While fans are eagerly awaiting the likely far-off release of Overwatch 2, developer Blizzard Entertainment is at least offering plenty of content to keep players of the popular online game (mostly) satisfied. Among these franchise-expanding materials are animated shorts, digital comics featuring various characters, an upcoming physical comic series from publisher Dark Horse entitled Tracer: London Calling, and even novels which provide deep dives into character backstory.
So far, one novel has been released: The Hero of Numbani, written by Nicky Drayden. Set in the titular African nation of Numbani, the novel tells the story of talented young hero Efi Oladele as she opposes the villainous Doomfist and creates the guardian robot Orisa. The book was written with a young adult audience in mind and received generally positive reviews following its debut in 2020.
Now, the topic of the upcoming second novel has been revealed: the intense and storied history between Wild-West themed characters, Ashe and McCree. Jesse McCree, who was part of Overwatch’s initial playable lineup, and Elizabeth Caledonia Ashe, who joined the game in 2018, have throughout their lives been everything from fellow gang members, to bitter rivals, to possibly even romantic partners.
The currently untitled novel, which was revealed via an Amazon France listing before being confirmed by Blizzard, will focus on McCree and Ashe in their younger days as criminals and members of the Deadlock Gang. A summary from the Amazon listing describes the book’s plot as follows:
“In the years after the Omnic Crisis, the American Southwest is ruled by vultures looking to profit off the chaos. The West is ripe for the taking, and Elizabeth Caledonia Ashe intends to write her name across it.
When Ashe is arrested yet again on the morning of her high school graduation, her aloof, old-money parents decide to disinherit her from the family fortune. To steal back what’s rightfully hers, Ashe teams up with her omnic butler, B.O.B., and local ruffian Jesse McCree for a series of heists, catapulting the trio into a game of fast money and dangerous alliances. Along the way, Ashe discovers that family isn’t just about blood. It’s about the people who’ve got your back when your back’s against the wall.”
Currently, no publication date for the novel has been revealed, but it is expected to debut in 2021. It will be written by Lyndsay Ely.
