If you happen to’ve observed Overwatch’s characters getting progressively sexier through the years, you are not alone, although Blizzard stated there’s an evidence for it apart from thirsty players.
When Overwatch first launched in 2016, a part of its enchantment was its wide-ranging roster of characters of all sizes and styles, starting from a speaking gorilla to a robotic monk. Characters like Zarya and Mei broke the mildew of what many gamers had been accustomed to seeing from feminine characters.
In 2026, whereas there’s nonetheless the occasional oddball character (like Enterprise or the upcoming Jetpack Cat), lots of Overwatch’s newer heroes, like Freja, Vendetta, Wuyang, and Juno, in addition to most of the new heroes coming in Overwatch 2026 Season 1, are all what society would label as extra conventionally engaging. Often, they’re tall, skinny, and match.
Overwatch 2026 Season 1’s 5 new heroes are lookers.
That’s, partially, by design, although not for the explanation you may suppose. In a current interview with GameSpot forward of Blizzard’s Overwatch Highlight, editor Jessica Cogswell requested Overwatch senior producer Kenny Hudson why, precisely, the sport’s characters have been getting extra engaging, and whether or not it is an intentional selection on Blizzard’s half.
“One thing that we form of look into after we’re doing our heroes is how can we make them distinctive, however nonetheless give them platform, proportionally, peak, scale proportion to not solely construct cosmetics for them and future-proof issues, however to cease the technical hurdles of different issues,” Hudson stated. “So, one of many issues that actually helps with that’s should you give longer limbs, taller legs, an even bigger core, it truly makes it simpler for our artists to bodily put new geometry on these fashions. And so, that is the way it form of seems.”
Hudson went on to elucidate how a sophisticated hero like Wrecking Ball had the workforce in “disaster” mode making an attempt to determine tips on how to make new skins for the character. That led Blizzard to give attention to “one thing you recognize” when crafting new heroes, earlier than restructuring its creation pipeline and studying classes that would then be used to sort out extra unconventional characters.
“Now we’re on this realm the place we are able to make extra Jetpack Cats as a result of we have discovered all these classes,” Hudson stated.
As introduced through the Overwatch Highlight, Blizzard’s free-to-play shooter is dropping the two from its identify and is as soon as once more simply Overwatch. The recreation’s first 2026 season will introduce a whopping 5 new characters. Subsequent seasons will every add an extra hero, for a complete of 10 new heroes in 2026. In its first collaboration of the 12 months, Overwatch will cross over with Howdy Kitty and buddies.