The actor behind the English language model of the newly revealed Overwatch hero, Anran, has responded to criticism of her visible design, supporting requires her look to be modified, claiming, “this is a hill price dying on.”
Final week’s Overwatch highlight noticed the introduction of a new period for Blizzard’s hero shooter, however, with it, got here the reemergence of a problem that’s adopted the design of its characters round for a few years now: “Identical Face Syndrome.” The look of Overwatch’s feminine heroes has lengthy been a speaking level amongst followers, some of whom have claimed that the characters all share remarkably related facial options, regardless of the place that character is from on this universe. Certainly, followers have mentioned this is applicable to Swedish shield-bearer Brigitte, Japanese healer Kiriko, and the Martian assist, Juno.
Now, with 5 new heroes becoming a member of the group imminently, followers say Blizzard is including one other acquainted face to that listing, within the form of Anran, a fiery harm vendor from China. Having performed with Anran fairly a bit over the weekend, I can affirm she’s very enjoyable to play as, however there’s no getting away from the truth that you possibly can swap her face with nearly another feminine member of the roster, and never immediately discover a distinction.
This has led to many members of the Overwatch group elevating their considerations concerning the lack of selection in how Blizzard designs its feminine characters, and whether or not unrealistic magnificence requirements are being portrayed in a sport with an in any other case optimistic message. It’s even one thing that is led the English voice actor for Anran, Fareeha, to weigh in together with her ideas on the backlash.
I am the voice of Anran in Overwatch!!! 🧡
I held off on posting about this as a result of I wished to verify I may do that dialogue justice. Here is a shot at that!
Let’s preserve rooting for the model of her that might be. I hope you will have a lot enjoyable taking part in her!! 🔥🪭 pic.twitter.com/jbFbKHPVpb
— Fareeha (@AskFareeha) February 8, 2026
“I’m going to be so trustworthy”, Fareeha mentioned in a video posted on social media. “I’m nervous about this video, as a result of I didn’t wish to not deal with the elephant within the room, however I didn’t wish to step on the devs’ toes or converse on their behalf as a result of it’s a tightrope in my thoughts in attempting to honor the group and everybody’s criticism, as a result of I agree, and in addition give grace to the builders as a result of they’re at all times attempting their finest within the scenario they’re in.”
Anran had been teased as a playable hero in Overwatch for a quick whereas earlier than her launch, after showing in a comedian and cinematic alongside her brother, Wuyang. However curiously, followers say she regarded completely different in these earlier revealed appears to be like, which begs the query why her face now seems to suit the extra uniform Overwatch look in-game.
“I received to mourn Anran, between the design that I had hoped for for her, and the design we ended up with,” Fareeha continued. “As a result of I feel in her comedian and the cinematic, there was a precedent set by it. There was an unstated promise that mentioned ‘we’re going to problem the sweetness requirements which are plaguing and ransacking media nowadays.’ Proper? The Ozempic stylish, the ‘contour your nostril’, ‘you don’t have any nostril’, ‘the tiniest nostril’. And I feel as a result of of that precedent, individuals really feel understandably let down.
rhinoplasty, eye elevate, jaw shave, botox, cheek filler, facial bone surgical procedure, gastric bypass surgical procedure, face elevate, lip filler, buccal fats removing pic.twitter.com/f4OAgIquGg
— Sasha 🔨 Torbjörn CEO (@torbillionare) February 4, 2026
“Overwatch is a trailblazer at difficult that, proper? Of attempting to interrupt these molds, of attempting to discover the bounds of what it means to be good, what it appears to be like wish to be heroic. And I feel the end result we received says one thing else. It says one thing that leaves a unhealthy style in our mouths. It’s not the daring, optimistic swing that we all know Overwatch to make. It’s a look that isn’t congruent together with her persona, proper?. She appears to be like just like the youthful sibling. She appears to be like extra docile, in some way, as a hearth hero, she appears to be like extra docile than probably the most docile peacekeeping assist within the sport.”
Ever since this new look was revealed, followers of the sport have been taking to social media to current their redesigns and ideas as to give Anran a completely different look, which is one thing Fareeha mentioned she had seen, appreciated and inspired.
“I’ve been seeing everybody’s redesigns, and quietly bookmarking them, however I wished you to listen to that this concern is necessary,” Fareeha said. “This is a hill price dying on. It is price talking on, as a result of I consider the extra we converse up concerning the issues that actually matter to us, the extra we’ll see ourselves mirrored on this planet round us. The extra we’ll see our values on this planet round us.
“I would like you to know that I shared all of this with the dev group. Not solely that, I used to be inspired to be as open and trustworthy as potential and to not maintain something again. And, it’s my hope that this isn’t for naught, proper? That they see it, they hear it from you all, too. Whereas it’s not my choice to determine what could be completed and what will get completed about this, I’ll preserve championing for the model of her that all of us wished for, and I would like you to do the identical, with boldness, with kindness, and with ‘hopium’. As a result of Overwatch is not an exploration of what the world is, it’s an exploration of what the world might be.”
I received chills this omg
GORGEOUS ❤️🔥 https://t.co/omwie4G8gV— Fareeha (@AskFareeha) February 8, 2026
Time will inform if Anran does obtain an alteration to realign her look with what was initially conceived, or, certainly, if any future feminine heroes added to Overwatch’s roster handle to keep away from the now-dreaded “similar face syndrome”. We have reached out to Blizzard for touch upon Anran’s design.
What did you suppose of all of the information and updates coming to Overwatch now that it’s getting rid of the “2”? Tell us within the feedback if you happen to’re prepared to leap again in!
Simon Cardy is a Senior Editor at IGN who can primarily be discovered skulking round open world video games, indulging in Korean cinema, or despairing on the state of Tottenham Hotspur and the New York Jets. Comply with him on Bluesky at @cardy.bsky.social.