At BlizzCon 2019, we showed players the sequel to Overwatch for the first time. The Overwatch 2 improved graphics, the game uses more advanced technology, and the story became deeper. It was possible to achieve this and revive the world and heroes only thanks to the foundations laid down by the original game. Senior Art Director Bill Petras, Assistant Art Director Arnold Tsang and CTO John Lafleur talked about their team's work.
Developing the artistic style of the original game, the development team has several goals: they need to refresh the appearance of the characters, emphasize their history and add more dynamics to the world. But first of all, the developers, of course, think about the gameplay.
Hero development
While working on the updated look for the familiar Overwatch heroes, the artists had to not lose the essence of the original image. In each case, the developers had to look for a new approach, but the goal was always the same: not to distort the character and his story. Arnold Tsang elaborated on how Tracer was being worked on to keep Overwatch's face recognizable, yet fresh.
The artists aimed to preserve the basic design elements of Tracer (color scheme, silhouette and dynamics), while changing and complementing the model and style. The result is a retro look with goggles, a pilot's jacket, and leggings for a more modern and tech look that suits the returning Overwatch agent perfectly.
The game's technology has leaped forward, and with innovations like improved shaders and lighting, Overwatch developers can work out the characters in more detail, including the transfer of delicate facial features and body language. Characters will become better at expressing emotions, which will deepen the story and allow players to empathize even more with their favorite characters. Each new design element (like Bastion's hat or the updated Tracer technique) was created in order to tell the stories of the heroes, tell where they went and what they did in the time interval between games.
Expanding the world
In Overwatch 2, battles will spill over into new territories and cover the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, snow-covered streets of Toronto, magnificent views of Monte Carlo and Gothenburg, where the battleship guild has settled.
Overwatch battlegrounds are often about one topic. The world of Overwatch 2 will become more expansive, and the battlegrounds will be multifaceted and varied. One of these battlegrounds is Rio, and BlizzCon attendees have already been able to play on it. Here is a story mission, during which players will visit the bright streets of the city, and get inside the ominous landing shuttle "Null Sector". Each territory in which the heroes find themselves is unique in its own way and immerses in the history of the world.
To further reveal the world of Overwatch, the designers figured out how to make the most of technology and bring the environment to life: to do this, they applied weather systems, fog changes, improved fabric behavior, added more particles and sequential events. For the first time, players saw the weather change in the Storm Presentiment Archive Event. The team refined this technology for Overwatch 2, and now the old and new battlegrounds will become more atmospheric thanks to fog, rain, wind and ash particles falling from the sky. The video team also helped develop technology that will add sequential events to the game. One example is buildings that explode during missions when players approach them. As a result, the game world becomes more alive.
If you have a Virtual Ticket, watch the Evolving Design Roundtable footage here , featuring other familiar heroes updated for Overwatch 2, as well as new futuristic territories! For more details on the game, take a look at the Future Plans roundtable review .
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