Torbjörn

Before the Omnic Crisis, Torbjörn had gained notoriety for designing weapons systems used by countries around the world. However, his belief that technology must serve a better vision for humanity put him at odds with his employers, who desired to control his weapons using networked computer intelligence. Torbjörn had a deep mistrust of sentient robotic intelligence, and while many of his peers wrote this off as paranoia, his worst fears were realized when the robot populations of the world turned against their human creators during the Omnic Crisis. Because of his engineering genius, he joined the original Overwatch strike team, and his many inventions proved integral to ending the crisis. In the years that followed, Overwatch became an international peacekeeping force, and Torbjörn remained a critical resource for all of its technological needs and signature weapons systems. Among the work that bears his seal are Reinhardt Wilhelm’s evolved Crusader armor, Ana Amari’s biotic rifle, and the system that helped stop Null Sector’s assault on King’s Row.

In the aftermath of Overwatch's fall, many of Torbjörn's weapons—from his days in Overwatch and long before—were stolen or stashed away around the world. He pursued the misuse of these weapons wherever they occurred, even confronting and disabling a retrofitted Titan unit terrorizing Boklovo, which was being piloted by an old colleague. But not all his weapons have come to bad ends. In Europe, his daughter Brigitte chose to carry on his legacy by serving as squire and armorer for Reinhardt Wilhelm, who continues to fight on the side of justice. And in his native Sweden, Torbjörn came face to face with an oddly peaceful Bastion unit that threw his jaded perspective into disarray. The once-lethal killing machine had befriended local wildlife, inexplicably growing beyond its original wartime protocols. Torbjörn “adopted” the curious Bastion unit, and their close relationship led the engineer to question his antipathy toward robots, AI, and omnics. Feeling responsible for his creations, Torbjörn is determined to stop them from falling into the wrong hands and wreaking havoc on the innocent.

Though he’d retired from active duty, Torbjörn remained a trusted ally to Overwatch. In the wake of Talon’s assault on Watchpoint: Gibraltar, the team regrouped at his workshop in Gothenburg, where he welcomed old friends and new. When the moment comes, Torbjörn stands ready to help rebuild the old base.