Overwatch 2 Devs Break Down New LE SSERAFIM Collab (And Who Didn’t Make the Cut)

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Previously confirmed, this year saw the Overwatch 2 team partnering with K-Pop sensation LE SSERAFIM for an exciting new collaboration, promising fresh in-game skins. Now, a sneak peek at this upcoming alliance has been unveiled, and it’s nearly here! Initially, fans could acquire six Overwatch 2 skins through the LE SSERAFIM collaboration (five paid, one free in-game), but the next installment will offer ten skins in total, including five brand new designs, as well as five color variations of the initial collection. Additionally, brand new choreography emotes themed around the “Crazy” music video dance are being introduced for players to perform while holding their ground on Busan.

As an avid fan, I recently got a chance to chat with the developers behind Overwatch 2, and here’s a sneak peek into our exciting conversation! We delved deep into the fresh skins that players can snag when the collaboration drops on March 18th, but we also talked about valuable insights they gleaned from their initial collaboration experience.

As reported by Aimee Dennett, Associate Director of Product Management for Overwatch 2, the possibility of another collaboration with LE SSERAFIM was something that felt imminent. During a performance by LE SSERAFIM at BlizzCon 2023, Dennett mentioned that the electric atmosphere in the room made it clear not a question of “if” but “when” such a collaboration would occur. With the release of their new album HOT, they found the perfect opportunity to move forward with this collaboration.

In our initial attempt, we were still finding our rhythm, as K-Pop hadn’t yet dabbled in gaming, but with Overwatch being new territory for us too, our first collaboration served as an exploration of what that might look like. This time though, having established a solid foundation, we could delve much deeper into the integration and references on the skins themselves. Since we now shared a common understanding, this second endeavor felt more organic and natural.

Through the collaboration with LE SSERAFIM for Overwatch 2, it became apparent that the gaming community appreciates the casual, laid-back portrayal of their beloved characters.

Up until then, many of our characters had been battle-hardened or possessed some protective gear,” Rogers explained. “However, I wonder about the casual attire they might wear before attending a concert, or how their style would reflect current fashion trends among our heroes?

In collaboration with LE SSERAFIM for a second time, Overwatch 2 will debut five exceptional legendary skins for characters including Mercy, Juno, Ashe, Illari, and D.Va. It’s been disclosed that the Overwatch 2 art team in Korea played a significant role in creating these new designs. For the initial LE SSERAFIM collaboration, they delved into K-Pop aesthetics and South Korean culture; this time, they delved even deeper. This meant not only examining current trends within the K-Pop subculture but also studying LE SSERAFIM’s old vlogs, music videos, and their new album’s style. All of these factors influenced the creation of the new skins.

Following our initial teamwork, it was delightful to witness the players’ enthusiasm as they encountered heroes in an unusual setting – just enjoying their everyday lives. This sparked Dennett’s idea that exploring these characters in uncommon scenarios adds a layer of fun and intrigue. So, naturally, we aimed to further develop this concept.

In the upcoming second collaboration with LE SSERAFIM, the skin named Ashe was swiftly added. Players might remember BOB, who was showcased in the “Perfect Night” music video during the first LE SSERAFIM event. Since Ashe’s character was already established as a concert bouncer, it was smooth sailing to incorporate this aspect into her new collaboration look.

Players of Overwatch 2 may observe that certain characters receiving LE SSERAFIM skins lack some distinctive elements from their standard costumes. For example, Illari is without her cape and Juno no longer wears her space helmet. Maintaining a consistent look across character outlines has always been essential for the Overwatch 2 development team, but Rogers mentioned that in collaborations with intellectual properties, this is a guideline they’re prepared to bend.

Rogers mentioned that they strive to make their collaborations more transformative than typical ones. Some characters are trickier, especially when it comes to dressing them casually. For instance, Illari’s cape poses a challenge and Juno, without her helmet, may seem stuck as a space ranger. However, these adjustments are made only in certain instances where they aim to add more transformative elements to the characters, enhancing the illusion of their skins as much as possible.

One unexpected skin in Overwatch 2 could be Mercy’s, given the new collaboration with LE SSERAFIM. In the storyline of Overwatch 2, Mercy has traditionally been portrayed as a more serious and reserved character, unlike her counterparts such as Kiriko, Brigitte, or Tracer who seem more likely to attend concerts.

In their discussion, Rogers mentioned that it’s difficult to preserve the unique identity of their hero while blending with the collaboration. Taking inspiration from LE SSERAFIM’s ‘Easy’ music video, the Korea team incorporated LED and neon sign elements into Mercy’s costume. To make it more relatable to Mercy, if she were a fan, they imagined her stepping out of her comfort zone. She might opt for a bolder outfit or colors, or a new hairstyle, all while staying true to herself and embracing the music she loves.

Fans of LE SSERAFIM might want to know that the adorable plush toy dangling from Mercy’s belt in her latest look was personally designed by Sakura. You can take a peek at it yourself!

Players of Overwatch 2 will undeniably observe that D.Va is the sole character to receive a skin during the initial LE SSERAFIM collaboration and will also get a fresh one in the subsequent wave. One explanation for this, naturally, lies within her identity, as D.Va is the only Korean hero playable in the game.

“You know D.Va’s a huge fan of K-pop,” Rogers said with a laugh. “She can’t miss this one.”

D.Va’s skin was also completed at the right moment, as Aimee Dennett mentioned that the Overwatch 2 team were holding off on finalizing their skins until they received some completed assets from LE SSERAFIM’s new album.

Dennett mentioned that the upcoming album is titled ‘HOT’ and it features some interesting imagery based on D.Va’s mech from this same album. He shared that they had to work extra hours to include this, as the team was still finalizing their content for the album. They are quite enthusiastic about the level of harmony between the two.

Apart from the five fresh skins for the LE SSERAFIM partnership, the five initial skins will also be re-introduced with a new color scheme. This revamped skin falls under the “Blue Flame” category and boasts a level of detail that might surprise Overwatch 2 players when they hear such a description. Moreover, as Rogers pointed out, creating recolors can be more challenging than it appears, so they ensured these versions were worth the effort.

Rogers mentioned that occasionally players might assume that a task is complete once they’ve made something blue. However, he explained that we devote considerable effort to the process of recoloring, possibly more than necessary. The reason being, meticulously crafting an appropriate color palette is crucial in our work,” Rogers said.

Rogers pointed out that LE SSERAFIM provided the inspiration for enhancing and enriching the existing designs, such as incorporating elements that reflect the cultural identity of the group, LE SSERAFIM.

We chose these hues after discussing various, sometimes technical or playful ideas on the significance of changing these characters’ colors,” Rogers explained. “It’s not merely a simple color change; a great deal of consideration was put into it.

Twice already, the initial collection of LE SSERAFIM skins for Overwatch 2 have been made available in the in-game shop, with the second occasion celebrating the “Perfect Night” music video reaching over 100 million views on Overwatch 2. We inquired if these skins were permanently removed or if they might reappear at some point. Luckily, the response isn’t definitive ‘no’.

Dennett mentioned that the return of collaborative skins depends on each situation separately. Currently, they aren’t planning for their reappearance, but he emphasized that it’s not definitively ruled out in the future, especially if there’s a notable achievement or event to commemorate.

In the latest collaboration between Overwatch 2 and LE SSERAFIM, the game developers expressed a strong desire to create a unique skin for Roadhog, a character fans might be disheartened to find absent. Despite their plans for a Roadhog LE SSERAFIM skin to complement the Junkrat one from the initial release, it seems that Roadhog’s personal musical tastes ultimately prevailed.

Rogers commented, ‘We delve deep when deciding which skin fits our character best. We consider the character’s actions and preferences. For example, Roadhog might not be as fond of K-Pop music as one might assume. However, the idea emerged during development since we had previously created a Junkrat skin. At this point, we’re unsure about his musical taste, but it might not be K-Pop.’

Players who didn’t get the Junkrat skin during the initial collaboration with LE SSERAFIM through the game mode “Concert Clash”, will have another chance to secure it. However, this time there won’t be a fresh, free skin introduced specifically for this event.

Dennett stated that the popular game mode wasn’t reintroduced, but they did return the Junkrat character skin instead. This was done so those who missed out on it previously could obtain it this time.

While Overwatch 2 has previously collaborated with One Punch Man, Transformers, and Cowboy Bebop, its partnership with LE SSERAFIM signifies a unique instance where it revisits an earlier partner with fresh content. This collaboration might lead fans to speculate that more characters from the past could reappear in new skins. However, whether or not this is a trend worth following remains to be seen.

Dennett expressed that they themselves are enthusiastic supporters of the team, and when both the team and players are brimming with enthusiasm, it becomes challenging not to explore additional collaborations. Therefore, it’s feasible and this approach offers an enjoyable means to expand upon our initial collaboration. However, we don’t want to create expectations or stir excessive anticipation regarding all these possibilities. We hope to engage in more collaborations, but the thought of doubling, tripling, and so forth can be overwhelming.

In the end, players of Overwatch 2 might remember that the initial collaboration with LE SSERAFIM caused a perplexing problem for streamers. When navigating the main menu, the game would inadvertently play songs from the group almost in their entirety. This predicament required streamers to swiftly mute the game when revisiting the menu or risk receiving a copyright violation notice if they didn’t.

Dennett acknowledged that bringing it up might lead to a mistake, but he assured us that we’ve been mindful of the problem and have attempted to address it in this instance.

The new Overwatch 2 x LE SSERAFIM collab arrives in game on Tuesday, March 18th.

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2025-03-10 19:11