Why Blizzard Says It’s Been Making Overwatch Heroes Hotter
Kotaku notes Overwatch’s heroes, which once included characters of various ages and (sometimes) shapes and sizes, have largely started conforming to a particular trend: many are conventionally attractive, young, and ripe for dressing up in crossover skins. In a GameSpot interview, Overwatch senior producer Kenny Hudson said this is partly practical: characters with longer limbs, taller legs and a bigger core give artists an easier platform to add new geometry and future-proof cosmetics, whereas characters like the robot-piloting hamster Wrecking Ball put the team in 'crisis' mode.
Art director Dion Rogers gave a similar explanation for why some characters get more skins than others, noting some collaboration designs were easier to fit to characters like Mercy or Kiriko; the team hopes to return to more oddball heroes in 2026, and Hudson said they can now make more 'Jetpack Cats' after learning these lessons.