Season 16 of Overwatch 2 may be full of big debuts, from Stadium mode to the introduction of Hero Bans, but an electric current of joy sparkles just as bright: Dokiwatch, a colorful journey into the magical girl anime genre that stars multiple Overwatch 2 Heroes.
Decked out in bright colors and glittering jewelry—and toting adorable animal familiars—the Heroes of Heart fight to rid the world of Woe, a malevolent force that corrupts the hearts of those it afflicts. A comic illustrated by Manda Schank explores the origins of Juno’s magical girl storyline, but Dokiwatch itself grew from a simple idea into a full-fledged alternate universe.
Building the Heroes of Heart
As soon as the art team saw the collaborations on deck for Season 16, the anime vibes inspired them to tackle a dream theme.
“We were like, please, can we have a magical girl season?” said game producer Lauren Soanes of the initial Dokiwatch pitch. Learning Juno would receive the season’s Mythic Skin solidified the team’s commitment to the genre. The healer’s cheerful, plucky personality made her “such a natural fit for that genki (energetic and enthusiastic) protagonist role,” Lauren said.
Once Juno was locked in as the Heart of Hope, it was time to build the most important part of any magical girl series: the team of friends that will help her save the world. “We wanted to play into and subvert archetypes in different ways,” said Lauren.
Kiriko was a natural fit for the “mischievous” ally that would potentially butt heads with the idealistic protagonist. Instead of opting for the typical book-smart teammate, the Heroes of Heart recruited reliable and inventive Brigitte to play the sensible friend. Every squad needs a cool, stoic member that secretly treasures her friends and Amelie (better known as Widowmaker in Overwatch 2 canon) gracefully fit the bill.
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As the newest Hero in the game, Freja was initially difficult to slot into a role, though the Heart of Courage eventually found her. Finding a suitable villain for Dokiwatch was a similar challenge for the team. Many classic canon antagonists were considered—and they still may show up in Dokiwatch down the line—but landing on D.Va as Nocturna felt right.
“We wanted someone that, realistically, could have been part of the lineup, could have gone either way,” Lauren said. D.Va’s Dokiwatch skin explicitly resembles those of the Heroes of Heart and Juno’s Mythic Skin has a Hollow variant, implying the two sides aren’t as far apart as they may seem.
Hana Song doesn’t exactly make a terrifying enemy, but that’s intentional. “We're not meant to take Nocturna of the Hollow Hearts that seriously,” said senior narrative designer Joshi Zhang. “She's kind of like ‘Ha ha! I'm just an evil person!’ you know?” Joshi added, doing a convincing impression of an evil D.Va laugh.
A Sparkling Universe
Joy and fun are at the heart of Dokiwatch, reflective of its main protagonist. The team “wanted to stay clear of things that felt too serious” because it’s intended to be a jaunt through a playful genre. “It’s a fantasy within a fantasy,” said Joshi. “There's a fantasy Overwatch, plus a layer of magic girl on top of that.”
Lauren agreed, saying the goal was to create a universe “that feels like it's for the girls and has Juno at the heart of it.”
Both the design and narrative teams drew inspiration from classic anime series that they love. Wary of straying too far into parody territory, the team wove uniquely Overwatch elements into their designs.
“So many people have done the mahō shōjo genre, but what we felt was specific about Overwatch was that it has this big technology aspect to it,” said Lauren, noting they integrated sleek technology into the bows and ruffles endemic to the genre. Mercy’s Mythic weapon, Merciful Magitech, is a perfect example. “We want it to be very cutesy, but we also want it to feel like Overwatch.”
Narratively, Dokiwatch is also a chance to temporarily escape the more serious angles of the game’s ongoing story. “Everything we make for canon Overwatch has to be very baked into the storyline we’re trying to tell and the direction we want to move our characters,” said Joshi. “This allows us play into some of those ‘what if’ or alternate universe situations.”
The Dokiwatch comic centers around Juno’s abrupt recruitment into the Heroes of Heart after a run-in with Nocturna and it exemplifies that alternate universe mindset. “We wouldn’t [normally] see Freja and Widowmaker working together with Kiriko to bust Juno out of Lijiang Tower,” Joshi said with a laugh.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
Beyond the cute outfits and sparkly transformation sequences, the true core of any magical girl series is how the Heroes interact with one another. Juno initially joins the fight to defend her parents while the other members are still hunting for Mercy, who’s notably missing in the Dokiwatch comic—a plot point that may come up in the future.
Several panels in the story also show Brigitte and Nocturna clearly dealing with some lingering feelings and friction. “Exploring relationships in a deep way, no matter who, is always fun,” Joshi said.
The themes of teamwork and bravery run through Dokiwatch, tenets that are reflected in the people who created it. As a game producer, Lauren normally handles Mythic design; when the opportunity arose to work on Dokiwatch, she stepped out of her comfort zone to head it. Joshi took a leap and penned the entire comic, their first foray into that medium.
Production was mostly handled by internal staff and Dokiwatch snowballed into a labor of love between multiple sectors of the Overwatch 2 team. Joshi noted that the collaborative effort of artists, writers, and other creative staff is reflected in the end result. “When you're passionate about something and someone shares your passion, it’s the best thing in the world, right?”
You reflected the love back, too: after the Season 16 trailer released, Dokiwatch became one of the most popular topics on Overwatch 2’s social media channels.
“It seems like something that the team has been wanting in Overwatch for so long,” Lauren said. “I feel so lucky to have been a small part of it.”
Live out your magical girl dreams with the Dokiwatch bundle, available in the Overwatch 2 store on April 22.