Gamers have obviously praised "Overwatch" and their varied characters that ooze with their own personality. Players must have wondered how the developer came up with their heroes and the work that goes along with it. Blizzard has shared some of the concept ideas that eventually led to the creation of the cute climatologist Mei. According to the developer, she was initially designed to be a bounty hunter called Frostbite.
The developer reportedly got their inspiration from the winter festivals held in China that showcases ice-carvings. The led the studio to create a hero that relies on the freezing temperature for her abilities and more. Game Rant reports that the "Overwatch" developers shared an image of what looks like Mei's original concept art, which originally has her using an ice-based rifle to freeze her targets in ice.
Based on the concept art, Mei's design shows her with a more athletic build that fits the bill of a seasoned adventurer. However, it can be seen that her outfit looks the same as her final character model. Eventually, "Overwatch" artist Arnold Tsang presented a different concept proposal for the hero that presents her as a "cute, nerdy scientist" instead. The developers apparently loved the final design and chose to keep it.
Blizzard reportedly wanted an optimistic character who loved an adventure and ultimately decided to become a hero. Fans of the team-based shooter know that just like Mei, "Overwatch" characters are painstakingly planned by the developers before they are released. The most recently added hero Orisa, was carefully considered by Blizzard and was given a backstory that connected with another anticipated character known as Doomfist, reports Gamenguide.
When it comes to the character design like Mei, Blizzard is also known to be quite adept with the game's balance. The development team has constantly made adjustments to each hero to ensure fair play. Player feedback is very important in order for the studio to collect information about each character's usage and player satisfaction.