On April 6, Overwatch revealed a redesign for Anran, one of many new heroes Blizzard added to the sport in February as a part of the sport’s pseudo relaunch. The adjustments have been in response to a wave of pushback from followers who stated she didn’t appear to be the unique design we’d seen in earlier Overwatch media, with a number of calling her a sufferer of the sport’s recurring “similar face” concern and never her resemblance to heroes like Kiriko and Juno. Now, the corporate has launched a video evaluating the brand new design with the outdated one, and whereas there are some notable adjustments, some followers nonetheless really feel like Blizzard hasn’t gone far sufficient.
Let’s begin with the constructive: Anran does look extra distinct than she did in her outdated design. The spherical child face is gone and her eyes are sharper, so she positively presents as barely older and extra mature than Kiriko and Juno. Some smaller adjustments like a straighter posture within the hero choose display screen additionally talk her extra stern persona. General, it’s positively an enchancment, however the large sticking level is that her longer nostril proven within the animated cinematic “Elemental Kin” continues to be nowhere to be seen within the in-game mannequin.
brother be so for actual thats nonetheless not the identical lady pic.twitter.com/I5FtM3eBs1
— alex ☆.ᐟ 🇲🇽 (@foxclanfan69) April 6, 2026
yeah im not gonna converse
no matter pic.twitter.com/wf7NHChRVj
— Vivi♡ (@viviiVEVO) April 6, 2026
anran does look higher like pls dont get me unsuitable however im going to remain a bit disenchanted that her nostril is COMPLETELY totally different from cinematic to recreation? wuyang is fairly 1:1 so im simply confused on why they even made her appear to be that within the first place
— djay 𑣲 (@ssolarism) April 7, 2026
Some have identified that these adjustments carry her extra in-line with Anran’s look within the Overwatch comics, which is the place she technically made her debut. So in a manner, the longer nostril proven in “Elemental Kin” is the outlier when it comes to how the character has been portrayed throughout all the sport’s exterior media.
And never everyone seems to be displeased. There’s loads of help for the refined redesign.
“I do know it’s very refined, however tweaks in her face and posture CHANGE her demeanor massively,” Kindly-Definition689 writes on Reddit. “Her aura simply provides off YES, she is Wuyang’s older sister, and even when they’ve the identical important physique, the pose provides off a extra muscular athlete reasonably than petite and lean. It’s really extraordinarily spectacular how they stored her basically the identical but modified her considerably on the similar time.”
“She seems to be related however extra mature,” oMrEnigma writes on the identical thread. “Positively an enchancment.”
Wanting on the two designs aspect by aspect, I’m positively happier with the model we’ve now. She doesn’t appear to be she’s of the identical cutesy/playful archetype as characters like Kiriko and Juno, although I’m disenchanted that in spite of everything that hoopla she didn’t get her nostril again. I’m certain that those that are nonetheless underwhelmed by the adjustments are going to be vocal about it, however now that the response appears extra combined, I doubt Blizzard goes to return and alter her a 3rd time.
Anran’s redesign will launch subsequent week when Season 2 begins on April 14.
