Making The Cut

HOW OVERWATCH’S OVERWRITTEN HEROES REVEAL THE SPIRITUAL BATTLE AT THE GAME’S HEART.

- Edwin Evans-Thirlwell

If you’ve spent any time at all in Overwatch, you’ll be familiar with the infamy of Hanzo. A sulky archer once equipped with Scatter Arrows that burst into ricocheting shards, the character became a byword for obstinate lone wolves who prioritise kills over victory. “I would pretty consistently catch some flak for playing him in competitive,” comments Jared, an erstwhile Team Fortress 2 tournament player who now plays Overwatch at Master rank. “I find it kinda hard to get in the zone when someone is whining about my hero choice, so I was pretty liberal with the mute button, which definitely played into the Hanzo main stereotype.” Despite this negativity, Jared fell in love with Hanzo’s ability to assassinate foes in cover and terrorise bunched up teams from high ground. Lately, though, he hasn’t been finding Hanzo much fun. The character is one of several heroes who have undergone total reworks, gaining a new aerial dash that gives him an edge in duels, and trading Scatter Arrows for a more conventional rapid-firing Storm Arrows ability. Jared feels the changes have made Hanzo more effective, but also spoiled his charm. “His rework pretty much only addressed his weaknesses and made his strengths only better, which has led to the unthinkable – people actually ask for a Hanzo now!”

The problem of balance versus a hero’s flavour is one Overwatch at large is struggling with, and there are far-reaching implications for the game’s competitive culture. According to David Sirlin, a veteran multiplayer designer whose credits include two