Overwatch has no shortage of Easter eggs referencing other Blizzard properties, with the Blizzard World map being built entirely out of areas focused on the studio’s other projects. With so many references inside Overwatch, it is not too surprising that an Easter egg went unnoticed for so long, even if the World of Warcraft acknowledgement seems obvious in retrospect.
Considering that World of Warcraft has already referenced the iconic Overwatch turret-maker Torbjorn, it makes sense that the hero shooter’s developers would return the favor in some way. World of Warcraft’s Easter egg sees two characters going by the names King Tor and King Bjorn, with the duo standing together in the Hall of Valor. Obviously, putting these two names together creates Torbjorn, making for a funny reference to the heroic engineer. Much like this Torb Easter egg, Overwatch’s World of Warcraft nod is hiding in plain sight.
While this year’s BlizzCon experience will be fully online and free to the public, 2016’s event was in person and saw players celebrating together while news was delivered on stage. Attendees also got access to an exclusive Bastion skin, with the special outfit painting the robot in silver and blue colors that match Blizzard’s logo theme. While the Bastion design is unique and instantly recognizable due to the rareness of the cosmetic item, the skin also includes a redesign of Bastion’s bird pal Ganymede.
This bird design should look familiar to World of Warcraft fans, and the clear similarities make it surprising that the reference was not found sooner. Found by Redditor Classic_Lee, the skin depicts the popular bird Pepe that went on to make cameos inside Heroes of the Storm and Hearthstone. The BlizzCon 2016 costume shows Ganymede boasting the same brown and white feathers, and from the color pattern, the blue talons and beak of Bastion’s feathered friend make it clear that this is the same bird that first appeared in the Garrison.
While Bastion may have been given a stylish look for this year’s Lunar New Year event that sees him taking the form of a dragon, this discovery has given World of Warcraft fans a reason to want this skin. Adding a previously unknown layer to the costume that adds to its quality and uniqueness, this fun reference helps the incredibly rare costume stand out from the pack. Joining the Sombra’s Diablo costume and Widowmaker’s Starcraft outfits, Pepe Bastion should have a special place in the hearts of Blizzard fans.
Though little Pepe shares a name with a controversial meme, everything else about the bird is lovable. With the same cuteness applying to Overwatch's Ganymede as well, seeing the two combined into one makes for quite the Easter egg.
Overwatch is available now on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
