Overwatch Unveils the Highly Anticipated Anran Redesign

Following a wave of criticism in February, Blizzard announced plans to update the face of the new Overwatch hero, Anran, shifting her appearance away from resembling Kiriko or Juno and aligning it more closely with her comic and short story depictions. The team has now unveiled the revised face model ahead of its official debut in season 2.

Game director Aaron Keller shared a video on the game’s social media platforms showcasing the updated face, along with insights into the redesign process.

“Our goal is to ensure our heroes feel distinct, and their visuals should reflect their personalities. We realized we missed the mark with Anran’s initial release. We want her to come across as older, moving away from the overly innocent and playful look. Anran embodies confidence, determination, fierceness, and natural leadership, and we want her in-game visuals to express that.”

As Keller notes, the updated design also brings her appearance closer to that of Wuyang. The modifications feature a more pronounced jawline and cheekbones, steering clear of the round “babyface” look from her original design. Additionally, her visual presentation has been adjusted, including a more upright, “confident” stance in the hero select screen. While the changes are subtle, the difference is noticeable when comparing both versions side by side. However, from this angle, her nose still doesn’t appear as prominent as in earlier representations. Fans will have to wait and see how the changes are received when they go live at the start of season 2 on April 14.