As Overwatch 2 creeps ever closer to its full release, fans are learning more about the redesigns for returning characters. Orisa will be among those revamped for the sequel, though it appears Blizzard originally had some drastic changes in mind for her return in Overwatch 2.
With the Overwatch 2 open beta starting today, Blizzard has been treating fans to a look at some of the new looks for returning characters. Changes have varied from minor cosmetic upgrades to a full change in role and abilities, and it seems the developers were in two minds about which route to take with Orisa's overhaul.
Though Orisa's new look won't be ready for the beta, Blizzard has recently revealed what changes fans can expect, as well as their original plans for the character. When the game launches, she will be sporting new kit, which fans will be able to get a look at in the beta, and will have several different abilities compared to the first game. Though she'll be somewhat different from what fans remember, it seems Blizzard originally wanted to go much further with the changes. The developer's initial ambitions were to completely change the character model, moving away from the centaur aspect of her design, and the team had a number of bipedal designs for Orisa they were considering.
Ultimately, Blizzard has opted for a design more familiar to Overwatch fans. It appears the deciding factor, in the end, was money. An ambitious overhaul like the one being discussed would incur significant production costs, and the team felt it would be wasteful to discard all the work that had previously been done designing the character in service of this new model.
Orisa isn't alone in receiving an Overwatch 2 redesign and many fans are excited to see updated versions of their Overwatch favorites in action. Some characters have undergone more drastic changes than others, with Doomfist notably completely swapping roles from DPS in the original to tank in the upcoming sequel. By just tweaking Orisa's abilities and revamping her kit, while keeping the character design in line with what fans are used to, the developers may have struck the best balance between providing new content and staying true to what fans enjoy from the original Overwatch.
The decision to abandon the originally planned changes may also have as much to do with avoiding fan backlash as keeping production expenses in check. Fan opinion on Blizzard's approach to redesigns for original Overwatch characters has been split from the start, and some of the Overwatch 2 designs have already received criticism.
Overwatch 2 is in development.
Source: Dexerto
