While Overwatch has been on an absolute roll with its hero designs since its big relaunch, fans are questioning Blizzard’s decision-making when it comes to its unrevealed heroes. Specifically, players are concerned that Overwatch has changed the two upcoming designs for the worse, with countless posts about the “Omnic detective” redesign in particular.
Revealed as part of Blizzard’s big announcement that 10 new Overwatch heroes would be coming throughout 2026, players have been leaning on the silhouettes to speculate about upcoming additions. Thus far, Sierra, Shion, and D.Mon have all matched their original silhouettes perfectly, but for the two heroes that have yet to release, it seems Blizzard has made some major changes behind the scenes. Both supports, the expected Season 6 hero looks almost entirely different, while the Omnic detective’s getup has seemingly been streamlined to look more futuristic.
Overwatch Fans Think Simple Would Have Been Better for The Upcoming Cane-Wielding Omnic
While it’s completely understandable that the silhouettes first revealed for the Reign of Talon arc could change over time, as Blizzard was showcasing a few characters that were very early in development, the issue the studio is facing is that players instantly grew attached to the Omnic detective concept. Whether he actually is a Nick Valentine-like character is pure speculation based on his getup, but regardless of his actual personality, fans adored the visible Omnic face dots, the old school hat and jacket with a popped collar, and the cane weapon. Sadly, in the updated model being discussed by Redditors like ATieredPerson, virtually all of these details are gone.
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Players dislike that the glowing lights on the Omnic’s face are missing, while the headwear seemingly going from a cowboy-like look to what looks like a winged design resembling Jay Garrick’s Flash has left players scratching their heads. The popped collar of the jacket is also gone, swapped out for a much tamer-looking piece of clothing. Whether the cane has survived the redesign is unclear, as it’s hard to make out in the new model; it may be swung over the Omnic’s shoulder, or what people see as a cane could be a pipe the figure is holding in their mouth. A weaponized umbrella has also been suggested. Redditors like Loaf235 have attempted to sketch out the design, making it look a lot less like a “tragic” step down to players, but there are clearly concerns about Blizzard changing the concept for the worse — a concept that players have been excited to see in-game for over half a year.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
As for the supposed Season 6 hero Hivemind, which is being discussed more in other Reddit posts, players are more so just shocked by how different the model is from what Blizzard originally envisioned. Perhaps the silhoutte looked too much like Mizuki for players’ liking, but regardless, it’s clearer than ever that Overwatch heroes endure major visual changes as they progress through the development pipeline. Whether the leaked mechanic of drone-commanding even still applies to the Season 6 hero following the model changes is unclear. And while players seem less angry about the second hero’s changes, likely because there was hype for them to begin with, the majority of comments do seem to indicate a preference for the original vibe with this character as well.
While the silhouettes were a fun way to build hype for Overwatch’s biggest post-launch year ever, Blizzard avoiding this route going forward wouldn’t be shocking, as it causes players to get excited about designs that may not be final. It’s also worth noting that silhouettes shouldn’t be relied on too much to judge hero design quality, as though Shion’s character model seemed to be the most lackluster of the group, the Season 3 hero instantly proved to be a fan favorite.
- Released
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August 10, 2023
- ESRB
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Teen / Violence, Blood, Mild Language, Use of Tobacco, Users Interact, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)