"Please refrain from calling me Harambe..."

 

The Horizon Lunar Colony was established as a first step for humanity's renewed exploration of space. Among its residents was a group of genetically enhanced gorillas that were intended to test the effects of prolonged habitation in space.

 

One gorilla displayed such rapid brain development from the gene therapy that he was taken under the wing of Dr. Harold Winston, who taught him science and inspired him with tales of human ingenuity. The young gorilla passed his days assisting with the scientists' experiments, watching the distant blue world outside his habitat window, dreaming of the endless possibilities that awaited him there.

But his life was thrown into chaos when the other gorillas led an uprising, killed the mission scientists, and claimed the colony for their own. Taking on the name of his beloved human caretaker, Winston built a makeshift rocket and escaped to Earth. There he found a new home with Overwatch, an organization that represented everything he had come to admire about humanity. Winston was finally able to live up to the heroic ideal that had been instilled in him.

 

While with Overwatch, Winston fought and defeated Doomfist. He was also responsible for designing the chronal accelerator, providing a solution to Tracer's chronal disassociation.

Now with the fall of Overwatch, Winston again went into seclusion, once again cut off from the world he believed in, but longing for the days of heroism to return.

 

While in his lab at Watchpoint: Gibraltar, pondering once again whether he should give Overwatch agents a recall order, the base came under attack by Talonoperatives led by Reaper. With Winston distracted by Talon, Reaper infected his computer with a virus and attempted to download the Overwatch agent database, which would give the current location of any agent. Winston managed to best the operatives and Reaper, stop the download and quarantine the virus at the last moment. After the close call and restoring the system, he made his decision and initiated the recall. When Tracer received the signal she immediately called Winston, delighted to hear from him.