Overwatch World Design— Think Globally

By Lead Writer Michael Chu 2017 GDC

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Building the optimistic future of Overwatch

A quick nutshell of OW: a team-based multiplayer shooter game with a huge cast of heroes, including a time-jumping adventure-a robotic monk and a genetic engineer gorilla scientist from the moon.

Go from a simple idea “a future worth fighting for ” , and end up with a diverse and inclusive game that attracted 25 million players. This game features 24 colorful heroes around the world, do battles over 15 different maps, and created an engaged community.

Origin

Every OW hero begins with an origin story, in the same way so does the OW universe. First thing, we looked at the other established Blizzard universe for inspiration: Blizzard has a tremendous amount of experiences in developing worlds and universes. E.g. Azeroth, or dimension beyond, dark gothic fantasy in Diablo(conflict between demons and angels with humanity trapped in between). Massive universe-expanding scientific fiction in StarCraft. different flavors of fantasy.

To create something different, take on a challenge we havn’t tackled before, that challenge is earth. We want to explore closer to home, make a Blizzard version of our homeland.

     

The stories of the Blizzard universes have been told in many other ways, back in the early days, manuals, books, short stories, comics, graphics, manga, lore cinematic, a very natural progression to move deep into the stories of the characters and into the events of the universe.

Guiding principles of OW

Not to be burdened with telling the story in a traditional linear narrative, would allow us to move nimbly and flexibly, work quickly on the OW game.

Eight core fundamentals/Pillars in and outside the game

1. An idealized future

It begins with an idealized future. We are building a possible future earth, that’s highly familiar with recognizable countries, landmarks, monuments in history, but we still have the flexibility to reimagine locations and themes to create a world of amazing possibilities.

2.Building Character

Our heroes are the core of this world, develop characters not only define the feel and visual of the dynamics, then use our understanding of how they fit into the world to develop out back stories and to flash out the environment. Everything starts out in the fantasy of their characteristic gameplay, everything else, like the visuals, design, and backstories high-lightened the fantasy.

3.Global Diversity

We want this game to feel global and authentic, we will accomplish this through a variety of global locations and diverse nationalities of our characters. We will challenge cultural and racial stereotypes in the process and create characters that represent the diversity of our world.

4.Shameless Fun

OW is big in fun. Our hero and their unique abilities are larger than life, over the top, phonetically and visually. We will take the universe seriously, aren’t afraid to have fun, and embrace humor and excitement. 

We’ll ask questions and present mysteries, it’s more interesting to let the players conclude to their own conclusion and figure out the deeper story of the universe, rather than simply state it. If you provide compelling plots and characters, players will feel more engaged in developing stories.

8. Simplicity

We aim to focus the coolness of every hero and game environment to ensure that the player never feels encumbered by too much complexity.

World Building — Optimistic future

Technology has flourished, with flying cars and robots, humans and robots standing beside each other.

-what is conscienceless?

-How do AI establish?

-How do humans cope with rapid accelerated change in tech?

-What flavor of science fiction?

-conflicts, rebellions

“Firm” Science Fiction

What we do is that we take hard Sci-Fi concept like body augmentation; AI, cybernation, and photonic engineering.

Maps & Cities

E.g Hollywood

24 Heroes

Our heroes come from around the world and the moon.

Diversity is more than Nationality

-People relate to characters in ways other than national origin

-Each character is a combination of traits that people identify with (cultural background, appealing game mechanics, personality, physical appearance, color, species, )

E.g. Genji — Japanese Ninja ; Reinhardt — big bold attitude;

Be respectful, do your research, trying to see the world in the shoes of others

What Makes a Hero?

Back Story

Relationship — not only romance

Ana and Pharah

Raised up surrounded by heroes, made her want to pursue the direction of her life; awesome relationship with Reinhardt

Perspective

Thinking goals of heroes, like soldier 76, is he against the world? He has his own mission which may not be heroic, elements change when you put them in different situations.

Australian(post-apocalyptic wasteland) heroes: Junk-rat and Road-hog

Lucio — Canadian-hockey-skates

Orisa

She shows how stories can bridge the gap between art and mechanics. It emerged from game design, we want an anchor tank, AI learning ability, an alternative to Reinhardt, lower tech, older in the timeline, robot-cop, different from Zenyatta, more serious robot guardian.

Efi — a child genius who believes can build a hero, he can work with Orisa. They have a TV in the lab and watch OW Saturday morning cartoons. 

Sexuality — Tracer

Tracer has the power to control time and also use her ability to do last-minute Christmas shopping. Tracer has a girlfriend(lesbian), we want Tracer’s relationship as natural and understated as any normal relationship, only that Tracer happen to be committed to a relationship with a woman.

As Tracer always says “The world could always use more heroes”.