Overwatch has plenty of ways to keep our attention while playing the game. For some, it’s the engaging gameplay or watching the Overwatch League and the crazy plays. For others, it’s all about the customization options. From voice lines and sprays to the skins and gold weapons; the item drops found more ways to get people playing the game to earn that one item that can let players express themselves. At the start of the year, Blizzard added in crossover skins to several of their heroes as callbacks to their other games. Many of these character designs were brilliant and made fans want to get them right away. For as much as we love those skins based on other Blizzard IPs, fans want even more. And then when after we got Brigitte, many players wasted no time in comparing the Ironclad Princess to Johanna the Crusader from Diablo.For as great as it would be to have another Diablo-inspired skin in the game, it didn’t stop there. Blizzard also announced Widowmaker getting another Ghost skin in the form of Kerrigan from StarCraft to celebrate the game’s 20th anniversary. We didn’t think we would get another Blizzard skin in the game so soon, and for all we know, this might be the next of many. So let’s make another wish list of the ten skins that would be great to see come to Overwatch. This list borrows a few ideas from fan art and even ideas that already exist in certain other Blizzard titles. So get buckled in and let us explore how much deeper into Blizzard we can go for Blizzard-Inspired skins.
10. Junkrat as A Fallen One
Considering that they have a tendency to blow themselves up, Can’t say it’s shocking if they are “scarcely seen.”So getting one early suggestion out of the way, we start things off with a skin you can get for Junkrat in Heroes of the Storm. When you ask any Blizzard fan about which game has the better skins between HotS and OW, more times than naught, The Storm comes out on top. Junkrat is a rather unique character in terms of design with his hair always smoking, a missing leg and an explosive wheel on his back. The team did an amazing job to give Junkrat the look of a Fallen One from the Diablo series and it would be a shame if this skin stayed in just one game.You might bring up how skins from both games shouldn’t crossover to ensure their uniqueness. Perhaps, but if Genji’s Oni skin is in both games and Nova and Widowmaker dressing up as each other, allowing Junkrat to carry over a skin isn’t that far fetch of a concept. As fun as this skin would be in Overwatch, this is one idea that doesn’t expand out much further from the pitch. It isn’t as much variety in a Fallen One skin that would bring much uniqueness to it (other than having the explosive minion chilling in the wheel and running around if Riptire is ready). Would be a fun skin for players to use in matches, but with Junkrat’s skins he has already, the Fallen One falls low on this list.
9. Roadhog as Stitches
When you ask players who had the best Blizzard World skin, many would point towards Roadhog as The Butcher from Diablo. When you look at the design of The Butcher, you have a sadistic demon hellbent on getting fresh meat fit. On this concept alone, Roadhog fit this character all too well. With how big and intimidating as the Buther is, it made so much sense to have Roadhog dress up as him. The funny thing though was that back when fans were first playing with this idea of skins based on Blizzard IPs, The Butcher didn’t cross many people’s minds. Not to say they didn’t consider it happening, but because another idea fans had involved another giant monstrosity that also used a hook.
Replace that Cleaver with a scrap gun and remove that third arm and we got ourselves RoadStitches!As an undead unit in Warcraft 3, Abominations are a bunch of body parts and dead limbs of corpses thrown together to twisted, mutilated Flesh Golems; the best known of these creatures Stitches. It would be tricky for Roadhog to have intestines hanging out of his belly. Perhaps he wears something in front of his belly with a fun message in front like what they did with The Butcher skin. Or even a “tattoo” design of the abomination’s exposed belly depending on how much details they add. Either way, Roadhog doesn’t need two Blizzard skins right now. Still, if Widowmaker can be two ghosts, Roadhog can represent the bigger-sized characters of Blizzard. By Elefante. Not sure if this was a mod skin for Stitches in Heroes of the storm, but this is an amazing job.
8. McCree as Raynor
The Terrans in Starcraft are like the outlaws you see in the Wild West. And at the center of the galaxy is the marshal turn rebel: Jim Raynor. As everyone’s favorite badass from the Starcraft series, Raynor’s design when he isn’t in a Marine Suit would be a nice homage for McCree to wear. The two characters share similarities, including how justice won’t dispense itself. Even Raynor has his very own Revolver that McCree can make use of in matches. Since most Terrans in Starcraft are heavy-armored units, it would be nice too if we got another character besides Widowmaker show you can be dangerous without the extra protection.
Just remove the hat and there you go! Jesse Jim McCree!So you might be asking, “Why McCree and not Soldier 76 as Raynor?” A fair point, but the issue is that a Marine’s armor isn’t as thin as 76’s jackets or shirts. If we had an armored range unit, then perhaps a Marine Skin might work. If it were to happen, might as well get a character with a mini-gun in the game for a Tychus callback. I’m sure 76 can get his own Starcraft-themed skin too, but unless if we take a lot of liberties, it is an idea best saved for another time. Still, I wouldn’t be against seeing Reinhardt as a Battle Marine and with a “Terran-Inspired” Hammer too.
7. Zenyatta as A High Templar
If there was anything to take from the initial wave of Blizzard-Inspired skins, it was that Omnics look nice as Protoss. It leaves to question though of what chances there would be for us to see another Protoss skin in OverWatch. It is also a tricky matter to figure out how to give someone like Zenyatta a skin too since it is one part coming up with a unique design for him while also designing his orbs floating around him. While Bastion will appear later in this list, let’s focus on our other omnic monk for a moment. What if Zenyatta were to not only appear like a Protoss but perhaps a very important Protoss? Image done by Deviantart User: WildCard24In Starcraft, High Templars are the most seasoned of Protoss warriors well known for their psionic abilities. There aren’t any that throw metallic orbs at enemies, but it would still be neat to give Zenyatta a different face mask to conceal his appearance as a Protoss. Meanwhile, you can shape his orbs to have a protoss-inspired design or perhaps even mini pylons. You can take it a step further with the Protoss beliefs and let Zenyatta yell out “Experience Khala!” when he uses transcendence. To pay tribute to the Protoss beliefs and how all their kind connects to each other through a communal psionic link. It would be a nice skin to give our omnic monk to showcase the power of the Protoss.
6. Tracer as Demon Hunter
With the way she’s posing in this spray, it’s almost as if Blizzard wants to make Tracer a Demon Hunter too.While Tracer has plenty of skins already, the last one she got was during the Anniversary Event last year. It wasn’t even until one year later that she got a new skin that changed her hair color blonde while wearing yellow. Tracer got a new skin for almost every event during OverWatch’s first year, so it is understandable if she didn’t get as much during the second year. After all this time though, it would be nice to allow Tracer to have another legendary skin after a whole year of nothing given. And what better skin can we give her than one that turns her into another dual-wielding heroine from Blizzard.You can have Tracer dress up like Valla, or give her a unique Demon Hunter attire. Her Pulse Pistols can turn into a pair of crossbows while also giving her Chrono-Accelerator a more “Diablo” makeover like how her Sprinter outfit turned into a stopwatch. You can also alter Tracer’s eyes with a hellfire glow so she can have vengeance in her eyes (even when she laughs at her enemies). Whether if a Demon Hunter skins were to appear during the next wave of Blizzard Skins, or even with the Halloween Skins, it would be nice to see Tracer’s next skin be a standout.
5. Mercy as Auriel
With Butcher Roadhog and Barbarian Zarya, we have both a hero and a demon representative from Diablo in playable forms. There is, however, one group that has gone unmentioned up to this point: the angels. Just by saying the word “Angel,” it shouldn’t take you too long to point towards Mercy. With her role on the battlefield to protect others, she would more than fit to be an represent the archangels. While we don’t have a hero that uses a giant sword into combat (not Genji), we do have the Archangel of Hope that would fit Mercy’s character so much more. By Wildcard24. Whether cloaking her entire face or not, no denying that this is an amazing concept that needs to happen.As a support character in Heroes of the Storm, Auriel would be a nice skin to give Mercy as it would fit her role well. The tips of her wings can also emulate Auriel’s wings too while giving her a unique staff and pistol to compliment her elegant design. It would be hard to say if you’d want to conceal her face or not, but everything else would be a great fit for her character. There isn’t much else to say about Mercy and Auriel, except that if we wanted to take it in a different direction, we can give Mercy a “Queen of Blades” makeover. It would be fun to see it happen, but from a design perspective, it may pose a challenge to make it happen.
4. Reaper as Mahthael or Illidan
By Wildcard24. WHERE DO I THROW THE MONEY FOR THIS?!From an Angel of Hope to an Angel of Death, one can say Reaper has the more entertaining looking skins due to his edginess. Coming up with skin ideas for Reaper it isn’t a matter of if something is possible as rather how it can compliment both Reaper and the character he portrays. One of two ideas come to mind with how you can make the former Blackwatch operative. When we consider how much he talks about death why not let him become Death himself in the form of Diablo’s Mahthael? Much like all other angels in Diablo, you wouldn’t see Reaper’s face cloaked in shadows while also designing his shotguns to look like Mahthael’s Scythes. Top it off with his basic emote and you got yourself a future skin idea.
By: Alexandre Coadou. WHERE DO I THROW THE MONEY FOR THAT?!With that said, if we are talking about a guy who had “betrayed” his organization, you can also give him a “Betrayer” skin too. Another Demon Hunter from another Blizzard game, but this one would fit Reaper’s character well. It might be silly to cover up Reaper’s eyes if he has a mask, but this could be his third skin where he isn’t hiding behind a mask. Whether if he keeps the mask on, it would be fun to see Illidan trading his dual blades for a pair of shotguns. With two separate ideas based on two dual-wielding characters, Reaper can make something special happen with either a Night Elf or Archangel.
3. D. Va as Goliath Pilot
D. Goliath OnlineLet’s dive back into Heroes of the Storm to source another brilliant skin idea. When one looks at a MEKA, you can say looks like a giant pink bunny. Nothing wrong with the design but later on, the Storm team gave D.Va and her MEKA a skin that transformed her into a Goliath pilot and her suit into an Ed 209-inspired walking death machine. There have been some online that think D.Va should pilot a Thor instead of a Goliath, but considering the scale of the two, that would be overkill. That and the idea how it would fly would be the only leeway to figure out. Still, it would fall into the realm of possibility to have her serve as a pilot for the Terrans.If you played Heroes of the Storm, you might also ask “Why talk about the Goliath when D.Va also got a Deathwing Skin too!?” The design for the Destroyer skin is incredible and might see an appearance later on. The reason it isn’t on this list is how over-elaborate the design is. Considering that HotS doesn’t go as big in the details like OverWatch, several things would have to get addressed for the design and to make it workable in-game. Until we know for sure how it can translate over, the Goliath would be the better of two skin options. No denying though that if we were to put this skin into OverWatch, it would overshadow all other skins in the game.
Feel free to prove me wrong Blizzard!
2. Bastion as an S.C.V.
For as difficult as it was to come up with original ideas, one came to mind when starting a new round in Starcraft. We have one of the more overlooked units that you wouldn’t expect to see in a fight: the Builder Unit. Last year, Heroes of the Storm saw a builder unit, Probius, join the roster. The Probe is a specialist hero that can summon additional Pylons and Proton Cannons to the fight. While having a “Protoss Bastion” would amaze some, it is still an “old-fashioned” battle robot compared to most omnics in Overwatch‘s current time (since Bastion isn’t even considered an Omnic). So while it would be fun to figure out which another Protoss unit to use, an inspiration came when looking at the Space Construction Vehicle. When you stack these two on top of each other, you can see that making Bastion an SCV isn’t that farfetched as one would think.With the designs for SCVs, one could make a design for Bastion that will let it take the form of the Terran worker and could replace that drill arm with a gun. It would be like the Bastion unit paying homage to one of the hard working units in Starcraft. It’s hard to say how transformations will look in-game for an SCV skin. If Bastion’s Tank Form could look like a Terran Siege Tank, you’d have a skin that would be a must-have among Starcraft fans. The only complication would be what kind of bird companion SCV Bastion would have, but perhaps you could have a metal bird or a Zerg bird or something.
1. Reinhardt as Uther or Leoric
Don’t you want to see either of these two men to do a crossover with Reinhardt?At the top of the list is the German Crusader and Overwatch powerhouse, Reinhardt. How appropriate would it be that if we had Brigitte as Johanna that we had a Paladin in the game in the form? In WarCraft, there are many kinds of Paladins with the most noteworthy of being Uther. Design wise, Reinhardt would fit the role of a Paladin with his trusty hammer to smite the enemy. You could even have Reinhardt have a special line when he deploys his shield and call it his divine shield. With all the things the class can do in-game, it would be a nice tribute skin to the legendary Paladin.Then again, who’s to say Reinhardt should be a Paladin? Perhaps, we could give him the look of a certain king driven to madness and left him as the Skeleton King. You’d think this would regard the Lich King, but I feel like the look of Leoric would also fit well. Given the design of the Mad King, Leoric would also be a great compliment to Reinhardt in terms of a man who uses a giant mace to clobber any who stands against him. Part of me even feels that either skin would look amazing on Reinhardt and would be a great way to usher in a possible 2nd wave of Blizzard-inspired skins.
Honorable mentions of other possible OverWatch skins:
Before we finish, there were a few others ideas thought of, but weren’t developed due to complications or not figuring out the best way to pitch it. Two of them came from Starcraft and focused on Symmetra and Moira. With how Symmetra brings in her turrets and sets up shields, you could give her a Protoss-inspired outfit. The only problem here though is that since we have the Oasis skin, it feels like we have something for her already. Meanwhile, Moira being a Terran Medic was also could work if she was like a “renegade medic.” The problem, much like Soldier: 76, medics are wearing armor and it would be another design issue to make it work for Moira.Hanzo as a Warcraft character also is a popular idea and Heroes of the Storm gave him a Blood Elf-inspired Farstrider skin. We have two HotS skins on this wish list and three would be too many. Genji as Blademaster would be a fun skin idea to try, but it would be hard to figure out how to make it work due to their design like the giant flag on the back. Even if you were to not give him the flag, but with so many other design issues to consider, you might as well work on a new skin for Genji and skip it. Mind you there was this one great skin, which I’ll leave this opinion piece on.
Once more by DeviantArt user: Wildcard24. Now I just want to see what Leeroy’s shurikens would be.
So what do you think?
Are there any Blizzard-Inspired skins you’d like to see a crossover with Overwatch? Could we see skins from Heroes of the Storm make their way into Overwatch like Oni Genji? Leave your thoughts down below and be sure to follow us here at Culture of Gaming for more Editorials and opinion pieces on Overwatch and other upcoming games. If you wish to see more of WildCard24‘s work, be sure to check out his Deviantart page.
