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Hero 27 has been on all of our minds lately, as we know Blizzard has already teased them. But Karahe on the Overwatch subreddit put together an impressive case for one Dr. Harold Winston.
Dr. Harold Winston (who we’ll just call Harold from now on) is Winston’s father, essentially. But, Harold was apparently killed when the Horizon Lunar Colony was taken over by apes years ago. With Harold gone, Winston went to Earth, never to return to the sky where he was raised. But maybe Harold didn’t actually die. Maybe he has returned to Earth.
Harold has an office in Lijiang Tower. Or at least, players speculate that the office belongs to Harold. There used to be a chair and a desk, like a normal office. At some unknown point, that chair became an automated wheelchair.
To see a wheelchair in the Overwatch universe is a little strange, as Karahe mentioned in their subreddit post.
Why would anyone need a wheelchair in a world where everyone has access to quality prosthetics and general body enhancement thingies.
Maybe it’s the office of someone really really old? Or someone in recovery after a trauma and who only needs it for a short amount of time? Maybe someone with a disability, someone paralyzed or someone who lost arms/legs in an accident/war who refuses to make use of science to remedy their problems (like Ana, who could have her eye back but refuses to undergo surgery because “it’s a good reminder”).
The final piece of the puzzle is Harold’s missing space suit on Horizon. All of the other doctors have their suits hung up in their designated locations, but Harold’s suit is missing. Now, Harold could have been working outside when the attack happened. Or, Harold was able to claim his suit and escape.
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Harold is a brilliant scientist who would be a powerful ally to any Overwatch team. There are plenty of Overwatch characters who bring more brain than brawn to the team. Heroes like Mei and Torbjorn are able to aid their allies with science and ingenuity rather than rocket-propelled hammers. Maybe Harold can do the same?
If Harold is truly on his way back into the story, surely he would blame the Horizon disaster on himself. Maybe this wheelchair, like Ana’s eye-patch, is a reminder for him.
Could all of this be some kind of weird coincidence? Sure, although that seems far more unlikely the more time you spend looking into Harold. But a random wheelchair that only showed up after Hero 27 started being teased? Well, that bodes pretty well for the folks out there with good theories.