Explore what it takes to create a utopia in the Art of Overwatch

Even when Overwatch is at its most controversial, you’ll rarely hear anyone speak a word against the characters, environments, and world. Overwatch has been considered visually stunning ever since that first cinematic back in the museum, and since then we’ve seen tons of visual material created in the universe, with varying styles and intention. Sometimes, we see a slice of a hero’s life through a comic, sometimes we get a short, stylish video exploring the origins of a character, and sometimes we get art from within the universe itself, like the Hollywood movie posters or Castillo’s graffiti.

The Art of Overwatch collects the visual history of Overwatch, bringing all of the above together along with concept art, previous designs, and other content that has never been released before. Needless to say, if you’re interested in the visual design of Overwatch, this book is an absolute treasure trove.

Blizzard Entertainment / Dark Horse Comics

It’s important to note that for every visual environment, character, or scenario we see play out via a public release, there’s a wealth of material that was tested and conceived. Readers can get a peek at thousands of Overwatches that could have been, or concepts that couldn’t make it to the final game. You get to see just how much work goes into any one individual environment or character.

When Overwatch was first being worked on, it had some massively different asethetics. The game rose from the ashes of Project Titan, a wildly ambitious Blizzard project that grew too bulky and cluttered, weighed down by its own scope. The Art of Overwatch shows a leaner, more efficient process of art and creation that has cranked out a ton of iconic characters and a utopian world.

Blizzard Entertainment / Dark Horse Comics

The book also includes artist and developer commentary that explains why different ideas were chosen over their alternatives, and what the team was aiming for with the introduction of each character and environment.

The Art of Overwatch comes in a standalone 9” x 12” hardcover, or a in limited edition clamshell box, slip cover, and two portfolios containing three prints. Both editions will be available on October 24th, 2017.