There have been some wild characters introduced in the Overwatch canon, both in the original game and its sequel, Overwatch 2. Earlier this week, Blizzard shared an early look at the title’s next hero, Wuyang. According to Overwatch 2 lead concept artist Daryl Tan, Wuyang is emblematic of the game’s shift away from “oddball” characters in favor of aspirational heroes.
During an interview with Polygon, Tan and senior narrative designer Joshi Zhang explained that the creative team is focused on introducing characters who reflect their own personal experiences while also connecting to a larger audience.
“We always will approach making Overwatch heroes… aspirational in some sense,” said Tan. “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.”
“This was a really, really personal hero for me,” added Zhang. “When I was writing the story, I drew on a lot of very deep personal experiences about confronting my own feelings of wanting to give back to my family, the shame and guilt that comes with that, and exploring what it means when you fall short of your parents’ dreams and how you pick yourself up from that. I think it’s something that people don’t talk about a lot.”
Despite the shift in priorities, Tan indicated that the designers still want to “sprinkle” non-human heroes into the game. He didn’t offer any time table for that to happen beyond teasing “exciting stuff down the road.”
Although Wuyang won’t officially make his debut until the start of Overwatch 2 Season 18 on August 26, players can currently play their new character as part of a Hero Trial from now until August 18.
