Last season, Bang “Jjonak” Sunghyeon was topped the Overwatch League’s “most valuable player” (MVP). The Zenyatta participant is now being honoured in-game with a pores and skin for his signature hero, which gamers will be capable to purchase for a restricted time beginning subsequent week for 200 tokens (about $10, or you would earn them by watching 33 hours of reside OWL broadcasts.)
It’s costly, however it is rather cool, incorporating the colors of Jjonak’s workforce, the New York Excelsior, and his signature octopus imagery. In different phrases, the designers obtained fortunate to be working with a model as robust as Jjonak’s.
Designing a pores and skin to symbolize Jjonak undoubtedly took a variety of work (a chunk by Emerald Gao on the League’s web site describes among the course of, and what occurred when the New York Excelsior visited the workplaces for its unveiling), however there are a variety of issues that make it simpler.
Firstly there’s the truth that he’s in order that well-known for his Zenyatta play. While many rivals swap between heroes, Jjonak is devoted to the robotic monk healer. He additionally doesn’t play fairly like anybody else in that function, dealing out large quantities of harm with exact orb-volleys quite than specializing in therapeutic alone. Excelsior’s dominance final season got here largely from facilitating that type of play in a approach that different groups couldn’t replicate.
Then there’s the simple approach by which the design, which attracts on Excelsior’s colors and emblem, may nonetheless be personalised to Jjonak. His in-game identify is a shortened type of “jjomullak nakji” or “fumbling octopus,” and he additionally has a tattoo of the creature. No shock, then, that this Zenyatta will get a cephalopod head and cute, tentacled orbs to fling at your enemies. (Let’s not take into consideration the ethics of hurling his favorite animals at opponents.)
And Zen is straightforward to change up like this. He’s beforehand had all method of various heads, together with Egyptian gods and creepy, grinning nutcracker faces. It’s not likely defined within the game why he likes to cycle by means of faces like a robotic Arya Stark, nevertheless it’s handy with regards to making use of Jjonak’s affect in an simply recognisable approach.
This string of excellent luck doesn’t simply lengthen to different gamers. According to Gao’s piece, the MVP from the grand finals, London Spitfire’s Park “Profit” Joonyeong, gained’t be getting his personal pores and skin, but when he did it wouldn’t even be clear which hero it must be designed for; he’s identified for flexing between many harm sellers. And it’s probably that this 12 months the award will go to the principle tank participant from both Vancouver Titans or San Francisco Shock, whichever finally finally ends up successful: Park “Bumper” Sangbeom or Matthew “Super” DeLisi respectively. Neither of them have a hook fairly like Jjonak’s. A yeti-based Reinhart or Winston would swimsuit Bumper by way of the Vancouver Titans, however that’s his workforce’s branding, not his personal. (Besides, the latter already exists.)
Blizzard’s artists are extra artistic than me, clearly, they usually’ve provide you with some nice concepts prior to now (in addition to some terrible ones). But not many gamers will make it as simple for them as Jjonak, which is a disgrace, as a result of I’d like to see extra of the gamers who’ve the brightest tales within the League get highlighted within the game. Fans should buy their workforce skins, and infrequently do for the hero their favorite participant is understood for, however that’s not fairly the identical as exhibiting your affection for the particular person particularly, who might change roles or groups, severing the affiliation.
The resolution, clearly, is to crown Kim “Geguri” Seyeon MVP in order that I can lastly get the frog D.Va skin I deserve.
