This could be the best year of this event both in terms of content and skin distribution. Neglected heroes have received an outpouring of cosmetic love from Blizzard to really ring in the Lunar New Year. In the midst of Blizzcon and Overwatch 2, Blizzard did not have to pop off this hard. Let’s take the deep dive and see if they really started off the Lunar New Year with a bang, or if this is just a bunch of Bull.
Bastion Dragonfire 5/5
The designers really came in guns ablazing… as well as canons, turrets, tanks and sentries with this skin. This is one of the best in the game and an extremely welcome addition that Bastion mains that have waited patiently for since 2018. This skin represents firework festivals in China that celebrate the new year. The red colour scheme is new for Bastion with a cartoony dragon face flanked by fire, scales and spikes that calls back to the dragon floats that dance during the festival. The pop art style of this adds a cute comedic twist as does the head that calls back to traditional Chinese emperors with the impractical hat and facial hair.
Ever wondered why dragons and firecrackers appear so much around the Lunar New Year? It goes back to Chinese mythology. Firecrackers were originally thought to scare away evil spirits, most notably in the tale of the Nian monster. This creature was believed to eat villagers and destroy homes on each New Year’s Eve. Villagers discovered that burning dry bamboo to make a loud bang scared them away. Nowadays, fireworks are lit numerous times throughout the festival: before the New Year’s dinner, at midnight, the next morning and on the Lantern festival. They are still believed to ward off misfortune and bring good luck.
As for dragons, besides being one of the creatures of the zodiac, dragons are rare beings of legend believed to possess qualities of great power, dignity, fertility, wisdom and auspiciousness. Revered for their fearsomeness and benevolence, they represent imperial authority and show power and dignity. Obviously this was a creature that would give a favourable representation while bestowing a great blessing which made the creature a great celebrated symbol to ring in the New Year. Their tie to fireworks with the elemental theme may have contributed to the inclusion too.
Not to let this drag on any more but attention had to be brought to the thought behind this skin. What a return for Bastion this event and what a welcome addition for Bastion mains!
Echo Kkachi 5/5
Echo is really being welcomed into the game with all of these new legendaries! When the idea of a Rooster/bird was suggested, the first instinct would be to go to a firey red zodiac representation. That’s what makes this different direction so unique! In Korean mythology, the Kkachi, or the oriental/Korean magpie, is known for being ‘A bird of great good fortune, of sturdy spirit and a provider of prosperity and development’ and a common symbol of Korean identity. According to legend, if a child should lose a tooth, they should throw it on the roof and sing so that the Kkachi will bring a new tooth. In this sense Echo is a tooth canary but make it fashion.
This is really delicate in a way different to her butterfly skin. The butterfly was ornate, colourfully striking and somewhat mystical. This is much more muted and streamlined. The feathers have such a detail that make them look real despite being on top of a hard steel robot. The feather idea matches her flight ability perfectly. Amongst these soft colours, the accents of gold in the belt and necklace add another layer of interest. The bird feet are the final touch that give the whole impression of a mystical bird that can seriously pack a punch in battle. Echo came in with a muted colour scheme but she got a loud response from fans.
Orisa Bull Demon 4/5
The most anticipated skin of this event since Orisa was introduced into the game. The bull demon is a reference to a major antagonist in ‘Journey to the West’. In the early chapters of the novel, he becomes sworn brothers with Sun Wukong and six other demon kings. He is the most senior of the seven, known as ‘The Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven’. Without giving too much away, his most notable moment is when he appears at the Flaming Mountains in the later chapters. The bull demon goes on to be the main antagonist in adaptations such The Monkey King and Doraemon: The Record of Nobita’s Parallel Visit to the West. This isn’t the first reference designers have made to this impactful novel and it certainly won’t be the last. After all, it is one of the most influential and important novels from the East of all time!
There’s something quite delicate about the colours in the dark tones accentuated by the spooky purples. The head is the main feature with the ghostly blue glow and grey hair giving a once human impression. There are a few traditional elements in the loin cloth and lion bite elements that resemble armour of those of a high stature. Meanwhile the nose ring stops the player from forgetting this is still, in fact, a bull. This has been a long time coming for Orisa and what better time to release it than the Lunar Year of the Metal Ox? It’s been haunting fans for a long time and finally Orisa mains can trot happily with their wishes answered.
Ashe Tiger Huntress 4/5
Since she’s been in the game, Ashe has had a pretty hard bite damage wise. But that’s not the reason she’s got this tiger theme going on. For the explanation on this one, I’d like to pass it over to the designer Daniel Kang who spoke with Guo about the inspiration behind this skin. (Link at the bottom).
‘The inspiration for Ashe’s skin was Dangun, a Korean myth about a bear and a tiger. In the tale, a tiger and a bear prayed to the gods that they might become human. Upon hearing their prayers, the gods gave them twenty cloves of garlic and mugwort, ordering them to eat nothing but these sacred goods and to remain out of the sunlight for 100 days. While the tiger gave up, the bear persevered and transformed into a human — hence the bear theme for Ashe and the tiger for B.O.B.’ (Kang, 2021). The tiger theme also matches that of the zodiac animal that comes after the Ox.
The pair look perfect in their matching turquoise robes with the gold lining and cloud symbols suggestive of warriors and regality. Although Ashe may be the hero but Bob really wears this skin better! While Ashe has this traditional hat, Bob has a full on Tiger face! The geometric construction of this is intriguing and still looks a little robotic. It’s a shame the player only gets to see Bob for a short period of the match. Although this is a great skin for the pair, it’s a little worrying. As mentioned earlier, the Tiger is the zodiac animal of 2022. Does that mean this event won’t be returning for new skins? Or is this just roaring up the wrong tree?
Baptsiste Terracotta Medic 3/5
Baptiste is one of the newer characters that lacks event skins despite having a high pick rate. This isn’t a legendary but an epic worthy of the epic status. Of course this is based off of the Terracotta warriors. These were statues that depicted Qin Shi’s, the first Emperor of China’s, army. The bigger the statue, the higher the status. The whole unit was included, even horses and chariots! His belief was that the army would protect him in the afterlife. First discovered by local farmers to Xi’an in 1974, imagine their surprise!
Accordingly, the whole skin is completely grey clay. There’s some faint texture changes with the boots looking to be tiled and some Chinese characters on the scarf. The change in hairstyle and facial hair represent the look of the time and really push this past just a recolour. This is simple but super strong and considering this is the first free skin of the event an easy one to get.
Widowmaker Pale Serpent 3/5
In an even where usually overlooked heroes were receiving skins, Widowmaker seemed like a strange choice. She already has a very strong skin for this event and is rarely left out. The other hero who seemed like an obvious choice was Symmetra, and I have a theory that this design may have originally been for her. More on that later.
This is another one that Guo wrote about in his article. He said, ‘The inspiration for Widowmaker’s skin comes from the Chinese folk tale “The Legend of the White Snake,” in which a white snake spirit takes on the form of a woman named Bai Suzhen’, who is ‘both a deadly woman and a beautiful warrior’. (Guo, 2021). He explains that this was a popular tale in China adapted through novels, television, film, etc. The connection to the Snake again ties in with the Chinese Zodiac.
Above anything else, this skin is gorgeous. Another skin with some pretty unusual and delicate colours. The puce is traditional and soft, disarming for her character. Meanwhile the darker purple underneath alludes to venom and deadliness though a little too close to her base colours. The asymmetrical arm is new for Widowmaker and the style with the snake head and scales make it looks as if she’s carrying round a snake familiar with her like some sort of charmer. This adds to her femme fatale character while highlighting her venom bite ability. This is topped off with the deconstructed snake’s head resembling a crown.
The reasons why I think this may have been for Symmetra are in the construction of the garment. The asymmetrical arm moment, the style of the gown with the exposed legs and the headpiece are all features that Symmetra carries across all of her skins. Nevertheless this is a beautitful skin and a fitting choice for Widowmaker. While not as loud as some of her others, she’s still just as deadly. In some cases the bark is worse than the bite but certainly not here.
This isn’t the worst but it’s a little on the simple side. The Imperial Guard were exactly what it says in the title: a selection of imperial secret police that served the Emperor. Judging from the cloak, this is based on the Ming Embroidered Uniform Guard who were a bit more of a secret police. (1368) These had the ‘authority to overrule judicial proceedings in prosecutions with full autonomy in arresting, interrogating and punishing anyone’, even nobles and the Emperor’s relatives. What makes this a good choice is that they started to act a little too independently, mirroring Reaper’s actions in Blackwatch and Talon.
The cloak itself is gorgeous and reminisces to the first year of this event with the traditional Chinese colours. The mask is interesting here as it’s very face like even with the drawn on facial hair. Beyond the cloak and mask there’s nothing to write home about. It’s practical and represents a specific organisation in history but not the most wowing from the front. If it wasn’t free I’d be a little guarded on getting it.
McCree Xiake 2/5
This is the only exception of this event where McCree has an abundance of event skins and really didn’t need another. Xiake is a reference to a Chinese travel writer and geographer noted for his bravely and humility during the Ming dynasty. Famous geographical treatise. This is a good adaption to McCree’s usual design. The hat is that of a farmer of the time. The shawl being raven feathers is interesting and stands out amongst the lighter colours of the skin. The white spanks throw the rest of it off a little as they seem way more modern. It’s a little mismatched but there are some interesting ideas here that could make it worth a get. The traveller vibes comes through from the top but the bottom lets it down a little. With it being a free skin, you won’t have to go far to get it.
This collection is especially poignant with the conversations about race going on at the moment. In a time where the covert racism in people is starting to show, telling those stories of different cultures is super prominent. THEY say, ‘Overwatch Lunar New Year is a grand celebration of culture’ and ‘a chance for concept artists to tell stories through the skins they create’. This really comes across as every skin is so thought out and really shines on it’s own and as a whole collection. They’re fashion, they’re feature filled and they’re festive. People need education about these cultures so that the ignorance behind racism is expelled. By showing these different cultures in such a mainstream game, people are learning just by looking.
References:
Kang, Guo, (2021), A beast of a time: Behind Tiger Huntress Ashe and Pale Serpent Widowmaker — News — Overwatch (playoverwatch.com)
