Quick to become one of today's most popular competitive video games, Overwatch is a vibrant, action-packed hero shooter developed by Blizzard Entertainment. Since the open beta in early 2016, it has gone through numerous changes, improvements, and additions. Over the past year or so, Blizzard has released comics, cinematics, and even a tricky ARG that all tie in together to form a compelling premise upon which the whole game lays its foundation. A unique aspect of Overwatch is this detailed lore, hinted at by easter eggs and in-game attributes, which accompanies the diverse cast of heroes. These backstories make their way into the game through voice lines and map features that hint at various events in the heroes' past. Many quirks were also added as references to TV, film, and even other Blizzard games. A few rare easter eggs were found by players through dedicated research and a clever game of connect-the-dots.

Some secrets you may have come across in your time playing the game, through interactions with characters, maps, and even other players. But some remain undiscovered by most, yet very much prevalent. Each secret we've dug up is sure to change your perspective on the game as a whole. The next time you hear a certain voice line or play a certain map, you'll have a fresh take on how the lore of Overwatch influences gameplay., or what other franchise they were truly paying tribute to. Blizzard's attention to detail, committment to continuity, and rich storytelling are what truly set this game apart from others of its kind.

15 Disturbing Payload

As many are aware, a key event in the history of Overwatch is the Omnic Crisis, a conflict between humans and rogue A.I. Eventually, the threat was subdued, and relations between human and omnic began to mend.  In Blizzard's early cinematic, "Alive", the deadly Widowmaker is on a mission to kill Mondatta, an omnic leader working towards peace. Tracer fails to stop her, and Mondatta is assassinated. Eventually hailed as a martyr, he has a statue built in his honor on King's Row.

The irony here is the payload of the map, which is actually an EMP device. At the start of the game, if someone picks Junkrat, he says a line: "So we're delivering a bomb to scrap some bots, and I'm getting paid for it." The attacking team's mission is actually to carry an EMP to the heart of an omnic sanctuary and kill them all, essentially committing genocide. Even if you win, you still lose.

14 The Deadlock Gang

A major part of McCree's backstory is his involvement with the Deadlock Rebels, a gang in his hometown of Route 66. An icon of this map is the demolished train just above the attacker spawn point. Geographically, the area is called Deadlock Gorge (if you've played the game, it makes sense). Inside, there is a holographic diagram of an explosive device, and details about a train. Closer inspection of the train reveals that it belongs to the military, and is likely carrying powerful arms and ammunition. If you're on attack on Route 66, you are actually delivering a payload of stolen materials to the Deadlock Gang's hideout. Along the way, you'll see a couple insignias of the gang: a skull with wings, around which is written "Deadlock Rebels." In the lore, the gang was stopped and imprisoned, with the exception of McCree. He was offered freedom in exchange for his service to Overwatch.

13 Genji's Room

We get a glimpse of the rivalry between Genji and Hanzo in the animated short "Dragons". From the lore, we know Hanzo critically wounded his brother in a battle that left his physical body broken and dying. On the cusp of death, Genji was saved by Dr. Angela Ziegler (Mercy) and mended through cybernetic enhancements, giving him his current form. Genji grew increasingly repulsed by his unnatural body, and seeked some sort of reconciliation.

In the Village zone of Nepal, on an upper level of the capture point, you'll find a room with unique features, including a painting of two men flanked by dragons, as well as a katana. On the dresser, you'll see a picture of young hanzo and young genji, smiling together. This used to be Genji's room during his time in Nepal, before he found inner peace.

12 Murloc Ramen

From WoW to Hearthstone to real life plushies, Murlocs have become an icon of the Blizzard universe and Overwatch is no exception. Their strange appearance coupled with that unmistakeable battle cry (or normal speech?) makes them hard to forget.

As a reference to this famous creature, there is a restaurant near the attacker spawn on Hanamura called Rikimaru. It's a ramen place, the mascot of which is a giant murloc riding a UFO and eating ramen. Shoot at this figure, and you'll hear the various noises made by murlocs in other Blizzard games. The van near the same spawn has a logo for the restaurant, and just for fun, on Temple of Anubis, the spawn ship also has giant splash art of a murloc on the side.

11 Lucio's Crime

Everyone's favorite DJ, Lucio, is well known for his upbeat attitude and melodic personality. However, a certain in-game interaction hints at a less-than-innocent past. When a Symmetra kills Lucio, she says the words: "A punishment for your crimes." When Lucio kills Symmetra, he says: "That's for my family back home, stay out of Rio, that's my turf." Their hostilities don't end if they're on the same team. At the start of the game, Symmetra says, "To think I would have to work with a street ruffian..." while Lucio replies, "I'm not all that excited about this arrangement either."

As it turns out, Symmetra worked for Vishkar, a corporation that took over Lucio's hometown in Brazil and oppressed its people. Lucio fought back by stealing some sound tech from Vishkar, which makes up his kit in the game. This sparked a revolution against the corporation, and is the root of the rivalry between Lucio and Symmetra.

10 Mei's Dark Backstory

Mei is another character who appears cheerful and optimistic on the outside, but has a dark past that would make you wonder how she's able to keep a smile on her face. Several years prior to the game's present day, Mei joined a team of scientists on an expedition to Watchpoint: Antartica to research some strange climate behavior. However, a sudden polar storm struck the base camp and destroyed most of the facility. Their supplies running low and communications down, the team opted to enter cryostasis until help could arrive. It was only years later, after the rest of her team died from failed life support, that she was rescued. The stasis prevented her from aging, and she awoke in a strange world of new conflicts. This is the Mei we see today, still fighting valiantly alongside the Overwatch team.

9 Lunar Colony Easter Eggs

One of Blizzard's latest maps is the Horizon Lunar Colony, filled with lore references and easter eggs. Besides key points such as Winston's room and the hydroponics lab, you'll find an airlock door near the first capture point. Walking into it will lead you to a small zone on the moon's surface, complete with low gravity!

Also, one of the rooms on the map has a giant telescope. Going near it will prompt the player to press a button ('R' on PC) which provides closer look at the map. These are possible locations Winston looked into as a landing point on Earth. The prominence of Watchpoint: Gibraltar on this map tells us this was his final destination. Each hero has their own unique voice line when interacting with this easter egg as well.

8 The Panorama Diner

Every player can appreciate the dedication that went into designing the attack spawn on Route 66, also known as The Panorama Diner. However, there are a certain things most people may have missed. For one, a quick glance at all the tables shows there is no pepper, only salt. Why? You may have to ask that one player questioning his gold medal for elims while playing Reinhardt.

Also, near one of the doors, there's a check made out to the diner from Deckard Cain (from the Diablo series). The memo reads "Delicious" and the date is 5/15/12, the date Diablo III was released on PC. At the bottom of the check is a barcode which, if scanned, reveals the phrase "Cain Lives." Any fan of the Diablo franchise can appreciate this nod to the famous dungeon crawler series. Others might scoff, given the nearby sign that says "Cash only".

7 Konami Code

The Konami Code is a cheat code used in several early games developed by Konami. For some games it enables God Mode, while for others it activates every power-up at once. The cases vary, but it's usually over-powered. It eventually gained pop culture recognition as other games began using it as well, even to this day. While Overwatch doesn't employ the code in-game, it does have it featured on the Play Overwatch website. All you need to do is use the code "UP UP DOWN DOWN LEFT RIGHT LEFT RIGHT B A" on your keyboard. In earlier versions, tiny little Hanzos would start to rain from the top of the page. It has since been updated with a new hero. Head on over the Official Overwatch Site and use the code to find out who (make sure your volume is up)!

6 Mysterious Windows On King's Row

On the street past the archway after capturing the initial point, there are several buildings along the stone road. Most prominently, there is a bookshop (passed on your right if you're on attack) and a bar (in front of you before making the first left turn). From the outside you'll notice windows with a blurry view of the rooms' interior settings. However, if you actually go into the rooms and try to look out through the windows, you'll notice that there are no windows on the inside.

Now we could chalk this up to a minor error in the visual design department, gone detected but unfixed for the past year or so. But the sheer level of detail Blizzard puts into every map, all the references to lore and connections to backstories, makes it difficult to believe this was accidental. The true reason is anyone's guess.

5 Dancing Mech

As previously mentioned, the Omnic Crisis was a war between man and machine. But that didn't stop man from using machines. Through the map of Volskaya Industries, you may have noticed giant, human-piloted mechs, called Svyatogors, stationed along the perimeter. These were used in the battle to help fight the omnics until the conflict ended. However, while the rest of the world celebrated peace, Russia was the site of The Second Omnic Crisis, a resurgence of rogue A.I. The Svyatogor factories were restarted and new soldiers were trained. This event is actually the reason the members of Overwatch were called to action in the present day.

To provide a more humorous twist on a dark history, a particular mech can be seen far in the distance off the map of Volskaya Industries doing the robot dance. Put on some techno, and see if you can find it!

4 Voice Line References

Any fan of old westerns will immediately recognize that McCree's outfit is inspired by a Clint Eastwood character, complete with the voice line: "I'm not good... not bad... but I sure as hell ain't ugly," references the iconic 1966 film The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly. Also borrowed from the film Tombstone is a line by Doc Holiday (Val Kilmer): "I'm your Huckleberry."

Another reference to an iconic film is, "I love the smell of pulse munitions in the morning...smells like victory," a Solider 76 line inspired by the film Apocalypse Now (except Lt. Bill Killgore, played by Matt Duvall) says "napalm" instead of "pulse munitions").

Overwatch has also been referenced in popular TV. In season 4 of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., a certain Australian character, James, uses several lines spoken by Junkrat, including "This bomb's for you," and "Well that's a nice (fine) 'how-do-you-do?'"

3 Anubis, The God Program

A defining characteristic of the Temple of Anubis is the large, broken down, shiny pyramid near the end of the map. Better known as an Egyptian God, Anubis is also the name of a God Program, a powerful A.I. housed in this very pyramid. It turned rogue during the Omnic Crisis, but was contained by Overwatch (specifically Pharah and her team) during the conflict, trapped behind various firewalls and protocols to keep it from wreaking havoc. Not only can God Programs control other omnics, they can attack and gain root access to any device if allowed to connect to the Internet. As of now, Anubis is the only such A.I. confirmed to exist, though its likely other existed before the Omnic Crisis. All that we know of are now decommissioned or contained.

2 The Simulation Theory

This secret is neither confirmed nor unconfirmed by Jeff Kaplan, the Game Director of Overwatch who frequently blesses us with new lore, game updates, and oh so much more. In the animated short, "Recall" we meet Athena, an A.I. that assists Winston with his research. Many will recognize her as the announcer of the game itself.

Now, Overwatch is a game in which heroes spawn, die, respawn, and perform generic tasks such as capturing a point or escorting a payload. While there is a storyline to support some of this, many things wouldn't logically add up. The running theory is that it's either just a game or... Athena is actually another God Program, and what we're playing in the game is just a simulation she created to learn more about the heroes. Whether this is for benevolent or malevolent reasons, or if it's even true, is yet to be revealed.

1 Wu Hongyu, Fan Tribute

Blizzard has been known to reference member of its fan base should they be worthy enough to earn it. However, none may be more worthy than Wu Hongyu, a student at Guangdong University of Technology in China. He was a huge fan of the open beta, happily anticipating the release of the final game. "Is anyone else really waiting for the launch tomorrow?" he asked on Reddit.

On May 23rd, 2016, Wu saw someone stealing a friend's motorcycle, and got on his own bike to stop the thief. Tragically, Wu was gravely injured when the bikes collided, and died from his wounds soon after in the hospital. It was the day before Overwatch was released.

The thief was eventually caught, and Wu was posthumously given a "Courageous Citizen" award. The developers at Blizzard were touched by his story. In his honor, they named a spacesuit in Lijiang Tower, displayed just outside one of the spawn points. Behind it, written in Chinese, is the phrase: "Heroes never die."