Overwatch's Same-Face Syndrome Claims New Hero Anran

Overwatch’s character design has grown more homogeneous, and fans have long noticed a recurring “same face syndrome” among the game’s female heroes. The issue has been especially noticeable for the game’s East Asian characters since Kiriko arrived in 2022. Anran, a fire-wielding hero joining the roster next week, has become the latest focus of criticism.

Introduced in animated trailers, comics and other lore as Wuyang’s sister with a longer nose and sharper features, her in-game model appears rounder and features a smaller, button-like nose similar to Kiriko and Juno. Players reacted quickly, with some joking she looks like an alternate Kiriko skin and others producing edits that aim to restore her original appearance.

Those fan revisions argue that only a few tweaks would make Anran look distinct again, and some users said the change prompted upset across multiple language communities. Anran is available as an early trial today, so developers have little time to adjust the model before the broader roster update.