Hi, everyone! We’re back with our regular-ish weekly programming and this time around, we’re making some serious noise. No, we don’t mean spamming your most annoying voice line until the entire lobby mutes you. Today is all about sound design!
Overwatch Senior Sound Designer Nicholas Yochum has been making waves with his video deep dives about creating the zaps, snaps, and pops that bring Heroes like Juno and Wuyang to life. Not only did he agree to let the Comms Team pick his brain and ask how he whips up sounds using stuff from a hardware store, but he’s also letting you get the first look at how Domina’s luxurious sound kit came to be. We’ll throw it over to Nicholas.
Journey Through Sound
Sound is everywhere. It’s ethereal. Sometimes it can be hard to capture and even harder to understand. When I started making videos about the sound design process behind Heroes like Wuyang and Juno, one of my goals was to make things a little more visible, a little more real, both for the Overwatch community and those interested in the craft.
But it was also to honor a saying I haven’t been able to get out of my head: hold the door open for the next person.
My passion for production started in music school and led me to the electronic music scene. Later, I worked for sound pack design companies and then landed on the Overwatch team. There were times when I struggled to get my foot in the door and didn’t know who to talk to or where to go next. It felt like there was a big wall between me and the big dogs of the industry. Releasing these videos and inviting people to see the creative process is a way for me to show the craft of sound design to the next generation and break down those barriers.
Even if you don’t have an audio career in your sights, learning how the sounds you hear every day in Overwatch came to be might give you renewed appreciation for them. That’s another reason why I wanted to take the community behind the scenes. Overwatch can be a hectic and chaotic game with dozens of sounds playing at the same time, both in proximity and far away. It’s easy to miss the details and the nuance of what we’ve created…so I wanted to show that!
The first Hero I worked on as part of Team 4 was Juno, and her kit is full of great examples. Part of what drew me to Overwatch was the opportunity to create magical, sci-fi mixes that still maintained realism. Juno’s Hyper Ring includes layers of sounds, from twinkling stars to a low cosmic growl that gets louder as you get closer. And two distinct targeting sounds were created for her Pulsar Torpedoes, balanced to alert allies or enemies to her actions without being overwhelming. Most folks might not notice that in the middle of a wild match. But now you might!
Look At This Team
A common thread you’ll notice in my videos is how often I cite the influence of team feedback or the contributions of people who work alongside me on Team 4. Artistic integrity is priority one in my life and if I get an idea or technique from someone, I try very hard to remember—sometimes I even write it down. It’s not a good feeling to have your sounds or ideas used without credit; I’ve been there. So, I avoid it at all costs.
Mostly, I want the community to know how much teamwork goes into the game they love. There are people on our team who have done so much for Overwatch sound design, but most people don’t know about their contributions because they stick to the recording studio. I’ll try to mention them whenever their work or influence is involved.
Class and Crystal
Domina was the first hero we finished for the Reign of Talon. Today, you get the first look at my deep dive into her crystalline, high-class sound kit. Where Wuyang’s and Juno’s sound kits were made from scratch, Domina’s sound design started as a remix of existing ability sounds from Symmetra. I tried to keep as many as I could to retain that Vishkar Industries feel, especially in her Barrier Array.
From an aesthetic perspective, we wanted to ensure Domina’s abilities sounded high-end and luxurious. We added melodic notes synthetically and by recording items like jewelry clinking together or a glass being grabbed. Her ultimate, Panopticon, goes in a different direction: listen for the snarling particle sounds that give it a more lethal feel.
I hope it’s obvious in both this blog and all my videos, but I truly love sound design. If this wasn’t my job, I’d still be putting sounds together just for kicks. But I’m lucky enough to do it every day. Having my work filter through your ears and elicit positive feedback is the most gratifying feeling for any creative. Thanks for reading, listening, and learning. Keep making noise!