Overwatch 2 has teamed up with the popular anime One-Punch Man to bring a limited-time cosmetic set to the game from March 7th to April 6th! Overwatch 2 Associate Director Amy Dennett and Art Director Dion Rogers share their thoughts on their groundbreaking collaboration, a first for Overwatch 2 and setting the stage for more exciting IP crossovers for the game in the future. The team is excited to debut the collaborative Genos Genji skin here today on PlayStation Blog.
How did the idea of bringing One-Punch Man into the Overwatch universe come about?
[Amy Dennett, Associate Director, Overwatch 2] At Overwatch, we're obsessed with anime! Like our player base, we like to think about the overlap and similarities that characters from our favorite shows share. Doomfist and Saitama fit our heads very naturally in terms of their abilities. Both are bald. It doesn't hurt that our game director, Aaron Keller, is also a huge One-Punch Man fan.
Genos and Genji both share tragic stories. Can you discuss whether these shared experiences form a perfect intersection and the inspiration behind the Geno-Genji character?
[Friend] The similarities between the stories of Genos and Genji were really inspiring. Both men, brought to the brink of death, were rescued from their respective universes by the Doctors and turned into cyborgs. We love that Genji and Genos have such strong relationships with their mentors. Since Zenyatta has that affinity (he's bald too!), it was indeed an idea that would make a good Saitama, but Doomfist was always the obvious choice for us.
What aspects of Genos' beauty and abilities are most important in the Overwatch universe?
[Deion Rogers, Art Director, Overwatch 2] Genos was a perfect match for Genji. Both characters are basically cyborgs and both have a very serious and intense relationship. We want to make sure our players know that they are essentially playing against our OPM champions. Genos' spiky blonde hair was an interesting challenge, the more we interact with the style the more Genji we lose. Our concept artists focused on bringing together the main attractions of the two heroes without losing their personality.
Instead of trying to create a full 1-on-1 Genie look, what's the idea of creating a hybrid Genie cross skin?
[Aimee] Blizzard games have a lot of detail and a universe, and Overwatch is no exception. Legally, Overwatch takes place on Earth. One-Punch Man is an Earth-based anime, so if you see One-Punch Man in-game, it's not a deal breaker. For our first major collaboration, we wanted to be extra thoughtful and nuanced, and we thought our heroes' "cosplay" character style would fit well. There's something interesting about the idea of Canon Genji being a One-Punch Man fan who sees himself in Genos and this character. As Valentine's Day approaches, we're exploring unconventional possibilities for the future of Overwatch's dating sim.
Are there any specific details you want One-Punch Man fans to see about this crossover?
(friend) Yes! We're sure One-Punch Man fans will find some fun Easter eggs. I'm particularly excited about the response from the game lobby during the event.
What are the most rewarding aspects of the creative development of this crossover?
[Aimee] It's probably no surprise that there are so many nerds working on Overwatch 2 and we all have our favorite pop culture bits. It has always been an enrichment for people who love One-Punch Man to voice their ideas on how to incorporate their favorite cartoon into their daily work. It's also worth watching the reactions of players who love One-Punch Man! It's like our conversation with our players, we share the same passion as a team.
Can we expect more exciting Overwatch 2 x One-Punch Man crossovers in the future?
(Amy) We'll see! It was so much fun working on this collaboration and we hope our players enjoy it!