With the release of Overwatch 2 drawing closer, Blizzard has been showing off the many changes longtime players can expect to see when they get their hands on it. The gameplay isn't the only thing getting a fresh coat of paint, though, as the veteran heroes will be undergoing some aesthetic changes to show the passing of time, narratively, from the first game. Orisa is one of these heroes getting a visual makeover, and one creative player has given their thoughts on how the mech's makeover took place.
Overwatch 2 picks up a short time after the events depicted in several of Overwatch's PvE events and the various animated shorts released online by Blizzard. The game will continue to center on hero-focused team-based competitive multiplayer, though team size will be reduced from six to five. It will also include a greater focus on PvE content with various story missions, which, as titled, will drive the universe's narrative forward with missions featuring a fixed selection of heroes alongside horde mode-style hero missions.
The other changes are visual, as Blizzard is giving the heroes a makeover to highlight the passing of time from when Winston set out to reform the international agency. Orisa underwent one of the most striking visual overhauls from the first game as the studio channeled the mech's narrative roots in Numbani for the new game. One of the noticeable additions it gives Orisa is some stylish braids, and recently Reddit user Bushush320 offers their thoughts on how the mech got this look.
Bushush makes the most of Microsoft Paint to create their short animation, showing an unknown party taking clippers to Lucio's own trademark braids. A few of the comments play into the animation, suggesting the small hands actually belong to other members of Overwatch. Wrecking Ball and D.Va were the top suggestions, given the pair are two of the smallest characters in the game outside their respective mechs.
The humorous animation aside, it is a reminder of how far out of their way Blizzard went to make several of the heroes much more visually distinct from the first Overwatch. Orisa falls into the camp with other heroes like Reinhardt, Wrecking Ball, Zarya, Cassidy, and Lucio, who were all given noticeable redesigns for the sequel. Not all characters were given as drastic of a makeover, though, as heroes like Zenyatta, Mercy, and Ana were given more subtle changes or additions to their appearance rather than a top-to-bottom redesign.
Overwatch 2 is scheduled to release October 4, 2022, on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.