Okay-pop group Le Sserafim has reunited with Blizzard Leisure for a brand new Overwatch 2 collaboration that may convey trendy new skins — and Bouncer BOB from the “Good Evening” video — to the sport later this month. The brand new collab will coincide with the discharge of Le Sserafim’s new album Sizzling.
This time round, Blizzard and Le Sserafim have teamed up for brand spanking new skins for Mercy, Juno, D.Va, Ashe, and Illari. (Sorry, Roadhog followers; perhaps subsequent time.) Gamers who missed out on the unique cosmetics from late 2023 — for Brigitte, D.Va, Kiriko, Sombra, and Tracer — can have the choice to buy recolored variations of these skins.
Not returning, nevertheless, is the Live performance Conflict mode that was added to Overwatch 2 for the unique Le Sserafim collab. That mode tied into the theme across the Okay-pop group’s video for “Good Evening,” defined Aimee Dennett, affiliate director of product administration for Overwatch, in an interview with game-feeds.
“This time round, we needed to be a part of one of many items that’s celebrating their new album,” Dennett stated. “Whereas we don’t have a brand new track that’s particular to Overwatch, we needed to have fun Okay-pop tradition, so we made a visualizer for one of many new songs off their album that we’re fairly enthusiastic about and a whole lot of in depth cosmetics for this collaboration.”
Picture: Blizzard Leisure
The actual cosmetics for Le Sserafim’s second Overwatch 2 collab have been largely created by the workforce at Blizzard Korea Studio, defined Overwatch artwork director Dion Rogers. Blizzard Korea Studio artists combed via Le Sserafim picture shoots, movies, and vlogs, in addition to Korean streetwear traits, to present Overwatch characters’ Okay-pop clothes decisions a degree of authenticity, Rogers stated.
“We attempt to work fairly shut with our workforce in Korea on these explicit skins,” Rogers stated. “We did one in every of them right here [in Irvine] as nicely, however as a result of they’re near this work, they’ve one of the best data of tips on how to translate what they see. […] We work carefully with Le Sserafim as nicely, and the women have their ideas and concepts on what they wish to see on the heroes. It’s a very enjoyable collaborative course of.”
The choice course of round which characters could be represented within the new collab labored very like earlier crossovers, together with these with Cowboy Bebop, Avatar: The Final Airbender, and Transformers. Rogers stated that Blizzard first considers which heroes could be followers of the crossover property and builds from there.
“We think about which hero on the workforce may really take heed to Le Sserafim or be into it. We think about that they exist in a world of Overwatch. So Mercy, Juno, clearly D.Va is a big fan of Okay-Pop, and Ashe. That is one thing that we take into consideration with any pores and skin that we create, however does the character need to be this or would they pay attention to those issues?”
The newly remixed Le Sserafim skins from 2023 — Blizzard’s calling them “Blue Flame” skins — are half of a bigger skin-recoloring pattern that’s been occurring in Overwatch 2 not too long ago. As Blizzard brings older skins again with new colour palettes, the additions have drawn some criticism from gamers round their value. However Rogers says they require extra effort than Overwatch followers may assume.
“The workforce really actually enjoys [doing these recolors] they usually’re not really quick,” Rogers stated. “Choosing the right colours for a pores and skin shouldn’t be as straightforward as, It was blue and now it’s purple. It requires a ton of conversations and somebody repaints the pores and skin itself. This takes time, [especially with] a whole lot of denim and jean materials. We really handcraft these recolors, so there’s extra effort than it seems. Clearly it’s simpler; you’re not ranging from scratch mainly, however we’re very cautious about it.”
Added Rogers, “Le Sserafim really contributed to the colour designs. It’s very a lot impressed by their model, their trend, and it was simply cool to revisit these skins once more and attempt to create a brand new palette for them.”
Overwatch 2’s new Le Sserafim collaboration launches in recreation on March 18.
