Interview with Shroomiiee: A case for Kace in Overwatch 2

Overwatch 2 has no shortage of compelling characters that have made it onto the official roster of playable heroes. In addition to its human roster and oddballs, the game also features omnics such as Bastion, Ramattra, Zenyatta, and Orisa. However, is there a case for Kace? In an interview with esports.gg, Kace enthusiast and lore expert Shroomiiee spoke about Kace's potential as a playable omnic hero in Overwatch 2.

In the Overwatch 2 universe, Kace appeared in the "London Calling" comics. In this five-part series, Tracer first met a music-loving omnic named Iggy and learned about their underworld powered by the Grid. The Grid was in desperate need of repair, so Tracer promised to help. That drew the attention of Kace, who believed that embracing human culture weakened their kind.

Everything then went downhill for Tracer, as after Mondatta's assassination, Kace rejected the Shambali leader's message of peace and rallied followers to pursue a war against humans. He even orchestrated a fake assassination attempt on himself to strengthen his position and planned to detonate the Grid to further the cause. When Iggy uncovered this, Kace threatened her life. Tracer then saved Iggy and Kace fled the scene.

In his interview with esports.gg, Shroomiiee shared that the "London Calling" comics gave Kace a lot of potential to appear in the game. For example, Kace could have tension with Tracer or be an Anubis Loyalist, a member of Talon, part of Null Sector, or even a member of the Conspiracy.

"He could be an Anubis Loyalist, and that would explain why he believes omnics are better," Shroomiiee said. "Or he could be a part of Talon, where I think it would be a really interesting thing where Talon was trying to frame Null Sector for what happened there using Kace."

Shroomiiee continued, adding that Kace would create an interesting dynamic in Null Sector as an omnic who agrees with Ramattra but misinterprets his message.

"You could even tie Kace to the Conspiracy," Shroomiiee added, referring to a shadowy group tied to Sombra's story and the attack on Overwatch's Swiss headquarters. "That's been a thing going on in the background for a long time. The Conspiracy's whole thing, assumedly so far, is they've just been trying to cause chaos and move around as many things as possible. And what causes more chaos than a man blowing up the Grid in King's Row? And that keeps humans and omnics separated. There's a lot you can do with him."

Shroomiiee also shared headcanons that explored what might have shaped Kace's worldview. He suggested that Kace could have experienced a traumatic awakening similar to Ramattra -- possibly witnessing or experiencing human violence firsthand. That kind of origin could explain why Kace was willing to sacrifice omnics like Iggy and his other non-followers in the final part of the "London Calling" comics.

Based on recent reveals and an interview with esports.gg, the Overwatch 2 team appears to be building new characters on existing plotlines to keep the lore and characters connected as well. The team is also not moving away from oddball heroes. Therefore, it's possible that Kace could be further developed using established narrative threads.

As for Kace's kit in Overwatch 2, Shroomiiee suggested that he omnic could be designed for either a support or damage role. He described Kace as a leader figure who tries to fill the vacuum left by Mondatta. This could make him well suited for a support role that rallies and buffs allies. Alternatively, Kace could function as a stealth-focused damage hero who disrupts enemy backlines before escaping. Omnic with a gun, anyone?

"He's very sneaky, right? He could be kind of like a Tracer or a Sombra where they go in and out of the backline a lot. Maybe he goes into the backline and he does a couple pot shots," Shroomiiee said. "Or he can use his iconic gun to just make a bit of a mess in the backline -- to make the enemy turn around. And then he can quickly just get back out of there with a rallying cry."

Shroomiiee then floated the idea of a summoner kit where Kace commands smaller units rather than fighting directly.

"I've also thought about him as a summoner hero," he said. "Kind of using it as a DPS. Maybe not summoning full-on Null Sector units, but summoning smaller units he can order around [and they can run] off to attack somebody he pings. I think that would work for his character because the thing with Kace is -- he isn't a fighter. But he's proven that he will fight if needed."

In terms of what's next for Shroomiiee, he shared with esports.gg that he's working on a Kace cosplay for his first BlizzCon this year. He hopes to meet Overwatch 2 developers at the event and will attend with friends from the community. He also shared that he has commissioned and collected a lot of Kace fanart from folks such as shimmyOh_ and bubblesssszzs. There are plans to showcase them all in a large Twitter post with credit, too.

"A big reason why I really connect with Kace and why I really try to get this working is there's a lot of people like me in media in general who really enjoy things -- who just have a favorite character who is just kind of in the background," Shroomiiee added. "And I think part of it, for me, is knowing that I can make a difference and make enough art and make this character be known, I hope it gives others hope that they can do that, too."

He continued, giving a shoutout to fans who passionately support lesser-known characters like Sahil Bhediya seen in Freja's hero trailer. Shroomiiee hopes that these characters return so players can keep connecting and forming friendships through Overwatch 2.

Shroomiiee shared some powerful parting words as well.

"I think the biggest thing I want people to know is Overwatch lore is not dead. It's still there. You just got to look for it. There's pockets. [...] That's the best thing I can say to people: don't give up hope on it. Because if you really like it, you can find something to do with it."

With that said, be sure to check out Shroomiiee's YouTube channel.

That's all for now. Stick around on esports.gg for more Overwatch 2 news, interviews, and updates!