in Dorado have an article featuring a silhouette in a hooded cloak, with the headline "¿Quién es 'Sombra'?" ("Who is 'Sombra'?"). This is actually an early version of Sombra's design.[23]
    • Many terminals can been seen in the LumériCo power plant on Dorado. Some of the terminals that display "Niveles de Sincronización del Núcleo" ("Core Synchronization Levels") have blinking error messages which read, "ACCESSO NO AUTORIZADO: Protocolo Sombra" ("UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS: Sombra Protocol").[24]
    • Reaper sometimes says, "Where's Sombra when you need her?" when he spawns on Dorado.[6][25]
    • In the comic Ana: Old Soldiers, while attempting to infiltrate Hakim's compound in Egypt, Soldier: 76 overhears radio chatter between Reaper and Hakim coming from the earpiece of a fallen guard. The two briefly discuss intel regarding an incident involving Helix Security International. Reaper threatens that Sombra better be able to make use of it.[7]
    • On August 30th, 2016, some newspapers in the Overwatch PTR were changed, replacing a headline about Roadhog with one about a "Global Hacking Spree." The newspapers were added to the live game on September 1st.[12]
    • After the September 1st patch, the Numbani news ticker was updated with the headline "LumériCo reports massive breach at Dorado power plant, latest attack in global hacking spree."
    • With the September 22nd PTR patch, several in-game references were changed or added.
      • The terminals in the power plant were changed to display "ACCESSO NO AUTORIZADO: Protocolo Sombra V2.3"[26]. In addition, the terminal screen was added to a room in Volskaya Industries.
      • Two of the Dorado newspapers, including the one with the Sombra article, had the headline "Ola Mundial de Hackeos" ("Global Hacking Spree") added.
      • The newspaper from King's Row was added to other maps, including Temple of Anubis, Hollywood, and in the MV-261 Orca on the Control maps.

    Achievements

    Name Icon Description Reward
    Hack The Planet
    Achievement Hack The Planet Hack 15 enemies without dying as Sombra in Quick or Competitive play. Spray Sombra Pixel
    Pixel
    Power Outage
    Achievement Power Outage Hack 6 enemies at once as Sombra in Quick or Competitive play. Spray Sombra Cute
    Cute

    Alternate Reality Game

    Main article: Sombra/ARG

    Following the announcement of Ana as the 22nd Overwatch hero, a series of cryptographic puzzles about Sombra were slowly released, dubbed the Sombra ARG by the community.

    Developer Comments

    • Eurogamer questioned Jeff Kaplan about whether it was strange that fans had theorized that Sombra would be featured in Hero. Jeff replied, "No, it was not strange. We have put a lot of hints, all over the game and out of the game, so I would say it's about time that people are concerned with who Sombra is. I hope they keep researching more and find more hints that are out there."[27]
    • When asked about Sombra in an interview with Kotaku, Jeff Kaplan said, "I think people have learned that she’s a fun character for them to search and to learn more about and that, like the X-Files, the truth is out there. We’ll see what players discover over time. [...] I think that’s up to Sombra, to give you a cheeky answer. Sombra will let people know when she wants more to be known about her. She’s very good at that sort of thing."[28]
    • As of June 6th, 2016, there were still undiscovered hints about Sombra, according to Jeff Kaplan.[27]
    • On August 3rd, 2016, Fairlight_Excalibur asked the developers he was interviewing about the compass from the Summer Games video, and was told by Jeff Kaplan, "That sounds like deep CIA stuff. Way above our heads."[29] Later, he asked if all of the clues regarding Sombra that had been "scattered around" had been located, if not solved. Jeff replied, "I gotta be honest with this one, this stuff is so far over my head, that I just don't understand. It's very top secret covert ops, even on the team, so most people don't even know." After Fairlight said he felt lied to and that Jeff did know, Kaplan replied, "It's a mystery."[30]

    Trivia

    Halloween Terror loot box candy

    Close up of Halloween Terror candies.

    • Sombra is Hero 23 and the second new hero added to the game.
    • "Sombra" is the Spanish word meaning "shadow", or "shade."
    • The ammo counter on Sombra's Machine Pistol is in Hexadecimal, and as such reads 3C when the magazine is full.
    • The Halloween Terror loot boxes have candies with the Sombra skull icon on the wrapper.
    • Michael Chu has indicated that Sombra considers Reaper and Widowmaker to be genuine friends of hers, but that the friendship is "complicated."[9]
    • Sombra is also the only hero that can have another hero's highlight intro appear in her own (her "Hacking" Highlight Intro has another Hero's highlight intro as a prelude before it).
    • The skull used in Sombra's icons refers to the art used for skulls in Mexico's Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) festival.
    • Unlike most of the heroes, Sombra uses her right hand for the "Quick Melee" attack, instead of the left hand used by most of the heroes.
    • Sombra's real name wasn't revealed until Zarya's comic, Searching.
    • Sombra's favourite drink is Mezcal. [31]
    • A Sombra Funko Pop figure will go on sale in 2018.[32]
    • A Sombra nendoroid will go on sale in Q1 2019.[33]
    • Sombra's childhood teddy bear, Arturito, is named after a Spanish nickname for the Star Wars character R2-D2.[34]

    Development

    Sombra Early Ideation 1

    Early concept art of the Omniblade (left) and Sombra (right).

    Sombra originated during the game's early development as a proposed character called the Omniblade, an agile female ninja who would wield shuriken and kunai, predating Hanzo and Genji. As ideation progressed a Mesoamerican theme was incorporated into her design and she was given the name Sombra, however the concept was shelved when they began incorporating elements of her suggested kit, including a double jump and throwing knives that could reveal enemies through walls, into the two new ninja heroes.

    Sombra Early Ideation 2

    Early concept art of Sombra as a stealth hacker

    At a later point they conceived of a stealth hacker hero and decided to use the earlier Sombra concept as its foundation. Having previously attempted to build Genji as a slow-moving stealth assassin character and finding it to be unfun, they decided to instead make Sombra an agile infiltration hero focused on gathering intel and disrupting the enemy team, devising her thermoptic camo suit, hacking tendrils, and machine pistol, lending the character a cyberpunk aesthetic. Elements of her new kit seem to have been pulled from the playable Spec Ops class from the initial pitch for Prometheus, which had stealth and EMP abilities, as well as Hivemind, a proposed hero created for the Prometheus pitch meeting with abilities called Disable and EMP pulse.[35] At this point in development Sombra had a hood and a longer coat, however her silhouette began to overlap with the also in-development Ana, so they decided to steer her in a different direction, eventually arriving at her final design.[5]

    Initially, Sombra was invisible 100% of the time. This concept generated two problems however. It reduced the sense of Sombra helping her own team (per friendly players not seeing her), and inflicted stress on the enemy team, not knowing if they were safe. Additionally, what she could and couldn't hack went through numerous revisions. She started off as a Support hero, and initially, there was no cooldown for her hacking abilities.[9]

    Reveal

    Sombra picture

    October 8, 2016 leak

    Prior to the reveal of Ana as the 22nd playable hero in Overwatch, a photograph of Ana wearing her Shrike mask found on Temple of Anubis was incorrectly identified as Sombra, leading to a widespread assumption that the two characters were one and the same, and that Sombra was the rumored in-development support sniper character.[36][37][38]

    Voice lines extracted from the Public Test Region after Ana's release featured the first suggestions that Sombra would have a stealth ability.[39] On October 8, 2016, a photo of a posting on Blizzard's enterprise social network was leaked online, containing the details for an internal test build featuring the Junkenstein's Revenge event and Sombra, including a screenshot and her bio.[40]

    Rime Sombra skin concept art

    Rime Sombra skin concept art

    Face Changer skin concept art

    Face Changer skin concept art

    On November 1, 2016, the image urls for unreleased Blizzcon 2016 fine art prints of Sombra and a Diablo III necromancer, hosted on Blizzard's gear store, were leaked, seemingly corroborating the earlier October 8 leak.[41] She was officially announced at BlizzCon 2016 as the 23rd hero.

    Videos

    Official

    Curse

    Balance Change Log

    Patch
    Description

    Ability Sombra Thermoptic Camo Stealth

    • Movement speed bonus increased from 50 to 65%

    Developer Comment: Sombra's gameplay usually involves a lot of time waiting for opportune moments to strike and using the Translocator to disengage at a safe distance. Speeding up her movement in Stealth should help get her back into the action more quickly.

    Ability Sombra Machine Pistol Machine Pistol

    • Spread decreased by 10%

    Ability Sombra Translocator Translocator

    • Cooldown increased from 4 to 6 seconds
    • Cooldown now begins immediately upon deploying the beacon or if it is killed by an enemy

    Developer Comment: Having the Translocator cooldown begin right when it is thrown allows Sombra more flexibility in how she can use it. For example, she can now often redeploy it instantly after teleporting to it, or quickly destroy and reposition it while sneaking around. The cooldown has been increased to compensate for this change.

    Ability Sombra Hack Hack

    • Duration on enemy players reduced from 6 to 5 seconds

    Ability Sombra EMP EMP

    • Activation time increased from 0.2 to 0.35 seconds

    Developer Comment: Hack is a potent disabling ability with a long duration. Reducing the duration slightly will make it feel less oppressive as the hacked player without greatly reducing its effectiveness. The increased activation time on EMP allows for more time to react and opens up more counterplay opportunities for the opposing team.

    Ability Sombra Hack Hack

    • Cooldown is reduced by half when hacking a health pack
    • Changed the visual appearance to more clearly indicate when something has been hacked

    Developer Comments: The cooldown on Hack often made it feel less effective to target health packs instead of players. This will make both health packs and players viable targets for hacking.

    General

    • Reduced the size of Sombra’s head hit volume

    Developer Comments: The head changes are mostly a bug fix, as her head hit volume was abnormally large, especially from behind. Previously if you fired at her from behind near her upper spine, you could land a head shot. Now her head volume is much more accurate.

    Ability Sombra Thermoptic Camo Stealth

    • Now lasts indefinitely
    • No longer can contest objectives while invisible
    • Movement speed buff decreased from +70% to +50%

    Ability Sombra Translocator Translocator

    • Now lasts indefinitely
    • Can now be destroyed (has 5 health)
    • Radius reduced

    Developer Comments: These changes allow Sombra to more easily play as an infiltrator and scout for her team, as well as give her time to pick and choose when to reveal herself to ambush her enemies.

    Ability Sombra Hack Hack

    • Now goes on a 2-second cooldown when interrupted by damage
    • Now more consistently interrupted when targets break line of sight

    Developer Comments: We’re also removing the 0.1 second window of time during a hack where it couldn’t be canceled via line of sight or with other abilities including Tracer’s Recall and Zarya’s Particle Barrier, which was originally put in place so the hack wouldn’t be interrupted by small objects such as light posts. We’ve implemented a separate fix for that issue, so she should still be unaffected by those small objects.

    Ability Sombra EMP EMP

    • No longer blocked by small objects (e.g. sign posts)

    Ability Sombra Hack Hack

    • No longer gains ultimate charge from health pack healing
    • Cast time reduced from 0.8 seconds to 0.65 seconds
    • Now disables the following abilities: Genji—Cyber-agility, Hanzo—Wall Climb, Pharah—Hover Jets, Lúcio—Healing Boost and Speed Boost (turns off current song entirely), Wall Ride, Mercy—Angelic Descent

    Ability Sombra Machine Pistol Machine Pistol

    • Machine Pistol spread reduced from 3 to 2.7

    Ability Sombra Opportunist Opportunist

    • Enemy health bars are now visible when health drops below 100% (formerly 50%)
    • Her ability to detect enemies through walls at 50% or less remains unchanged

    Ability Sombra Translocator Translocator

    • Duration increased from 15 seconds to 20 seconds

    Developer Comment: The goal of these changes for Sombra is to remove the necessity for her teammates to take damage and heal themselves with her hacked health packs to try to get her ultimate charged up quickly. Her ultimate will now come up less often, but there are more abilities that are disabled by Hack so it is more effective when used. Previously, Opportunist would only activate when an enemy’s health bar dipped below 50% but now the passive will reveal all damaged enemies which should help Sombra identify targets in her line of sight to pick off. Overall these changes should make her more effective and less reliant on her ultimate.

    Ability Sombra Hack Hack

    • Now interrupts the following ultimate abilities during their cast time: Ana's Nano Boost, Orisa's Supercharger, Mei's Blizzard, Reinhardt's Earthshatter, and D.Va's Call Mech

    Ability Sombra Hack Hack

    • Sombra’s teammates can now see hacked health packs through walls

    Ability Sombra Thermoptic Camo Stealth

    • Sound effects and VO distance has been reduced to 15 meters when Sombra enters or exits Stealth

    Ability Sombra Translocator Translocator

    • Cooldown reduced from 6 seconds to 4 seconds

    Developer Comments: Sombra can be devastating in the right hands, but infiltrating and harassing enemies could often feel difficult. These changes should increase her effectiveness and teamplay.

    • New Hero Option: Hack Sensitivity
      • Allows players to adjust the targeting sensitivity on Sombra’s Hack ability

    Ability Sombra Hack Hack

    • Cooldown has been reduced from 12 seconds to 8 seconds
    • Time it takes to hack a target has been decreased from 1 second to 0.8 seconds

    Developer Comments: Sombra often had difficulty hacking enemies, even when she surprised the target. This change should help her execute hacks more easily.

    New Hero: Sombra (Offense)

    References

    1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Zarya: Searching
    2. 2016-07-19, Multiple redditors confirm that the dialect of Sombra's second secret message is from Mexico, not Spain, Reddit.
    3. 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 Sombra, Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed on 2016-11-09
    4. Overwatch, Reaper Quotes
    5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 2016-12-02, BlizzCon 2016 Overwatch: What’s New Panel Transcript. Blizzplanet, accessed on 2017-01-06
    6. 6.0 6.1 2016-04-07, Voice line of Reaper saying "Where's Sombra when you need her?", originally datamined, Youtube.
    7. 7.0 7.1 Ana: Old Soldiers, page 2
    8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 2016-11-04, NEW HERO – COMING SOON Sombra Origin Story | Overwatch. YouTube, accessed on 2016-11-09
    9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 2016-11-06. Overwatch's Sombra Started Out OP, Here's How the Devs Fixed Her. GameSpot, accessed on 2016-11-19
    10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 Infiltration
    11. name = "What'sNew">2016-12-02, BlizzCon 2016 Overwatch: What’s New Panel Transcript. Blizzplanet, accessed on 2017-01-06
    12. 12.0 12.1 2016-08-30, A new Sombra newspaper has appeared in different Overwatch maps! Reddit.
    13. 2019-03-13, Baptiste - Developer Q&A Answers. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2019-03-14
    14. What You Left Behind
    15. 2016-10-26, Sombra ARG: Lumerico Website Update (Oct 25). Blizzplanet, accessed on 2016-10-27
    16. 2016-10-19, Sombra ARG: Lumerico Website. Blizzplanet, accessed on 2016-11-04
    17. 2016-10-28, LUMÉRICO REVELATIONS: CEO GUILLERMO PORTERO UNDER FIRE. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2016-11-15
    18. 2016-11-03, LUMÉRICO CEO STEPS DOWN. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2016-11-15
    19. Tracer: Reflections
    20. Overwatch: The Hero of Numbani
    21. 2015-10-15, Ellohime looking at the classified folders, Twitch. Accessed on 2016-07-10
    22. Classified folders on a table in LumériCo labeled "Sombra", "Soldado: 76", and "Jack Morrison". Dorado. Accessed on 2016-07-10
    23. Newspaper found in Dorado reading "¿Quién es 'Sombra'?" Dorado.
    24. Security terminal found in LumériCo reading "ACCESSO NO AUTORIZADO: Protocolo Sombra." Dorado.
    25. 2016-08-02, Michael Chu sort of confirms Reaper's voice line is in-game, Twitter.
    26. 2016-09-22, Protocolo Sombra V2.3 Reddit, accessed on 2016-09-22
    27. 27.0 27.1 2016-06-07, "Overwatch: Blizzard answers the big questions". Eurogamer. Accessed on 2016-07-10
    28. 2016-07-18, "Overwatch's Director On Competitive Mode, Controversies, And The Future", Kotaku.
    29. 2016-08-03, Fairlight_Excalibur asks about the compass, Twitch.
    30. 2016-08-03, Fairlight_Excalibur asks whether all of Sombra's clues have been located, Twitch.
    31. 2018-08-31, Michael Chu's Twitter, Accessed on 2018-09-02.
    32. 2018-02-19, New Overwatch toys and figurines coming to Toy Fair 2018. Blizzard Watch, accessed on 2018-02-20
    33. 2018-06-01, Pre-order Sombra Nendoroid’s smirk for ultimate cuteness. Blizzard Watch, accessed on 2018-06-02
    34. segadores-y-soldados, Tumblr. Accessed on 2018-11-01.
    35. Blizzcon 2017, Overwatch: Archives
    36. 2016-05-19, An article speculating that Sombra is Pharah's mother and would be revealed in Hero, Eurogamer.
    37. 2016-07-06, "Fans have speculated that a new sniper, who may go by the name Sombra [...], is coming to Overwatch[...]," Polygon.
    38. 2016-07-06, "Players theorize that Sombra is none other than Pharah’s mother[...]," Kotaku.
    39. 2016-07-15, "I extracted some of the audio files from the recent PTR update." Reddit.
    40. 2016-10-08, Rumor: Overwatch’s Sombra and Halloween event details leak Polygon, accessed on 2016-10-10
    41. 2016-11-1, Official Sombra Artwork Leaked Reddit.

    External links

    Heroes in Overwatch 2
     
    Icon-sombra
    Sombra