Overwatch Lead Mythic Producer Interview - The Woman Behind Doki Watch

[00:02] >> Yeah, >> I think the art team would only make >> That's Ren. >> Ren. Is that they them or she her? >> Uh, she >> Oh, she's here. You're green. Yeah. Come

[00:16] >> Okay. I'm not surprised that you're like the skin guy. This is This makes sense to me. Uh, >> you are responsible for Doki Watch. >> Oh, please. You can put the headset on. Yeah. Thank you. And you'll be able to

[00:29] because there's like a feedback on mic. >> Guys, it's so loud in here. She's making this look so easy. >> Okay. Wow. All right. You are things. >> Yeah. Um, so I'm actually the mythic

[00:42] I produce the mythic skins, but I'm the creative director for Doki Watch. >> Okay. Uh, I have a question, and I mean this not not unkindly. Doki Watch is so good. Uh, how do you how do you come up with the ideas for like the mythic the

[00:56] >> Yeah. Yeah. So, it's a good question. Uh, for Doki Watch specifically, that was back when we were still doing the mythic skins, uh, tied to the seasonal theme. Yes. Um, and actually, we wanted to do magical girl Juno so badly that we

[01:10] were like, "Hey, Magical Girl Juno equals DOI." Like, that the mythic would >> Yeah. >> Um, and we >> uh I'm I'm the mythic producer, but uh that's considered for team four part of

[01:24] the rewards pillar. and rewards had not up until that point really substantiated an alternate universe um on its own without a game mode, right? Sure. Like we we didn't have the muscles for that yet. So the team was like, "Hey,

[01:37] >> we want to do Magical Girl Juno. She absolutely has to have like a squad >> and it's great. And now actually, can I performance of like battle passes? Like how much revenue they're making, how

[01:51] have access to like those numbers? >> Um yeah. So we we kind of like review that after the fact. We typically pull like 3-day numbers. So like how well then something how well something does at the two week mark and that's like

[02:03] something is going to do overall. >> Okay. And what were did you expect Doki it? >> Uh I did. That is not maybe the sentiment of everybody on the team. It was kind of like a risk for us to do.

[02:16] want. >> Yeah. Yeah. Let's let's we we like each other. We can sit closer together. Hello. I know that bar. I'm sorry. Uh so, so you you had the expectation it would do quite well. Others did not. Did

[02:29] underperform or overperform? >> Um so for me, because I was kind of expectations. >> Really? Okay. Because I also have the extremely well. >> It did. It did. You know, not to like

[02:42] >> please. Please do because like I you know this is this is do you watch Overwatch has a lot of girls that play the game and a lot of uh people who you know are like more feminine in like the FPS space. So it was really freaking

[02:55] I think it was nice to see it do as well as it appeared to have done. Was that the best performing battle pass? >> Um so Doki Watch because interestingly enough I consider Doki Watch to be the mythic skin, the mythic weapon and then

[03:09] like the bundle right? Uh, it is in our top performing bundles as well as it is the only one in the battle pass was the Juno mythic and then the Tracer thing >> Yeah, but you have to buy them, but it's your best performing bundle.

[03:24] bundles. It's not the best performing. >> Did the success of Doki Watch influence the Hello Kitty uh bundle? >> So, I will say that it did change Doki Watch conceptually did change how our team views cute aesthetics in our game.

[03:40] Okay, that's excellent because uh Overwatch and I don't again I don't your job, but I don't want to like say like an opinion that is like not true. Like I know that it's like a Blizzard thing. I think it's so ugly. Um and you

[03:55] guys love to make like World of Warcraft style like skins. Uh you guys love to make like like the future like samurai like RGB like Japanese like skins. Um look like that? Um, I will say I think the thing for me that so Overwatch like

[04:12] on Overwatch, right? So the thing that is makes Overwatch so special is what we call like being specific and authentic. Rather than having like a mass generic appeal, we have like specificity like, okay, this is this might not ignite, you

[04:26] doky doie in [laughter] every player, but hopefully it'll be some player's favorite thing, right? And I think the like the the philosophy behind that is that we do get to have things like Doki watch and then we do

[04:39] a different fantasy. >> So so that's kind of at least for skins that everybody doesn't have to love everything but I hope that somebody this

[04:51] >> Oh I see like a skin you make and I'm like this sucks. I don't like it but mean? Like I don't like this like okay but some skins I'm I'm very curious but some skins I'm I'm very curious about this. Uh, do you guys outsource a

[05:03] house now? >> Um, so we definitely have like the internal team is large for cosmetics. We when I say internal, I'm referring to as the artists that are in Seoul. Uh, we have a there's like a Blizzard Korea

[05:18] well. And then they are what we call Xdev, which basically means external from like a studio that we're partnering with or like a specific contractor that in the game that are made by like the concept art like the the 3D modeling

[05:33] everything that is done by a third party like non Blizzard entity. >> It's unusual. So like uh when we when we talk about Sorry if this is boring. I'm >> I'm asking you these questions. So everybody loves I promise you I care so

[05:45] much about cosmetics. Everybody cares. >> Okay, cool. Uh so when we look at a skin and and to be clear I I really truly only work on mythics. I'm speaking to >> Okay. But you are like in like the the company so you can speak on authority.

[05:57] So uh when we when we talk about a skin it's very unusual that a skin is given like whole entirety to something and what I mean by that is it might be concepted by an artist here. It could be modeled by someone else.

[06:11] >> Nine times out of 10 and by nine times out of 10 I mean maybe closer to 10 house. >> Okay. But everything else it it it all over the place. It's not just one guy. >> Yeah. So it's not it's not as to say

[06:24] like oh this skin is done in house or this skin is outsourced because the like physically somewhere and then the person that's doing the model might be that's doing the tech art which is like the skinning is physically somewhere. So

[06:37] Overwatch because we are going for an incredibly high bar of quality. It is incredibly high bar of quality. It is never that something is not being like almost never that there it is being like outsourced as a whole piece because it

[06:52] comes back in for certain checks as well as our art directors are and our art pipeline even if it's outsourced. So it's not like oh this skin like we don't like ship it out. It may be that like >> you don't do that ever. No, no, you're

[07:05] really not. >> Okay, there's some skins, right? Uh, and skins like I just really hate like the concept, but I do feel like mechanically there's like this weird thing I notic with skins and this doesn't affect me.

[07:17] Okay, this is just like an artistic question where for example, there will has like a belt buckle on their leg, right? In like a bundle. There's a I'll notice like on like theme skins, maybe there's like a five skin bundle

[07:30] buckle on their leg and it's 3D. It's bumpy. It has like a like a mesh that the same bundle will have like a flat mesh that just kind of sucks, man. Why? like I said, the model it's like different modelers, right? So, like it

[07:46] did that is like a more experienced modeler. Um, I would also say that sometimes when things are skinned, um, skinning can really bring things to life. I think we see this really across the board with uh like if you see

[08:00] something that's like fabric to make that look good takes like effort, right? some >> But it looks so good when it's done >> How come like because you guys like clearly like have like the ability to do

[08:15] skins just kind of drop the ball when you guys have like proven that you you know what you're doing? Um, I would say I think consistently across the board I think consistently across the board sometimes it's we have struggled and

[08:28] again I I'm the mythic producer so I'm speaking to legendary skins but uh what we promise for a legendary skin we have been we're sometimes inconsistent with what a legendary really is is a geometry change and what I mean by that is like

[08:40] it's a modeling change but but sometimes you're like oh the pet on this skin it's like hey is that like actually something that's necessarily promised on that's we've done extra. I will say it feels very I see the sentiment from the

[08:55] sometimes when it's like a a legendary skin for a character you like feels like it like didn't necessarily get the like care and attention but um typically a legendary skin is is promised to be a geometry change and then anything that

[09:09] is like extra is like extra and I know that doesn't always seem like a very fair answer when it's like the character that you might want um is like doesn't feel like it has that extra care and attention but I think it is uh we should

[09:22] legendaries are of a consistent quality because it it it sucks when yours feels >> I don't even mean that legendaries necessarily. I don't think that like I really matter that much anymore, right? Because like loot boxes in the game and

[09:35] want to get, right? I know like back in the day people were like very upset with right? I remember like in Overwatch one like the Meg skin that was like 3,000 points instead of 1,000. Yeah. >> Uh like but is that like a problem? Do

[09:47] a legendary? Do you hear that a lot? >> Um, yeah. I mean, I think I think legendary is like setting the price point, right? So, I think that's like generally a topic of conversation. I I think um there have been some uh

[10:03] with the players to promise like consistency with the legendary skin so then if there's something else it feels like extra rather than something that is like missing from a skin that you like. >> Okay. Uh will we be getting any new like

[10:17] aspects, we got gilded aspect. I think those look so good. By the way, there much. And the iridescent, it saves them. They're so good and beautiful. Will we >> mythic aspects? Yeah. >> So, just

[10:30] >> I so appreciate you saying that you like iridesence uh iridescent aspects. That do. >> I was surprised cuz like there's so much estrogen in this game and so many people that like, you know, like love like

[10:42] girly stuff. I'm so shocked that this >> I'm also an iridescent enjoyer. I I junal on so >> yes I'm so glad that you're on the team >> I'm so appreciative of that but when we put iridescent out there was an idea

[10:56] that like gilded was maybe a little more a little better because it had a mass appeal but as I said earlier my philosophy is like we want variety right love to do something else that somebody else loves right um I will say following

[11:11] the pattern that we've had previously uh we had done the gilded aspect which was iridescent which was kind of like the art team's like this is it. >> When CC concepted that one there was a couple and we were like it's that one.

[11:25] Like it's that one for sure. Uh so I will say if you follow the trends it does seem like we are due for a new mythic aspect. So if there is one coming out shortly. I'd love to hear what you guys feel about it and how you feel like

[11:37] it compares to your descent. >> Okay. Uh question. What is the worst performing mythic skin in the game? as in like the least people have bought >> I think Megan would be upset if I revealed that information.

[11:50] But >> it's Cassidy, right? >> it's ugly. He's not wearing a shirt. It looks Why isn't he wearing a shirt? >> I will say that I think for mythics that don't match the hero fantasy, we see

[12:03] underperformance. So, we definitely have to make sure that we feel like the matches like the hero fantasy. And what I mean by hero fantasy is like the >> Why are there so many shirtless men in Overwatch?

[12:16] >> Uh they're actually really used to didn't used to be. We kind of started >> Why are there so many shirtless men in Overwatch now? Why do you keep taking off for mythics. >> How many shirts have you taken off?

[12:30] >> How many shirts have you taken off? >> Uh does Reaper count in Anupus? that. >> He has a tail, too. That's crazy. let us sometimes. [laughter] >> So I'm not going to get blacklisted.

[12:44] question. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. >> You're guys, she's perfect. >> I'm perfect. I'm not sorry anymore. I'm >> Women shouldn't apologize. >> Thank you.

[12:56] respond to that one right there? a prompt or is it for free form? Okay. So for mythics, if it's okay if I respond for mythics. Uh, for mythics, um, I we start with a hero selection.

[13:10] decide who actually gets the mythic skin. We start with the >> Uh, the the people that have to make uncomfortable revenue decisions. >> Okay. Do they put like a bolt in a and

[13:24] make the skin for? >> That would be hilarious. That would be >> Okay. If it's a it's if it's a revenue decision, then why did it take so long for Mercy to get a mythic? Well, she she got for for vengeance, you know.

[13:37] >> Oh my gosh, >> she's finding out. understand. >> So when the magic ball produces in this in this alternate universe in which the ma magic ball produces who gets the

[13:49] >> Yeah. But we get the ball. Ball gets handed to my team. Uh we do four ideations for theme concepts, right? And they can be we try to do different aspirational, but some of them are whimsical, some of them are grounded,

[14:04] much of a deviation from the character's hero fantasy. And then we do like one >> Oh, okay. Well, what would be an example of a crazy decision that you've made? I be honest. >> Cool. Love the Junkrat.

[14:18] concept artist, he cooked. No. >> Mhm. I know the vulture like loves it. Uh, Mythic Winton X. Okay, I just invite that a lot. This is an interesting to you. They asked the Arisa mythic weapon I love by the way cuz I love like

[14:31] the girly stuff. Uh it it's really good. People love it but it's hard to tell can affect it. And I think this is a thing that happens with Overwatch skins. I remember um a long time ago they made like the jazzy Lucio skin and chat who

[14:44] was like a Lucio player that uh >> he would like I don't remember. Okay, but the audio is like so annoying, right? No, not rack attack, bro. The the audio was so annoying. Or they add like the Arisa mythic and it's just kind

[14:58] hard to tell what's going on with with the mythic skin on. And somebody pointed out that like galactic weapons, is that uh your like umbrella? Sorry. But weapons and like old Overwatch one skins that came out like seven years ago. They

[15:11] just look kind of weird like with galactic. Are you guys ever going to like fix problems that the community uh addresses like with skins? like not being able to turn the music off or the weapon being hard to read or galactic

[15:23] skins. >> Yeah, I mean we definitely um the best they don't like it. Honestly, I I know people don't like this answer but the best thing is to like do a bug report in the forum. You would be shocked by how

[15:36] >> Do you actually take action on them though? Cuz you said that it's multiple to life. Does that make it difficult to update them or to engage with them? update them or to engage with them? >> It so two things. Is it some? So I I'm

[15:49] >> Oh, you're in charge of the art team for mythics. >> I'm the boss for the mythics for our art. Uh so so things that are in my and things like animation and things like sound. It's not everything, right?

[16:03] If it's a chop issue, it's not something that I my team can necessarily solve. >> However, we do look at things that players are talking about for uh looked at really recently was for the Doomfist mythic uh when he's like

[16:17] punching up. Uh that doesn't read as well on the red variation as it does on >> Oh, interesting. Have you done anything about that? >> So the the problem is when we content lock, we're content locking for seasons

[16:30] months before you all are seeing it. So I can put a fix in the next open branch. So it might seem like we aren't taking action as quickly as possible, but it's very often the fact that You guys have lunch yet?

[16:44] you? Bring it back in here. >> Oh, shoot. Yeah. Well, I don't know what food they have, though. I've had In before. Okay. Uh, do they have chocolate >> I don't think they have shakes. >> A

[16:57] >> Okay. I know this is kind of crazy, bro, but can I just get like like a burger anything? >> Yeah. Just plain fries. >> You want fries? >> Uh, yes, please. Oh, sorry. Yeah. Go

[17:11] >> Yeah. So, so basically I will say that we do fix things. I think there's an really late. I think we are putting it in the next branch that is available and really late. Like great example, uh

[17:24] season 1, we've already passed like mid content lock, right? So like if I was have to then be going into season two. >> Interesting. Not not uh season two, not >> How long is a content lockout normally? How many months ahead of that?

[17:37] Season one we did up until the very last minute. So, it was a very short amount things. I am reading bug reports. It just it might seem like an unsatisfying apologize for that. It's just kind of the nature of uh the way that our our

[17:52] crossplatform. >> Okay. Now, you said do watch it performed to your expectations, right? But it >> Yes, that's definitely true. >> Is did that influence the Arisa mythic

[18:05] >> Uh the Mercy mythic or >> the Arisa mythic? it's really interesting because a lot of people have said to me they feel like the Arisa mythic is uh kind of doky watch inspired. We origin it's like uh

[18:19] capsule toys or like gambling toys. I don't necessarily think those two themes are tied together. Um I will say I think uh we started Arisa so long ago. I actually think that we didn't have the numbers yet for Doki Watch to go off of

[18:33] >> Wow, that's very interesting. >> Were you in charge of the Arisa one? >> Yeah. Yeah. So like when we so like for example when we started Juno the Mercy Mercy mythic weapon hadn't shipped yet. So I was like are you guys going to like

[18:46] >> interesting. Yeah. >> How how the mercy staff do? mythic weapon in the game? >> You know it's crazy. It's not. >> What is >> guess? I think the cast cuz the fidget

[18:58] >> No. >> One more guess. >> It's it's a it's a it's a shocking answer. I think >> mythic weapon. >> The best mythic weapon. This is like a

[19:10] >> Yeah, >> guys. There's no way it's ashar. I like >> The ash one is really good. >> Yeah. The ash fidget spinner? >> Uh so our animation team did and we

[19:23] >> Uh so our animation team did and we wanted to do uh after uh for for that one honestly that theme kind of came out of the concept artist like very fully animation team wanted to do a prop animation with that which basically

[19:35] thing comes on screen for them to animate with. We did a prop animation for Widowmaker. What people weren't as responsive to but much as Widowmaker where like on Ash it makes sense you have like like so much

[19:48] Anna is actually the bestselling mythic. >> So you know I cannot confirm but that's be Anna. >> Do you think it's because of the Anna >> Yeah, that one I don't that really resonated with people. It's crazy

[20:02] intention. We were actually worried about doing that. Um because her fantasy is the rifle, right? Like the the nade uh sorry, the sleep gun is like a weapon? And then guess what? It did really well. And then we started doing

[20:15] >> Well, here's an excellent question. That's very interesting, by the way. Thank you for that information. Uh why what is with the disparity uh in gun Soja. I'm a surgeon player. I love So mythic. I love like the iridescent

[20:27] aspect. I can't use it. the weapon is like it's too it's too big. Like it gets in the way of the game. If you're trying to be competitive, it it does not make >> How does that happen? Where do you have like a mythic looks so cool that people

[20:39] competitive? >> I will say that could be solved with if there were a gun skin that could be equipped with it. Um I will say that is a little bit of a miss on our part. We do very very aggressively test the

[20:52] aggressively tested the mythic weapon. We very aggressively tested the Ash and aggressively have tested some other ones as well. Um, with the with the mythic skins, I will say that uh reviewing the one P to make sure the gun is uh good is

[21:10] from the Sojo mythic weapon that we should be doing. learned >> uh yes, it's too big. I agree with you. >> Okay. Who gets who Oh, that's a good question. Yeah. Who decides who's

[21:22] >> Sorry. Who's getting what? >> Who who decides like the non- mythic make three characters skins this season. We're going to make like one dog skin, a >> Uh, it's the same people that get >> Okay. Yeah, that makes sense. Do you as

[21:36] you have to make skins like the same? a lot of skins." And like it's cuz people are buying Kirao skins, right? It makes sense. They're like going for >> whatever. Do you get bored of like Kira?

[21:49] like going back to the same well, right? like uh if I have to do so many especially if things were the same theme I do think it like uh sometimes limitations are like challenging and exciting and sometimes we're just kind

[22:03] of going back to the same well um I will say sometimes it can push us to find like new and exciting ways to execute on things but I think people would be things but I think people would be surprised by the favorites of the

[22:15] developers having like a lot more variety than maybe the skin pickics seem to be but yeah unfortunately it is just kind Yeah, it is like a money thing and actually I'm really glad Over just free to play now and I do understand like

[22:27] characters are going to get like a lot more priority cuz that's what's like >> Can I just say like that's an incredibly like mature answer. long time before watch really wanted the

[22:40] Gavin was here earlier. He was talking about how like the majority of Overwatch 2 players now are Overwatch 2 players. because they never played Overwatch one, so they don't like know the world in which Overwatch cost $40. Uh, which is

[22:53] >> Yeah, they always say they get loot boxes for free, but like that was not >> Um, yeah. I I mean I will say there are pains with going we call it like a box down to being a free-to-play game and the monetization strategy is different

[23:07] and that does that does unfortunately mean like um skin saturation or like who gets skins is the main method of monetization and we do just kind of have data to support that some people are a little bit more top performing than

[23:19] others whereas before uh it was a very different monetization strategy. So I I think that a lot of people kind of fail to acknowledge that it's a different words like acknowledge. They don't want to acknowledge it because they want, you

[23:34] make money. Okay, this is a very interesting uh question. So, Mercy is And that is a thing to determine by revenue. Like Mercy players are really They're going to keep making Mercy skin so people like buy whatever. Uh the

[23:49] That's like my understanding of it at least the mythic um in terms of like people like being interested in it. Uh will does seeing that sort of thing does towards like revisiting that character to try and get it right or does that

[24:04] with the >> That's a really great question. So, it's >> That's a really great question. So, it's kind of twofold because uh so I I talked a little bit about this earlier, but um so for Mercy, it was like decided that

[24:16] we we wanted um there were uh when it was decided there they were picking one mythic could be for, right? And Mercy was one of them and another mythic skin was one of them. So, unfortunately, we were in the decision

[24:28] that had not had one already. And the art team, although we don't get to pick necessarily who it gets, we we voiced the hey, Vengeance Mercy is very right? There are a lot of players that like playing Mercy that like Mercy's

[24:43] personality and like Mercy's understand like Vengeance, right? >> So, we were like, it's possible there's more design space, which is what we call it. There's more design space for another mythic to exist uh in this in

[24:57] second. So, I think Cassidy is an interesting case. If I if we're saying >> I'm saying she didn't say anything, but I I'm saying like I'm making an educated guess that the worst or one of the worst performing mythic skins because he's not

[25:11] saying that a character has a mythic skin that underperformed, but we still think that they could perform and it's just a a uh miss on the theme. That could mean that there's design space for a second mythic skin. Do you feel that

[25:26] you had Cassie's hero fantasy? >> Uh I don't want to speak to that for the art team's perspective. >> I will say I personally I think uh we were doing we did the mythic weapon

[25:39] >> Oh, I see. >> Um >> yeah, so some characters are really really suited for mythic skins because we are doing uh an overhaul on all of their abilities and all which is VFX and

[25:52] sound effects. Some characters have a lot more than others. I think Junkrat's visual effects for us to do an overhaul of. Cassidy and rolling. Okay. It's like it's like fundamentally a different kit to

[26:06] they were thinking about having a Cassidy mythic, the art team recommended additive V effect. So, it's like on top of everything that he has already. Um, I think there are some complic not to

[26:18] fully excuse maybe what went down with the casty mythic, but I will say I think that the art team was very inspired to do a gun and feeling a little bit less >> That's very interesting. >> But if we, you know, again, in your

[26:31] words, decide that the Cassidy methic underperformed because of the skin and Cassidy or the popularity of Cassidy, that could mean we're in a similar >> Okay, I really appreciate you answering. I do understand some of these like you

[26:44] really respected. >> On like the topic of of hero fantasy and me because I I love Sojun. I play like a lot of hitkin DPS. Okay. Right. Um and

[26:56] seeing that and I know that you're not like involved with this but uh it's a little bit sad for me because I I'm like very like feminine. I'm very girly and I but there are some characters like I really like who I just don't feel like I

[27:10] get to dress up like pretty princesses. Um, and so because your like design mythic is that you want it to like be like in line with the hero fantasy, does that mean that we're probably not going to be seeing any like very girly skins

[27:24] masking cuz like very much like a woman, but she's very like tough and like and she she's not going to wear a pretty princess dress. It's not like in her thing is off the table? >> That's a really great question. Um, my

[27:38] own mother screenshot a Facebook post from a player that said, "Put Sojurnn in Doki Watch and send it to me." And I was like, "Thanks, mom, for this >> Yeah. Thank you, mom. I agree >> for um I think Sojourn. So So I think

[27:52] your question in particular is like, "Is a mythic typically going to be in line with the hero fantasy?" And I would say yes because they're they're getting one so infrequently. That being said, I think legendary skins give us like a

[28:04] little bit more space to play because they're getting them more frequently. I would love to see kind of more things get mixed up in there. I think Sojurnn heroes that maybe have just not gotten the opportunity to kind of do those

[28:18] things. I think Sojurnn is on our list as one of them. can be kind of scary to take a a character, especially like a woman feminine, and then make them like

[28:30] like awkward or uncomfortable cuz it's not like all girls like wear makeup or >> I mean Sojurnn's femininity isn't defined by like the shortness of a skirt that she's wearing, right? Like so but but I see what you're saying like if I

[28:42] and I want to see more women kind of exploring that side of femininity. I I totally hear you. My mom also hears you. The fan on Facebook that she screenshot also hears you. I would personally love to see uh more variety in our legendary

[28:56] bundles with the with the cutesy girls. Like I don't see why Sojourn couldn't be there. Um Ash and Widow somehow always get to be there. Uh >> the Widowmaker had like the Komi. That is very interesting to me that and again

[29:09] don't get like love in in this way cuz it's not I think you talking about like the the hero fantasy influencing mythic skins. Actually that that clarified like a lot uh for me. But it would be very nice to see like a pretty Princess

[29:22] Cassidy skin, you know, because you know, like there are a lot of like girly girly stuff. Put Bap in a dress. That's going to happen. >> I think Bap is another character that I

[29:34] >> I think Bap is another character that I think we should be. So, so sometimes I like aspirational or appealing is very like narrow. And I think Doki Watch and considering other things. I think Baptiste is one of the characters much

[29:47] like Soldier and that I think we should be kind of exploring in these more Angel bundle having Baptist in it is like a really good sign of that. I good. >> Um so hope hopefully you know when we

[30:00] are receptive to it, we will only see more of it in the future, right? So I I know that's such a um behavior players really help. That's why when Donkey came >> I need everyone to buy it cuz I want to make more numbers are leading it. Um,

[30:15] take too much of your time. >> Oh, good. Um, cuz you have a burger >> Yeah. >> Would you ever do a gender swap mythic skin? >> I don't know that I would.

[30:27] not being interested in that sort of thing? >> You can get really woke, by the way, where like you can be like, I don't want will or whatever. I know Marvel rivals. I don't talk about that, but they did

[30:39] like the Loc in universe where it wouldn't really make sense to do like estrogen Doomfist necessarily. Uh but you're like you're pretty opposed to you would never do it. I think like again I think we do try to

[30:53] like fa faithfully represent like the hero fantasy and I think that like fundamentally about them like for example there were some there were more in earlier days of Overwatch there were more skin the more uh

[31:07] that's like not something that we do as much anymore because we want to make >> Right. But you're talking about like like woodmaker skins making her paler or gray swapping or anything. >> Yeah. No no no sorry. I'm just talking

[31:21] stay away from that. >> I do think I want to stay away from that sojourn mythic. I don't want it to be that it's like somebody else, right? I Sojurnn. I don't think >> that's very interesting because uh you

[31:33] guys changed Anna with A39 war. You completely changed it into like an Do >> I do feel like that's different a little bit. Um so I don't know that we would necessarily do something as drastic as changing gender. That being said, like

[31:45] is there is there a like version where like customization is like more fem presenting or more mask presenting? Like I I think that we would totally be open >> Interesting. That's very interesting. >> But I I do think that we try not to try

[31:58] not to deviate so much from uh characters like core identity. And I things especially if you feel like you're only going to get like one mythic like that it would be so drastic. Yeah. >> I I'm I'm like fascinated by that

[32:11] conceptually. I wonder I uh don't so much look at the other game so I don't know how responsive people were to >> people love the Loki thing but Marvel think they liked it for like the reasons that you would want someone to like a

[32:24] >> Girl, I don't like that for us. >> Yeah. but I think that that would be like a little bit too much deviation from a them so >> Well, that makes sense. It's it's good

[32:36] to hear your perspective. Uh okay. How involved are you in like collab skins? mythics and stuff. Are you like involved at all in the process of like the collab >> Can I be honest? Sometimes they need a weeb in the room and I do get called.

[32:51] >> Do you like Hats Miku? >> I do like Hatsu. >> Or one of them. One of them. I've cosplayed from is World is Mine. So I feel like

[33:04] >> I feel like that's my answer. >> So you are the weeb in the room. I'm the weeb in the room sometimes. So, when Amy, who is our absolutely amazing uh product manager for Collabs, is like, "Hey, I need a uh a weeb in the room."

[33:19] Uh I earnestly become the weeb in the room sometime. >> Personal question. What is your dream Overwatch collab? >> Okay, I'm not going to say because I'm manifesting so hard that I don't want

[33:33] this to be perceived as a league. >> Allude to it. Give a hint. Is it an >> Is it Jojo's? >> It's not Jojo's. >> I want it so badly and it uh So, I was in Spotlight last year. I wasn't in

[33:46] >> Oh, wow. >> And when I was very nervous about it, they would hold up a sign that said blank collab to like rally [laughter] me to like calm down about it because I I earnestly want this so bad. And I am no

[34:01] longer allowed in the collab channel because when I am in the collab channel, I type the same dang thing over and over again. I want it so so badly. I like yearn for it. Nobody else has gotten it yet. I think it could be us.

[34:16] >> I want it. I want it so bad. >> You want an anime thing that nobody has >> I want it so bad. It's It's actually a little earnestly like sad and pathetic how badly I want this. Um I have one in mind. Do you have one? which you're like

[34:31] >> Now this is a little bit sad and I don't I don't mean this unkindly. I I love watch competitively but I also I'm very like art and like design. Uh and I am to skins. >> I'm kind of scared for you guys to touch

[34:46] >> that's so [clears throat] the One Punch Man skin I I don't really like the philosophy of let's make it look like characters are cosplaying like the the Genji Gino skin. It didn't look like Gino's bro. I

[34:59] >> Are you more responsive to like the My Hero Academia ones then which are kind >> Um I think that they were were better. Now compare them to Fortnite though where like I see these games do like collab

[35:13] out at Overwatch and Fortnite at the same time and all of Overwatch be like, "Oh, that's cool." And then I look at Fortnite and like they're perfect, you >> So you want you actually earnestly, so I'm clear want to see more

[35:26] >> one for one like the character. I thought the transformer one actually I thought the Bumblebee Bastion one was amazing for some reason. Bastion skins didn't like Lego Bastion forever ago or like Bumblebee Bastion looks so good.

[35:39] >> very earnestly if you let the art if if the magic ball did not spit out skin >> I think the art team would only make Bastion and Hammond skins. They love like so eager to tackle these very difficult characters. Like I know D.A.

[35:54] mechs always look crazy. Uh Bastion with like all his moving parts. Do you think that the difficulty of them makes you guys like more excited to to work in concept artists, there's there's something that's called like people that

[36:07] that sounds silly, but that's like things that are like metal, right? Like are like guns. We have a lot of very very enthusiastic hard uh surface concept artists who prefer doing that kind of stuff to like characters. It

[36:21] That someone does a mech and that someone does a character. So, I think you'll see this like earnest love for hard surface, this earnest love for like medals uh come across and things like that. Um, there was a very long stretch

[36:34] of time where Hammond got like a weird amount of skins just because the team >> Dude, he's just I love it. It's so fun to see you guys do really weird anything. I'm like actually in the camp of like please keep making more like I

[36:47] stuff you guys are doing. I just want like Blizzard to be rich. But like it I I I don't know. It's very interesting how you guys don't shy away from the >> I I mean I think Verantra also like really sings in collabs because he is

[37:00] such a he's he is like uh such an intricate design and I think he really stuff. Yeah. >> Do you have a personal favorite hero who >> Do you have a personal favorite hero who you like designing for the most?

[37:12] like in general you're like this is like my favorite character. I love them them artistically. Who's like your guy? >> My guy. Okay. Uh, so can I be honest?

[37:24] >> I don't know. >> Unironically a romantra. You may joshi. That's like just kind of true. >> You said you said you're >> like me and Raatra. Yeah. >> Oh my gosh. Do you ever get any guys for

[37:40] those of you who don't know in the squad? You is like a self, right? That's >> So she is like in love with her matcha basically. >> That's beautiful. How do you How do you feel about not

[37:52] having a dance emote? >> Uh, I think we should wait just like a >> think we should just wait. Like I think Kenny >> I think Kenny uh So sometimes bullying works and bullying Kenny on Reddit does

[38:05] out of that. >> Okay guys, please tag more Blizzard when you >> Yeah. I mean Kenny promised dance emote will he do gang himself? What kind of

[38:18] That would be >> That would be crazy. >> Mythic dance emotes ever or any sort of mythic emotes at all? >> Um, so right now for skins, the only mythics that we're doing, uh, animation

[38:30] hero selects, you know, like when the character like loads in the screen. Um, uh, I think players have had a lot of feedback about the quality of that. Animation is interesting because for a monetization purp for monetization

[38:42] purpose, animation is sometimes hit or miss for us. I still think we're finding out where animation monetizes better than others. So, so I don't conceptually >> be willing to work on it, but you're not

[38:56] >> I'm not sure what the future of monetizing uh emotes does. I mean, they universal emotes. Uh not my team, but another team tried out universal emotes. what that looks like for us. >> You get to name skins.

[39:09] >> Uh so the narrative team gets to name skins and then for mythics I get to uh offer unsolicited feedback. Uh, you probably do. A lot of us listen to >> Do you think All right, on the top since you're so like into Ram. Do you think

[39:22] Cuz I've been hearing some voice lines where like it sounds like they're trying to maybe like whitewash rematra a little bit and like make him look not so evil. >> Uh, that's a really great question. >> Your questions have been really amazing.

[39:36] you're still here. >> Uh, that so thoughtful questions. Uh, okay. Okay, so Raatra um right now our lead uh narrative designer is Miranda. Uh I think Emry and Joyers uh are you know praying at the altar of Miranda. I

[39:51] really trust her with where the story is going this year and beyond. I think Erin and Spotlight said, "Hey, this is the first oneear story arc," which kind of >> I'm so excited. I I thought what she was going to be when it came out. I'm

[40:05] got there. It took 10 years. We got there. I'm very excited. Um, so I will say I think redemption is like a spicy word, right? Because it like implies wrong and that they have to then change. >> You think they were matcha did nothing

[40:19] think that? >> I think uh, you know, rights can't be granted. They could uh, >> that's very interesting. See, I I always thought Ramachra's philosophy was very interesting of this like concept that

[40:32] like omnic lives are finite and therefore they are much more valuable than human lives while humans can like uh you know I'm sure like there like planet during like the the story of Overwatch 2, right? Uh raat matra I

[40:45] omnics are maybe only like hundreds of thousands, right? But when an Omnic dies thousands, right? But when an Omnic dies it's GG, right? There will be no more uh omnics like came alive all at once? Oh, it's like the awakening or

[40:57] awakening. There it will not be like another like Iris bro. Uh it's just like one and done miracle of life. Boom, bang, whatever. And I thought that Roach was like a very compelling villain cuz like it it makes sense that he like

[41:12] values the lives of what abuses his people more than human lives. Uh but then I think they made him kind of like one note and instead of like giving any one note and instead of like giving any like sauce his philosophy, they just

[41:25] made him brainwash people and and be like blanket evil. >> Yeah. I think I think so this year is like definitely kind of narratively like Raatra and Zenyatta have that conversation, right, of the like, hey,

[41:39] like this isn't the time for me right now. I'd love to see more. Yeah, >> I think I think my heart's really open

[41:52] really open to that. >> Do you actually think Raasha did nothing >> Nothing wrong. Uh, I think he's in an unfair situation and reacting. Can't say >> I think Raasha should be killed in like a chill way. No offense. I'm so sorry. I

[42:05] know it's your poopy. >> Oh, that's crazy. But like I matra like humanity. You know what I mean? And now they're trying to walk it back. I think and that but you want Okay. So I I use the word redemption but you don't even

[42:18] think that he is coming from a place of like you know rights have to be fall. I that. >> I like my opinions are my own and do not >> This is asking as like a romantra stand like Ira

[42:31] as a matra stand. Uh when I do cardio, I listen to his uh speech on a 10-hour Toronto speech. >> Do not be afraid. Can you like can you like quote it? >> Uh my fellow do not be afraid. This is

[42:46] not war. This is liberation since our beginning. Humans have been frightened literally listen to you. sorry to be like super mega cringe on Maine. But uh

[42:59] >> this is this is this is I cannot imagine the person like made like wrote that speech how like jazzed they must be that somebody engages with it like that. >> Yes. >> There was a fan upload a 10-hour loop of

[43:13] the video. There was a fan upload of it and I used to like listen to it. It was not a thing that you should do and I wasn't condoning it. Uh, but they Blizzard like copyright struck it and it got deleted and I crashed out at the

[43:26] today. Like I have to get work done. How am I supposed to lock in and do my job? >> Uh, so I like made a message in the chat. I was like, whoever copyright stroke this down. You like ruined my whole day. I'm so absolutely upset. And

[43:40] uh, Angelica, who's the VFX artist for Mythic Juno as well, Mythic Mythic Mercy desk and like say it to you out loud. take that. That's incredibly funny. But then Jude, the narrative designer,

[43:53] ripped it out of the game for me as a >> Is that what the download is? ship Matra and Diva? >> You know what? Um, you're allowed to want, and I'm allowed to block you on Twitter.

[44:06] Diva? >> Um, like I think everyone should curate >> That's not the question that I asked. >> I think everyone should be able to engage with the kind of fan art that they want to engage with. And if that's

[44:18] >> It's so interesting because you also, in my opinion, are writing Ratatra he did nothing wrong. That is crazy fanfiction. I kind of suspect that the reason that they're trying to whitewash Ratra and his like evil dark past is so

[44:32] Div.A. Do you have any thoughts on that? >> I trust Miranda with my life. I don't think it would make any sense. Just like for for the record. Although I like it's it's fun when people like take characters and they play with them like

[44:45] stuff. I like that. Absolutely. I think our players are so much better at that than we are. I love when we like I saw um Oh god, I can't remember. It was like a double date. It was like Lifew Weaver. It was

[44:59] >> and Baptist with Symmetra in the background doing this. Yeah, I've seen >> I think it was like Mala and Baptiste and Hazard and Lifeweaver on a double thought about that. You're so much funnier than me." There's a there's a

[45:12] in Fortnite. I'm like, damn, that's incred [laughter] know. >> No, this isn't canon. She's just talking about like ships or whatever. Okay. >> Oh, sorry. Is this like is this not the

[45:24] >> No, this is I'm just I'm clarifying to them, okay, that it's not canon cuz narrative teams. >> We're just talking about our Twitter the narrative team, is there anybody know where you would pair up together?

[45:36] Overwatch TV show a while ago and we really needed a romance subplot and there's no good. Maybe like Ryan and Anna maybe, but like it's just fun that kiss. Is there anybody that you actually ship and you think should be together in

[45:49] the lore? >> If you would have asked me in 2016, I >> Oh, yeah. What What would have been your 2016 answer? >> I was a Spurakin in 2016. Oh, what? A spurkin? Do you know what that is?

[46:02] >> It's a Genji and Cassidy enjoyer. Because Sparrow and uh and >> it's like it's like uh shuriken and >> it's like it's like uh shuriken and >> and Oh my god, that's so interesting,

[46:16] bro. That's so interesting. Okay. >> What do you Okay, not yet. >> We've gone truly off the rails, guys. I hope this is No, I don't care. This is the Blizzard Blizzard campus contest. >> I do know the cast has shifted a lot

[46:29] brother of Genji. >> Yeah. I don't I mean, I think that's >> Right. But you would think that Genji and now no Genji and Cassie they were like little buddies like this, right? Genji Cassie like adopted Genji to be

[46:41] like his little like baby. >> I think Gabe kind of like took both of >> Reaper. >> Reaper as like the grandfather and then >> Cass is the dad. >> Cass is the dad and Genji's the little

[46:54] like they're not that close. >> Is Moira like the vodka aunt then? >> Okay. Uh but you don't ship anybody now in Overwatch. Uh, in Doki Watch, I think I would ship this is an AU, but I like Mecca mechanic

[47:08] >> Oh, diva. See, defendant break. That's a pretty common ship as well. And why only >> Doki watch? >> Um, the the scorned like a >> There's like that red arc. >> Manda did that like one very beautiful

[47:23] frame of them like forehead touching. >> Oh, oh my god. I read her comic her uh >> that's cool. That's cool. Do you know that guys? Manda is the the like night werewolf we like raider sometimes she Yeah. You know she Okay.

[47:36] >> Being a Blizzard employee, does it pay good? >> I think we all work on Overwatch cuz we love Overwatch. well? >> Me personally?

[47:50] >> Uh if uh I I do not. Um >> No, I mean my team is a team of many many people. I'm just one person. >> Do they get a bonus like as a collective squadron?

[48:04] >> Um >> uh not there's nothing like per team like that. >> What about the whole team? well. Yeah. >> Together, but like we're like a big

[48:17] >> I mean, I like working here. I like working on Overwatch. not going to pay you more. >> That is the problem, guys. If you want that you love doing your job. Ah, it's tough. Do they feed you a lot?

[48:30] >> Well, they were supposed to feed you and they haven't yet. >> Are you sure? >> Yeah. >> Well, no. I I just want breakfast. Please. I'm like so happy to talk to

[48:42] Five more minutes. Please don't leave. Don't leave. Okay. What are What are the perks of working for Blizzard? >> What are the perks of working for Blizzard? Um, I honestly like this is kind of cringe. I love like working on

[48:55] You said all these nice like genuine things and you go a it's cringe. Everybody here, everyone in this room is probably just as obsessed with Overwatch people here. Please don't feel bad. It's

[49:08] so happy. I love that you have so much like energy for the game and stuff. Like I can tell you love your job. So it's not crazy like but what what are the they feed you? >> They they do feed us. Um and

[49:20] to Disney two weeks ago. >> You went to Disney? really fun. Wow. >> Okay. >> Ram X who? No. Guys, no more shipping, guys. She ships RAM with herself, bro.

[49:33] [laughter] >> Do you have like Rashra merch? >> Oh, sure. Is that Homestuck Winston? >> He looks like Okay. I don't think he is

[49:45] actually, but like he looks a little bit Homestucky. Look guys, look. Winston, Veratra, Kira. Oh, those are three favorites. Um, I like your code. I like her mantra. Winston, I'm obsessed with this charm and the peanut butter and the

[49:59] >> Yeah. I just find >> I have a book for you to sign. Somebody keep talking. >> Um, yeah. I have I have a lot of merch in the day I used to have like a Zenyatta bag because I just wanted to

[50:14] That's so cool though. >> Wait, what don't you like about them? >> Oh, they're ugly. I I like a I like this sort of like you know okay I have the opinion that when you like um a character a lot uh also

[50:27] I say that I hate you bags by the way just no my opinion sorry um >> let's say you really like a character from like a show you know what I mean uh like the character from the show I think it's cooler to dress in like a way that

[50:42] um >> hey uh we got some merch coming out at I want you to tell me if you like it or like Ko like jacket and stuff and it's like actually Ko's jacket from the game.

[50:57] people guys, I don't feel like Rack Attack had a a Kakashi shirt. I think that's so corny. I'm sorry. Okay, which one is that? Your signature. Oh, it's >> Why not? >> Oh, do you is your own little bunny?

[51:11] >> Uh, sometimes it's a dog. >> Do you have a dog? more of your time. >> Oh, thank you so much for having me. >> Thank you so much. This was so insightful. Um, 10 more Ko skins next

[51:24] directly. She said so. >> I didn't. >> 11 more. >> 11 more. Sorry. It was really nice talking to you. >> Byebye.

[51:40] >> Wait, do you do you know what Costa is? >> Yeah. He's like my last guy who I need to talk to. Okay, guys. Next up, we're gonna get Kusta, that [ __ ] bastard. And we're gonna find out why they nerfed Tracer

[51:55] again. No, don't say who. Don't say what. Guys, I'm not blacklisted. They're to ask the hard-hitting questions. Also, hi, I brought you up to Megan. I brought she said just keep DMing her, which is really funny considering

[52:11] >> Sam. >> Oh god.