Which hero is a genetically engineered hamster?

The hero who is a genetically engineered hamster is Wrecking Ball. The hamster himself is named Hammond, and he pilots a heavily armed spherical mech that uses Wrecking Ball as its combat name.

Hammond was one of the test animals at the Horizon Lunar Colony, where scientists enhanced his intelligence. He developed an aptitude for mechanics and eventually escaped the colony during the uprising that also involved Winston. His escape capsule separated from Winston’s and crashed near Junkertown in the Australian Outback.

After landing, Hammond converted the capsule into a combat machine and entered Junkertown’s robot-fighting arena. He became a champion under the name Wrecking Ball, which is why the game uses that name for the playable hero rather than simply calling him Hammond.

Players sometimes describe Wrecking Ball as a robot or a hamster-shaped machine, but the distinction matters: Wrecking Ball is the mech, while Hammond is the genetically engineered animal controlling it. The mech can change between a rolling spherical form and a quadrupedal combat form equipped with Quad Cannons.