Overwatch Faces Criticism for Character Design Repetition

Overwatch’s character design has become somewhat uniform over the years, and players have definitely noticed. The female characters in Blizzard’s hero shooter have been particularly affected by “same face syndrome,” with heroes like Widowmaker, Ashe, and Freja sharing strikingly similar features across various skins. This issue has intensified for the game’s East Asian characters since Kiriko’s introduction in 2022, and now Anran, a new hero set to join the game next week, seems to be the latest example.

Anran is a fire-wielding hero and the sister of Wuyang, the water-bending support character. She has appeared in animated trailers, comics, and other lore prior to her in-game debut. Initially, she was portrayed with a longer nose and sharper features, giving her a unique look compared to the rest of the roster. However, her in-game model has drawn criticism for having a much rounder face and a nose that resembles the button noses of Kiriko and Juno.

The resemblance is so pronounced that some players are humorously suggesting she looks like an alternate skin for Kiriko. The contrast between Anran’s original design and her current appearance is quite stark, especially when compared to Kiriko or Juno. She seems to have lost some of her identity as Wuyang’s sister in the process.

Fans have expressed their frustration, questioning how a team of artists could end up with such a lack of diversity in character design. Some have even humorously listed a range of cosmetic procedures in response to Anran’s new look. The discontent is widespread, with players from various communities voicing their disappointment.

In response to the outcry, some fans have created edits to restore Anran’s original appearance, demonstrating that with a few adjustments, she could stand out more in a game where many characters share similar traits.

Anran is currently available as an early trial character, but given the timing, it seems unlikely that any changes will be made before her official release. She is one of five new heroes joining the roster on February 10, coinciding with the start of a new season in which Overwatch 2 will be dropping the “2” from its title.