INTRODUCTION
Overwatch has received its first big cosmetics update, that wasn’t tied to a holiday. Although, given how much stuff Blizzard has released into the regular loot boxes, along with the new Blizzard World map, this may as well be an event. All heroes received some kind of new cosmetic item, whether it be a new voice line, intro, epic skin, and/or legendary skin. In fact, this update has released 12 new legendary skins, all priced at the regular 1000 coins, instead of the 3000 you must pay during the holidays.
As with any new batch of legendary skins, we’re going to rank the skins from worst to best, although none of these skins are terrible (well maybe just one), but some are definitely better than others. It should be noted that even the epic skins do more for their respective hero’s look than other epics, like Reaper’s devil skin. However, we’ll be looking at only the legendary ones. As usual, a skin’s placement on the list is determined by how well it matches the character’s personality and background, how much it transforms them into a new character, and how much better the skin is compared to the hero’s other legendary choices.
#12: REINHARDT “CRUSADER”
Coming in at the lowest point on the list, this skin is the only one that I would consider to be bad. The color scheme of iron and bronze just doesn’t work well here, even with a decent armor design. As dashing as young Reinhardt looks, he doesn’t compare to the Punished Reinhardt we all know and love.
The weapon takes on a more brutal appearance than Rein’s other hammers, with lots of sharp edges making it closer to an axe than a hammer. It sadly suffers from the same bad color scheme as his armor, unfortunately.
#11: MEI “ECOPOINT: ANTARTICA”
Straight from the frozen tundra is Mei’s MacGuyver skin. Featured first in her animated short, this is the outfit she wore when she decided to brave the frozen wastes to find help. It’s a decent enough look, but Mei has plenty of cold weather outfits to choose from, all of which are better looking than her cinematic attire.
The gun has the most flavor of the costume, as it is the prototype suffering-caster heroes would come to fear. Made from a box a scraps and household items, this item alone shows the ingenuity and determination of the snow researcher.
#10: PHARAH “ASP”
Certainly not a bad skin, but Asp adopts the same Egyptian theme that we’ve seen from Pharah several times before. Though this one has a more Cleopatra look than her other skins, it still is simply too familiar, despite being new, to be worthy of much attention.
The gun, too, doesn’t stand out too well, and is a little dull compared to the golden glory of her legendary skin. The least they could have done was make it take on snake appearance, rather than a bird, given the skin’s name.
#9: ORISA “IMMORTAL”
The first of the homage skins on this list, Orisa pays tribute to Starcraft with her Immortal skin. These homage skins get easy extra points as it gives the heroes a new, but familiar, look, appealing to the fans of the source material. Orisa’s is lowest on the list of these kind of skins simply because she looks so much like a cheap toy.
There’s not much to say about her gun. It fits her skin, the glowing blue against the dirty gold is nice, and…well that’s about it. It’s a part of her body, so it can’t stand out too much, not like the weapons of heroes who can set their armaments down.
#8: LUCIO “CAPOIERA”
One of the cooler skins on this list, Lucio’s dance-fighting skin maintains the healing hero’s attention to style. The style of clothing fits the DJ, while also serving to take him out of the clubs and onto the dance floor.
His gun mixes wood and metal in a delightful blend. The shooty-end of the gun resembles more of a drum than the speaker blaster he’s used to, which is an enjoyable change.
#7: ROADHOG “BUTCHER”
The next homage skin is Roadhog’s Butcher skin, straight from the depths of the Diablo series. The already intimidating stature of the Australian pigman makes the grotesque features all the more terrifying. The “Fresh Meat” graphic on his apron tells others exactly what he plans on cookin’ in his kitchen.
The gun looks absolutely terrifying, with a demonic skull split in half at the jaw, opening wide to fit the scatter gun in and through its mouth. The hook has a surprisingly little amount of blood on it, showing only at the tip. Perhaps Roadhog keeps a cleaner kitchen than one might think.
#6: WIDOWMAKER “NOVA”
Although we never got the Nova game from years ago, Blizzard has given us a little something with the Nova skin for Widowmaker. The gothic sniper steps out of the shadows with sun kissed skin and golden locks that would make Mercy jealous. Although the darker looks is preferred, this closer-to-Barbie look for Widowmaker isn’t half bad.
Her rifle is sleek and futuristic, looking compact but no less powerful for it. There’s not much else to say about her gun, honestly; it fits her skin and that’s about it.
#5: D.VA “BLACK CAT”
While Widowmaker ditches her goth attire for something more sunny, D.Va goes for a gothic Lolita look with her Black Cat skin. Adorable and fun, but no less dangerous for it, D.Va dresses herself and her meka with cat ears. The tail on the meka is a nice touch.
Like herself, D.Va’s gun is small, cute, but packs a wallop in capable hands. The cat bell charm hanging from the hilt maintains the cat motif started with her skin.
#4: TORBJORN “MAGNI”
A personal favorite for the homage skins, Torbjorn’s Magni gear fits him so well that playing him in any other skin would be a total disservice to the character. Armored and kingly, Torbjorn looks just as ready to lead an army as he is to fight in one. And that beard? Oh man, that thick, fiery, facial hair should give him at least 20 extra armor.
The ram head for the gun calls back to the same animal that roams outside Ironforge, home to Magni and the dwarves of Azeroth. The rest of his arsenal does not come with such flavorful decoration, but the black and gold color schemes more than make up for any loss of flair.
#3: ZARYA “BARBARIAN”
For too long, Zarya had no good skins. Even her event skins left fans wanting more. She got her first decent legendary in the form of the 80s Zarya from the anniversary event, and since then has been my go to skin for the weightlifting Russian. Now her Diablo-inspired barbarian skin has quickly replaced the neon 80s look. Fierce and gorgeous, this outfit fits her perfectly, allowing her to be in either Overwatch or Diablo without having to change a hair on her head.
Like Roadhog, her weapon is adorned with the bones of her conquests. The burnt ends of the skull nozzle is a nice little detail, showcasing the super heat of her gravity beam.
#2: HANZO “KABUKI”
Hanzo has had a rough road when it comes to legendary skins. His wolf skins were a great fallback for Hanzo mains, but all skins after day 1 have been “meh” at best for the archer. His newest skin finally pulls him out of the dumpster. Red and white is a color scheme that’s rarely used, which is a shame because it looks amazing on the make-up covered Japanese warrior. At first glance, it’s almost like seeing an entirely new hero.
His weapon has a simple elegance to it, ditching all the extra bells and whistles his more futuristic bows have had. It works well with his skin for this reason, blending in nicely with his style rather than being an eyesore.
#1: DOOMFIST “BLACKHAND”
Poor Doomfist. Since his first day of launch, he’s had a rough go of things. While his initial batch of skins weren’t bad, they were pretty much all he had for nearly a year. Event after event, Doomfist was passed over for new skins, until finally, in 2018, he was given a chance for greatness. Based on the character of the same name from World of Warcraft, Doomfist’s Blackhand skin takes the often-benched hero to new, amazing, heights.
The black hand itself looks awesome. While being on the receiving end of Doomfist’s punch is bad enough as it is, getting hit with his Blackhand fist would totally obliterate anyone or anything it touches. The only possible downside to the skin is the glow from his magma collar illuminates his white head a bit, making it stand out more and making for an easier target for snipers. If you’re playing Doomfist, right, however, snipers shouldn’t be an issue.
CONCLUSION
This batch of skins has been stupendous. Aside from Reinhardt’s low quality skin, and a few “meh” entries after that, the quality of these skins, both homages and new ideas, has been terrific. The best part about them, though, is of course the price tag. What’s more, they’re available year round!
What do you think? Was there a hero you thought had a better skin than the top entries? Let us know in the comments below!
The views expressed in this article are that of its original author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the rest of the Keen Gamer staff.
