Scholastic publishing Overwatch book starring Numbani hero Efi Oladele

Blizzard Entertainment has Overwatch comics, a cookbook, and plenty of digital shorts. Now it’s expanding into a new venue — young adult fiction. Scholastic will publish an Overwatch novel titled “The Hero of Numbani” in 2020, a Blizzard representative confirmed to Polygon.

An Amazon listing for the book appeared this week and detailed the story. “The Hero of Numbani” centers on Numbani hero Efi Oladele, the young girl who created Orisa. You probably remember her from the Doomfist attack on Numbani’s OR15 bots; after the attack, Oladele built Orisa from the remains.

Here’s the description from Amazon:

In the technologically advanced African city of Numbani, in the not-so-distant future, humans live in harmony with humanoid robots known as omnics. But when a terrorist tries to shatter that unity, a hero named Efi Oladele rises!

Efi has been making robots since she was little-machines to better her community and improve people’s lives. But after she witnesses Doomfist’s catastrophic attack on the city’s OR15 security bots, Efi feels the call to build something greater: a true guardian of Numbani.

While Doomfist sows discord between humans and omnics, Efi engineers an intelligent and compassionate robot, Orisa, named after the powerful spirits who guide her people. Orisa has a lot to learn before she’s ready to defeat Doomfist, but Efi has some learning to do, too, especially when it comes to building-and being-a hero. With Doomfist rallying his forces, and the military powerless to stop him, can Efi mold Orisa into the hero of Numbani before it’s too late?

This action-packed novel features the fan-favorite characters Efi, Orisa, Doomfist, and Lúcio in an all-new, original story straight from the minds of the Overwatch game team and critically acclaimed author Nicky Drayden!

Back in 2017, Blizzard debuted Oladele to the Overwatch community by posting an “interview” with the 11-year-old robotics expert. There was speculation at the time that Oladele may be the next Overwatch hero, but she ended up taking on a supporting role to Orisa, the robot she created. It was exciting for many to see a character like Oladele — a young girl of color — in Overwatch, and the reality that she took a sideline role to a robot was disappointing to many. (Of course, the Overwatch battlefield is clearly not the place for an 11-year-old.) Overwatch has one of the most diverse casts, but after 31 heroes its cast of playable characters still doesn’t have a black woman.

According to Amazon, “The Hero of Numbani” will be released in May 2020 from author Nicky Drayden, best known for “The Prey of Gods,” a futuristic novel set in South Africa.