Hanzo's Casual Skin In Overwatch Is Getting A Makeover

Published: December 16, 2017 8:09 AM /

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Overwatch Hanzo Casual Skin Target Practice

Hanzo's Casual skin in Overwatch will be undergoing some changes following feedback from the player base according to a post from Community Manager Josh Engen on the game's official forums.

A bit of background: we're in the midst of the Winter Wonderland event in Overwatch. It brought all the things new game modes typically bring - an Arcade Brawl or two, some seasonal-appropriate changes to the maps, event loot boxes, and (most importantly to some fans) new skins. Among the new lot of cosmetics was Hanzo's Casual skin, first seen in the Reflections comic from last year. Players at the time were vocally fond of Hanzo's get-up, and this year it was hinted by Jeff Kaplan that they would be getting the skin. Unfortunately, what the fans expected and what the fans actually got are two different things as shown here:

Overwatch Hanzo Casual Skin Live December 2017
Hanzo's Casual skin in Overwatch alongside the image from last year's Reflections comic.

The skin's somewhat different take on the comic's outfit had fans upset on both the /r/Overwatch subreddit and all over the game's official forums. Fan complaints about cosmetics happen in... well, pretty much any game with cosmetics, but this particular skin drew a somewhat larger amount of criticism than usual.

As a result of the feedback (both positive and negative) from the community, Blizzard announced that they would be reworking the skin to better meet fan expectations. Company artists mocked up what they think the newer version of the skin will look like:

Hanzo Casual Skin Old New
Critically, it doesn't show what has been referred to as "the poop dragon". I wonder how they'll tackle that particular element.

The updated version has some obvious changes and some subtle changes to Hanzo's Casual skin. The most obvious change is the removal of the fully grey beard, an element that particularly stood out as being much different than what was shown in the comic. Hanzo's shirt and pants have been raised slightly, and his nose piercing has been reduced in size. It's important to note that this is just a mock-up; the actual finished product might turn out slightly different than the updated version that's been cooked up on the right.

As for when players will actually get this new skin, well - that's up in the air. Mr. Engen stated that it won't be until sometime in January at the earliest. The change will be retroactive for current owners of the skin - this means that if you unlock the current version now it will eventually be replaced with the updated version.

Fan response on Twitter, the /r/Overwatch subreddit, and elsewhere has generally been receptive of the planned changes. If you're bugged by the how this particular skin turned out, it looks like your concerns will be satisfied in the near future. In the meantime, the Winter Wonderland event in Overwatch is still underway if you're keen at trying out the new Arcade Brawl or just dipping back into the game for a bit.

What do you think of Blizzard's proposed changes to Hanzo's Casual skin? Do you think they ought to have done the initial release differently or were you fine with the end product? Let us know in the comments below!

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A photograph of TechRaptor Senior Writer Robert N. Adams.
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One of my earliest memories is playing Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo Entertainment System. I've had a controller in my hand since I was 4 and I… More about Robert N

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Learn more about Overwatch
Game Page Overwatch
Platforms
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Release Date
May 24, 2016 (Calendar)
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