Image: Blizzard Entertainment
Overwatch’s latest update has removed Russian symbolism from Zarya skins.
Overwatch’s new update added content for its new Anniversary Remix event, but it’s also made some changes to existing skins in the game. The game’s Russian character Zarya previously had two skins displaying the letter ‘Z’ - specifically, her Arctic and Siberian Front skins. That ‘Z’ has now vanished from both skins, due to its current ties to Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
The ‘Z’ letter has evolved to represent Russian nationalism in the region, displayed on military vehicles invading Ukraine and touted by citizens supporting Putin’s reprehensible actions. It's likely that the letter on these skins simply stood for ‘Zarya’ originally, but given the fictional character’s ties to Russia, it now stands for something much worse.
These changes were not announced by Blizzard before or after the update was pushed, but were spotted by players on Overwatch’s subreddit anyway. Both skins are essentially variants of one another, with the only significant difference being that one is green and the other is white. The winter-themed skins previously displayed a ‘Z’ next to Zarya’s left shoulder in white, but the letter is now gone.
Given that military vehicles involved in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine now display the letter ‘Z’, it’s clear why Blizzard made this change. It’s not the first time Blizzard has tweaked Overwatch heroes due to real-life controversy, and certainly not the most impactful. The cowboy hero formerly known as Jesse McCree now goes by Cole Cassidy, having originally been named after a developer now involved in Blizzard’s recent sexual assault allegations.
Overwatch’s new Anniversary Remix event adds recoloured versions of existing legendary skins to the game, due to the development team choosing to prioritise work on Overwatch 2 over the game’s usual annual event skin drops. Here’s everything we know about the sequel so far.
