Blizzard teases next Overwatch hero in new 'interview' with 11-year-old robotics genius Efi Oladele

Blizzard is gearing up for its next addition to Overwatch's colourful roster of heroes, posting an in-universe "interview" with a new character – 11-year-old Efi Oladele.

Introduced in a new mock interview posted on the Overwatch website, Efi Oladele is a gifted Numbani native who has "built a resume of impressive achievements in robotics and artificial intelligence" and recently received the Adawe Foundation's prestigious "genius grant."

"After my mom and dad got me my first robotics kit, I became obsessed with putting together little drones," the pre-teen said in the faux interview. "When I started to get good at it, I tried to build robots to do my chores and help around the house. My parents think it's cheating... It's no fair!"

"I want to create things that make our lives better. And someday, my dream is to build something that can keep us safe, like the OR15s! I think that would be great."
When asked what she plans to do with the grant money, the youngster teases: "Oh... I have an idea..."

"It's a secret for now," she said. "But my parents are taking me on a trip to celebrate! It'll be my first time flying, so I can't wait."

The post has already triggered speculation from fans whether Blizzard will actually be introducing an 11-year-old into the battlefield as the Overwatch's 24th hero.

While many fans theorize that she might be the creator of the next hero, some say she could battle enemies herself by operating a drone or robot from a safe distance.

Some speculated that she may eventually become a playable, adult character since the blog post is dated 21 February, 2017, and the game is actually set "around 60 years in the future." However, lead writer Michael Chu has already shot this theory down saying the in-universe interview takes place in the present day of the Overwatch timeline.

The "interview" comes at the heels of game director Jeff Kaplan's statement that "24 is not who you think it is," shutting down fan speculation that Doomfist would be released as a new playable "Tank" character for Overwatch. Doomfist has also been mentioned multiple times in-game, in Overwatch lore and in cinematic shorts.

Even Brooklyn Nine-Nine actor Terry Crews has fervently expressed his interest in voicing Doomfist over the past few months. However, Blizzard has remained quiet for now about whether the role has indeed been offered to Crews.

Since the game's release to popular and critical acclaim in May 2016, Overwatch has released two DLC characters - hacker Sombra in November and sniper Ana in July - in free updates.

"We have multiple new heroes being worked on right now plus numerous events and event-related content," Kaplan wrote on the game's forum. "We're always asking ourselves 'what would make the biggest impact for the most people' when we prioritise. Right now, we feel like introducing a new hero to the lineup would be more impactful to the game."

Overwatch is available now for PS4, Xbox One and PC.