Overwatch 2 has been slowly turning itself around over the past few months after its massive leap into free-to-play territory. Now, the game is gearing up for the release of the highly anticipated Season 18, which introduces the new support hero, Wuyang. This brand-new hero is the first glimpse into Overwatch 2’s future design philosophy, where the focus is shifting toward more “attractive” characters rather than “oddballs” like Ramattra or Wrecking Ball.
In an interview with Polygon, Overwatch 2 lead concept artist Daryl Tan discussed Wuyang’s design alongside senior narrative designer Joshi Zhang. Together, they shared insights into how Wuyang fits into the game’s lore and why he represents the start of this new design approach. According to them, the popular hero-shooter will now prioritize heroes that “people can make deeper connections with.”
Tan elaborated further, explaining that they want future Overwatch 2 heroes to be “aspirational in some sense.” “They’re aspirational in their physique, in their expertise at what they do, and just being really cool heroes that we can look up to,” he added.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the interview is the move away from the “oddball” characters that helped shape Overwatch’s quirky identity back in its 2016 launch. This means we may see fewer characters like Ramattra, Zenyatta, and Wrecking Ball in the roster, with the design team leaning toward more conventionally attractive heroes in upcoming seasons.
That said, the team emphasized they are not abandoning “oddball” characters entirely. They plan to tone them down for now, but non-human heroes will still appear in the future.
This shift may also be driven by how marketable these attractive characters are, especially when it comes to cosmetics and crossovers with well-known franchises like Avatar: The Last Airbender and Capcom’s Street Fighter series. Blizzard’s Overwatch 2 has already seen huge profits from skins for Kiriko, Mercy, Juno, Widowmaker, and D.Va, among others, and has recognized a strong player demand for more of these styles — often referred to online as “gooner” skins.
While the decision may spark debate, it is clear that Overwatch 2’s future will lean toward more polished and visually appealing heroes. If this approach continues to keep players engaged, the game could remain strong for many seasons to come.
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