Mei (Overwatch)

Last updated

Mei-Ling Zhou
Overwatch character
Mei Overwatch.png
Mei and Snowball from Overwatch
First game Overwatch (2016)
Created byJustin Thavirat [1]
Designed byArnold Tsang [2]
Ben Zhang (equipment) [2]
David Gibson (animation) [3]
Voiced byYu "Elise" Zhang [4]
In-universe information
Class Damage
Origin Xi'an, China
NationalityChinese

Dr. Mei-Ling Zhou, commonly simply referred to as Mei, is a character who first appears in the 2016 video game Overwatch , a Blizzard Entertainment–developed first-person shooter. Originally conceived as a Canadian bounty hunter named "Frostbite" who encased her targets in ice, she was changed due to the developers feeling a light tone was necessary for the character, and redesigned her as a cute, Chinese scientist. Voiced by Yu "Elise" Zhang, Mei is stationed in Antarctica as part of the efforts of "Overwatch", a global peace-keeping force, to monitor climate change. After being revived from cryopreservation, she helps the reformed group combat a global threat, utilizing a pistol that can either generate ice beams or generate ice constructs, accompanied by her sentient drone Snowball. Since her introduction, she has appeared in various spinoff media related to the franchise, including comics and merchandise, and later in another Blizzard developed title, Heroes of the Storm .

Contents

Mei as a character has been well received since release, particularly by Chinese audiences as well as by University of British Columbia professor Christopher B. Patterson, who considered her both a stereotype and subversion of how the Chinese are viewed globally. Her appearance as a full-figured woman has also received praise, cited as a point for female diversity in gaming. However criticism arose when the game's sequel seemingly slimmed her figure down. In 2019, due to the Blitzchung controversy involving Blizzard, Mei's image was used to express support for Hong Kong during protests occurring within the country, pushed as a "pro-democracy" symbol on social media platforms and displayed by protestors outside the BlizzCon 2019 event.

Conception and development

Mei's design changed drastically from its earliest draft due to the developers feeling Overwatch had too many "serious" characters. Mei-overatch-conceptart.png
Mei's design changed drastically from its earliest draft due to the developers feeling Overwatch had too many "serious" characters.

Mei was first announced in October 2015 at BlizzCon; along with D.Va and Genji, she was one of the last heroes who was introduced into Overwatch prior to its official release. [6] The concept started from a desire to have an ice or cold user in the game's roster. [5] This extended as far back as the original pitch for Overwatch, "Prometheus", with the proposed character "Frost", a fully masked figure with a winter coat armed with an ice axe and able to generate ice patches and walls. Though the character was excluded from the finalized planned roster, [7] the concept was later revisited by artist Justin Thavirat as a character codenamed "Frostbite", a Canadian mountaineer bounty hunter that would that would capture her targets in ice. While the development team was excited by the idea, her design came across as too intimidating, and feeling the game had too many "serious" characters redesigned her with a lighter tone in mind. [5] [1]

Assistant Art Director Arnold Tsang drew several drafts modifying the design. Game director Jeff Kaplan suggested making the character possibly Chinese, wanting to avoid nationalities stereotypically associated with chilly environments such as Canada or Norway, and Tsang took inspiration from China's Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival to flesh out this aspect. [8] Lead writer Michael Chu after considering her intended abilities suggested making her a "plucky, nerdy scientist kind of character" that manipulated ice to get to hard to reach locations in the field, [9] much to the development team's delight. [5] With artist Ben Zhang developing her equipment, she was originally armed with a large two handed cannon carried underhand. However, Tsang felt it and aspects of her outfit made her silhouette resemble another character too much, Zarya, while other developers felt it seemed too refined for her character. Her weapon was revised to seem "cobbled together" and hand crafted, changed to a one handed pistol which not only made her silhouette unique, but also freed her other hand for abilities and gestures. A sentient drone, Snowball, was added to give her a fun "sidekick" to interact with, with Zhang creating several designs, including one resembling a rabbit, in an attempt to find something "endearing but not overly expressive" that wouldn't be distracting during gameplay. [2]

Her personality was partially inspired by her voice actress, Yu "Elise" Zhang. During a recording session, after she flubbed a line she told both Chu and the sound engineer "Sorry, sorry, sorry." Chu felt this was a great line for the character, and added additional lines to portray Mei as apologetic, both sincerely and sarcastically, for her actions in-game. [4] Additionally the animator assigned to her, David Gibson, drew inspiration from characters such as Rapunzel and Giselle from the films Tangled and Enchanted respectively, namely their "Disney princess vibe" but also their innocent and clumsy aspects that made one want to "spend time with [them]" according to Gibson. Additional influence came from Yomiko Readman of the anime Read or Die at Tsang's suggestion, with Gibson adding an aversion to fighting but being forced to do so to Mei's character. [3]

Design

Standing 5'3" tall, [10] Mei is a Chinese woman with brown hair tied into a bun with an ornate pin holding it together on the back of her head, while the front of her hair is shorter, framing her face. She wears a large white and blue parka with a pouch belt across the waist, while a journal is strapped to the parka's right upper arm. Thick blue gloves cover her hands and wrists, while her blue pants are covered by thick grey boots with spikes extending from the soles. The outfit as a whole has light blue highlights, while her shoulders and upper gloves have ornate detailing. A large tube is strapped to her back, angled to the left, while the underside connects to her pistol, Snowball rests in an compartment in the top. [11] She additionally wears glasses, an element Tseng added to her character "for fun" but kept after it resonated with the team and they felt it was "an adorable way to portray this brilliant scientist." [12] Mei is also notably more full-figured than most other female characters in the game, something Tsang wanted to do to not only help define her silhouette but also introduce more diversity into the game's roster. [8] For Overwatch 2, her design was changed, reducing the frills on the coat, removing the belt and overall increasing the amount of blue throughout the outfit. [13]

Like other Overwatch characters, Mei received skins, unlockable cosmetic items to change her in-game appearance. To this end they developed skins that referenced her cultural background or abilities, such as the firefighter themed "Rescue Mei" skin which was designed to not only tie into the nature of her weapon and skills but also help maintain her character's silhouette. [14] Meanwhile, the "Chang'e" skin as part of the in-game Year of the Rooster celebration reimagines her with a traditional Chinese hairstyle and long flowing outfit meant to reference the Chinese moon goddess of the same name. [15] Prior to the launch of the 2021 Overwatch League season, a new skin for Mei was released based on a mixed martial arts (MMA) outfit, named "MM-Mei". The skin gave Mei cornrows, a hairstyle common to people of African descent, but also had been used by MMA Chinese fighter Zhang Weili. Some players criticized the skin as cultural appropriation, and further expressed their frustration alongside it that at that point the game had yet to feature a female playable character of African-descent. [16] [17]

Appearances

Dr. Mei-Ling "Mei" Zhou is a Chinese woman first appearing in the 2016 first-person shooter Overwatch, and later its sequel. [18] Originating from Xi'an, China, Mei is part of the global peace-keeping force "Overwatch", and monitored climate change in their base in Antarctica. However, after a storm damaged the facility, Mei and the other scientists realize they lack sufficient resources to wait for a rescue and decide to enter cryostasis. Mei is the only survivor among them after help arrives a decade later, and with Overwatch having disbanded during her absence, she elects to carry on their work on her while accompanied by her sentient drone, Snowball. [19] Later after Overwatch reforms, she returns to help them fight a new global threat called "Null Sector". [20] In 2016, a seasonal event was added to the games with "Mei's Snowball Offensive", in which all players play as Mei, and their weapons are replaced with single-shot snowball throwers that require randomly spawning piles of snow to reload. [21]

In related media to the franchise, Mei appears in the Overwatch animated shorts Rise and Shine in 2017, an expanded retelling of her origin story, [22] and Zero Hour in 2019, which shows her helping to fight against "Null Sector" and bringing down their massive 'Titan' robot. [20] In December 2017, Mei appeared alongside the character Winston in the comic Yeti Hunt, which served as a tie-in for a winter-themed seasonal event in the game. [23] Outside of Overwatch, Mei was added to Blizzard's multiplayer online battle arena game Heroes of the Storm in June 2020. [24]

Gameplay

In Overwatch, Mei is classified as a "Damage" class character, designed to provide a more offensive role in team compositions. [25] She was originally classified as a "Defense" class character before it and "Offense" class characters were combined into one as the Damage class. [26] Her primary weapon is an "Endothermic Blaster", a one handed short pistol that can either fire a short-range ice beam that will damage and slow the movement speed of enemies it hits, or can fire a long-range icicle projectile that does increased damage. [27] Of note, in the original game the ice beam could also freeze enemies in place, however this effect was removed with the release of Overwatch 2 [28] However she also gained a short term boost to her reload and movement speed after killing an enemy, due to a new passive ability given to all "Damage" class characters. [29]

Mei also has several abilities that require activation, though the first two have a "cooldown" period after use and are unable to be used again during that duration. The first, "Cryo Freeze", encases her in ice for a short duration, preventing her from moving or activating abilities while active but also healing her and preventing incoming damage. "Ice Wall" on the other hand will create a wide block of ice that not only impedes movement but blocks attacks during its duration or until it is destroyed. Lastly, her 'ultimate' ability, called "Blizzard", requires to be charged before use. The ability charges slowly during the course of gameplay, and can be charged faster through damage dealt to the enemy team. Once activated, it will cause Snowball to generate an area of effect attack that will damage enemies within the affected area while active, slowing them and freezing any that remain in the area too long, and lasts until its duration expires or the drone is sufficiently damaged. [27]

For Heroes of the Storm, the developers wanted to reimagine her as a "tank" style character, able to withstand hits and draw enemy fire. To this end while they kept many of her abilities the same several others were tweaked. [24] Two additional abilities were also added: "Icing", in which she generates ice on the ground to slide forward, and an optional Snowball 'ultimate' that generates a large snowball that rolls forward, capturing and pulling enemies hit with it to its final destination while damaging them. [30]

Promotion and reception

Cosplayer Zephronica depicting Mei in support of the "Free Hong Kong" movement, and later as part of the 2019 BlizzCon protest Cosplayer Zephronica in Mei Cosplay.jpg
Cosplayer Zephronica depicting Mei in support of the "Free Hong Kong" movement, and later as part of the 2019 BlizzCon protest

Mei was featured at BlizzCon 2015's "What's New" panel, [12] and has been featured on additional material including a cosplay guide and promotional images themed around holidays, [11] [33] as well as Funko Pop and Nendoroid figures in 2017. [34] [35] A toy of Snowball was released in 2018, utilizing a magnetic field to make it levitate a short distance while its eyes would change expression based on interaction. [36] In 2022, Lego planned to release a set featuring Mei based on the events of the Zero Hour short, however the set was cancelled due to workplace allegations raised against Blizzard by former employees. [37]

Mei was well received since her introduction by Chinese players in particular, who considered her background, combined with her pet phrase "Our world is worth fighting for", portrayed a positive image of a woman determined to protect the world. [38] In his book Open World Empire, University of British Columbia professor Christopher B. Patterson cited Mei as an example of how characters in the game were both "stereotypical and homage", with her scientific background and behavior often considered a stereotype of Asian cultures despite her gender undermining the image of China's primarily male scientific field. He further added that through gameplay, these stereotypes instead became camp due to her "bubbly voice and cheery lines" acting as a form of psychological warfare in the eyes of players who saw her instead as "a psychopath who takes pleasure in binding and slowly torturing her victims." He noted that through the character he grew to appreciate Chinese culture more, and saw characters like Mei as an example of a character players were not supposed to identify as, but with, and explore their affinities and aspirations. [39]

While Mei has been praised for having a non-uniform body type compared to other female characters in the game, [40] [41] this drew some criticism from Chinese players who questioned why she was not as slim as other female characters in the game. [38] On the other hand, some such as Matthew Rodriguez of Kotaku criticized the handling of this aspect as the games have progressed, through some of Mei's in-game dialogue but also particularly in regards Overwatch 2 where she seems to have been made visibly slimmer. [42] TheGamer's editor-in-chief Stacey Henley elaborated further on the latter complaint, noting that while this was also a factor of several alternate skins in the original Overwatch, "in a game full of slim and slender feminine ideals, Mei was doing it for the big girls." However, with the sequel, her coat and body had been made visibly slimmer while her face had become more defined with sharper features in Henley's eyes, who further stated it ruined her aesthetic appeal. She closed with "We have lots of slim, beautiful women in Overwatch to play as. We have no one else like Mei." [18]

On October 6, 2019, Blizzard suspended professional Hearthstone player Chung "Blitzchung" Ng Wai for making statements in support of the ongoing protests in Hong Kong during a Grandmasters livestream interview, with Blizzard asserting that Blitzchung had violated rules related to their behavior and respecting Blizzard's image. Blizzard's actions were criticized globally, and as part of the reactions, Hong Kong protesters and others began to illustrate Mei as a supporter of the protests as a show of solidarity against Blizzard's decision. [43] A hashtag "#Meisupportshongkong" trended on social media websites such as Reddit and Twitter, while protesters appeared outside of BlizzCon in 2019, giving out shirts showcasing Mei holding the Hong Kong flag. [31] [44] Fan artists on said social media also contributed, drawing depictions of the character in opposition of the Chinese government and its policies in part to portray the character as a "pro-democracy" icon but also an attempt by some to goad China into banning Overwatch. [45]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BlizzCon</span> Annual gaming convention by Blizzard Entertainment

BlizzCon is an annual gaming convention held by Blizzard Entertainment to promote its major franchises including Warcraft, StarCraft, Diablo, Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm, and Overwatch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D.Va</span> Fictional video game character

D.Va is a character developed by Blizzard Entertainment for their Overwatch franchise. She was introduced at launch in their 2016 first-person hero shooter video game Overwatch and returned in its 2022 sequel, Overwatch 2. She features in the franchise's related animations and literary media. Outside of Overwatch, D.Va also appears as a playable character in the crossover multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game Heroes of the Storm and as a gameplay announcer in StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void. In English-language media, D.Va is voiced by Charlet Chung.

<i>Overwatch</i> (video game) 2016 video game

Overwatch was a 2016 multiplayer first-person shooter video game by Blizzard Entertainment. The game was first released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in May 2016 and Nintendo Switch in October 2019, with cross-platform play supported across all platforms. Described as a "hero shooter", Overwatch assigned players into two teams of six, with each player selecting from a large roster of characters, known as "heroes", with unique abilities. Teams worked to complete map-specific objectives within a limited period of time. Blizzard added new characters, maps, and game modes post-release, all free of charge, with the only additional cost to players being optional loot boxes to purchase cosmetic items.

Tracer is a character who appears in Overwatch, a franchise centered around first-person hero shooter video games developed by Blizzard Entertainment. Tracer was first seen in the 2014 Overwatch Cinematic Trailer short. She was introduced as a playable character in an April 2016 update for the crossover multiplayer online battle arena game Heroes of the Storm, nearly a month prior to the release of the first Overwatch game. She appeared again in Overwatch 2, a 2022 sequel to the original game.

The Overwatch franchise, a series of first-person shooter games developed by Blizzard Entertainment, consists of 42 playable characters across both games. The original 2016 game, Overwatch, featured 32 playable characters known as heroes and a number of supporting characters as part of the game's narrative, which is told through animated media and digital comics outside of the game. Its sequel, Overwatch 2, was released in October 2022 and replaced Overwatch. The sequel builds upon the same hero roster and added more characters, currently consisting of 42 heroes. However, as Overwatch 2 had been developed to be a faster game with five-versus-five teams rather than six-versus-six, several of the characters had tweaks or major rebuilds within Overwatch 2, as well as different character designs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pharah</span> Fictional character

Pharah, real name Fareeha Amari, is a character who first appears in the 2016 video game Overwatch, a Blizzard Entertainment-developed first-person shooter. Voiced by Jen Cohn, she is an Egyptian woman trying to follow in her mother's footsteps, enlisting in a military unit and helping to defend her local community, going by the call sign "Pharah". She later joins the restored peace-keeping force Overwatch alongside her mother and childhood friend. In a 2023 short story by Blizzard, the character was revealed to be a lesbian.

Widowmaker (<i>Overwatch</i>) Fictional character in the 2016 video game Overwatch

Widowmaker is a character who first appeared in the 2016 video game Overwatch, a Blizzard Entertainment–developed first-person shooter. She first appeared at the launch of the 2016 first-person hero shooter game Overwatch, and subsequently in its 2022 sequel, Overwatch 2. Conceived by Jeff Kaplan in the early development phases of the game, her design was fleshed out by Arnold Tsang and other Blizzard artists. Voiced by Chloé Hollings, 'Widowmaker' is the alias of Amélie Lacroix, a French ballerina-turned-sleeper agent for the terrorist organization Talon, who after killing her husband becomes a high-profile sniper assassin. Since the game's release she has appeared in various spinoff media related to the franchise, including comics and merchandise.

Zarya (<i>Overwatch</i>) Fictional character in the 2016 video game Overwatch

Zarya, full name Aleksandra Zaryanova, is an Overwatch character who first appears in the 2016 video game of the same name, a Blizzard Entertainment–developed first-person shooter. Voiced by Dolya Gavanski, Zarya is a Siberian champion weightlifter who enlists in a local defense force after her home comes under attack from robotic forces, later joining the restored peacekeeping force Overwatch. Conceived due to Geoff Goodman's desire to include a heavy weapon wielding character into the game, she was designed by Arnold Tsang after watching a weightlifting competition, feeling the concept would make for a strong character. Since her introduction, she has appeared in various spinoff media related to the franchise, including comics and merchandise, and later in another Blizzard developed title, Heroes of the Storm.

Lúcio (<i>Overwatch</i>) Fictional character in the Overwatch franchise

Lúcio Correia dos Santos is a character who first appeared in the 2016 video game Overwatch, a Blizzard Entertainment–developed first-person shooter, and the resulting franchise. Conceived from the desire to include a "bard"-type character in the game that could cast ability-boosting auras on their party, he was designed by Arnold Tsang and David Kang, and made Brazilian due to the country's association with music culture. Voiced by Jonny Cruz, Lúcio is a DJ and musician living in Rio de Janeiro, using his music to try and lift people's spirits. After a corporation tries to oppress and exploit his neighborhood, he steals some of the company's equipment to fight back and encourages others to join in, pushing them out. Now seen as a hero, he performs concerts worldwide and later joins reformed peacekeeping force "Overwatch" to help fight against global threat "Null Sector". Lúcio has since also appeared in another Blizzard developed title, Heroes of the Storm.

Mercy (<i>Overwatch</i>) Fictional character in the 2016 video game Overwatch

Mercy is a character developed by Blizzard Entertainment for their Overwatch franchise. She was introduced at launch in their 2016 first-person hero shooter video game of the same name and again appeared in its 2022 sequel, Overwatch 2. Mercy has also featured in its related animated and literary media. Lucie Pohl voices Mercy in English-language Overwatch media.

Sombra (<i>Overwatch</i>) Fictional character in the 2016 video game Overwatch

Sombra, real name Olivia Colomar is a fictional character in the Overwatch universe, a 2016 video game developed by Blizzard Entertainment. In the game's narrative, she is an exceptional black bag operation hacker from Mexico that had joined Talon, a criminal organization aligned against Overwatch. In game, Sombra has stealth-based abilities to move around the battlefield, and is able to hack any opposing character to briefly prevent them from using their special abilities.

Overwatch and Overwatch 2 are online team-based first-person shooters developed by Blizzard Entertainment, and released worldwide in May 2016 and October 2022, respectively. Players select from one of over 30 heroes, broadly classified into the three roles of Tank, Damage, and Support, and work with their team to attack or defend map objectives. Each hero has a unique set of weapons, abilities, and skills, which players use to coordinate with their team to overpower the other. Overwatch supports both casual and ranked matchmaking, as well as a rotating set of arcade modes, and the game has since become a popular esport, featuring the Overwatch League that started in 2018. The game has been both a critical and financial success for Blizzard, exceeding over 30 million players and obtaining over US$1 billion in revenue within its first year.

Hanzo (<i>Overwatch</i>) Fictional character in Overwatch

Hanzo Shimada is a playable character appearing in the 2016 video game Overwatch, a first-person shooter video game developed by Blizzard Entertainment. Outside of Overwatch, Hanzo also appears in related media, which includes animated shorts and webcomics, as well as a playable character in the crossover multiplayer online game Heroes of the Storm. He appeared again in Overwatch 2, a 2022 sequel to the original game.

Orisa (<i>Overwatch</i>) Fictional character in the Overwatch franchise

Orisa is a character who first appears in the 2016 video game Overwatch, a Blizzard Entertainment–developed first-person shooter.

Moira (<i>Overwatch</i>) Fictional character from Overwatch

Moira O'Deorain is a character from the 2016 video game Overwatch, a Blizzard Entertainment–developed first-person shooter. First appearing in a 2017 tie-in comic, she was later added as a playable character in an update for the game, and returned for its sequel. Voiced by Genevieve O'Reilly, Moira serves as a healer who can refill her resources by damaging enemies with her main attack. Within the Overwatch story, she is an Irish geneticist who refuses to let any ethical constraints interfere with scientific advancement, and works with the terrorist group Talon to this end while posing as a member of the scientific community. Since the game's release she has appeared in various spinoff media related to the franchise, including comics and merchandise.

Overwatch is a team-based first-person shooter developed by Blizzard Entertainment and released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in May 2016. The game, while having several different play modes, generally features two teams of six players each, selecting pre-made heroes from the game's roster, to either attack or defend various objective points on the game's maps. The game supports casual game modes as well as ranked competitive play. Since release, Overwatch has been both critically and financially successful, with a player base of 35 million players as of October 2017.

Overwatch and Overwatch 2 are team-based first-person shooter games developed by Blizzard Entertainment. Overwatch was released in May 2016 for several platforms. The game features a number of gameplay modes that support casual play, ranked play, and competitive modes used for professional esports events, such as the Overwatch League. Overwatch 2 was released in October 2022 with the same player versus player (PvP) modes, and will later include new player versus environment (PvE) co-operative multiplayer modes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Symmetra</span> Fictional character in the 2016 video game Overwatch

Symmetra, full name Satya Vaswani, is a character who first appears in the 2016 video game Overwatch, a Blizzard Entertainment–developed first-person shooter. Voiced by Anjali Bhimani, she makes later appearances in related literary media and the game's sequel, Overwatch 2. Conceived by Jeff Kaplan and designed by Arnold Tsang, the character was conceived due to a desire to include a classic fantasy wizard into the game's science fiction setting, expressed through her ability to create constructs from thin air using hard-light technology. A woman of Indian descent, she works for the Vishkar Corporation, protecting their interests while working to expand their influence despite her concerns about their intentions. Since the game's release she has appeared in various spinoff media related to the franchise, including comics and merchandise.

Ashe (<i>Overwatch</i>) Fictional character in the 2016 video game Overwatch

Elizabeth Caledonia "Calamity" Ashe, known mononymously as Ashe, is a character in the Overwatch franchise. She first appeared in the 2018 animated short Reunion, and was soon thereafter added as a playable character in the franchise's first game. Ashe is an American gunslinger and leader of the Deadlock Gang, a band of arms-trafficking outlaws. She does this alongside her sidekick B.O.B., a large mustachioed robot whose name stands for Big Omnic Butler. In all appearances Ashe is voiced by Jennifer Hale, while B.O.B. communicates strictly through body language and eye movement.

Cassidy (<i>Overwatch</i>) Fictional character in the Overwatch franchise

Cole Cassidy is a character from the 2016 video game Overwatch, a Blizzard Entertainment–developed first-person shooter. Originally named Jesse McCree after a developer at Blizzard, the character's name was changed after the developer was fired for alleged inappropriate behavior at the company.

References

  1. 1 2 Burns, Matt (October 24, 2017). Simpson, Robert; Gary, Cate; Monahan, Allison (eds.). The Art of Overwatch Limited Edition. Dark Horse Comics. p. 57. ISBN   9781506705538.
  2. 1 2 3 Burns, Matt (October 24, 2017). Simpson, Robert; Gary, Cate; Monahan, Allison (eds.). The Art of Overwatch Limited Edition. Dark Horse Comics. pp. 54–56. ISBN   9781506705538.
  3. 1 2 Gibson, David (June 6, 2016). Overwatch: How A Hero is Mei'd. Archived from the original on October 13, 2023. Retrieved October 12, 2023– via YouTube.
  4. 1 2 Frank, Allegra (May 1, 2017). "Overwatch's cutest voice line was a recording booth accident". Polygon . Archived from the original on May 2, 2017. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Schaefer, Emma (April 25, 2017). "Overwatch's adorable Mei used to be a badass bounty hunter". Electronic Gaming Monthly . Archived from the original on October 11, 2018. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  6. ↑ Dyer, Matt (November 6, 2015). "BlizzCon 2015: 3 New Overwatch Heroes Announced". IGN. Archived from the original on July 7, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  7. ↑ Kaplan, Jeff (November 5, 2017). Overwatch Archives BlizzCon 2017. Archived from the original on June 2, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2023– via YouTube.
  8. 1 2 "Latest Blizzard first-person shooter video game a fresh take on diversity". South China Morning Post. Associated Press. May 24, 2016. Archived from the original on October 19, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  9. ↑ McKeand, Kirk (May 24, 2016). "Breaking the lore - How Overwatch weaves compelling stories into a multiplayer shooter". The Daily Telegraph . Archived from the original on June 5, 2016. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  10. ↑ Lagoia, Stephen (February 23, 2023). "Overwatch: Every Playable Character's Age, Height, And Birth Year". TheGamer. Archived from the original on June 12, 2023. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  11. 1 2 "Overwatch Cosplay Guide: Mei" (PDF). Blizzard Entertainment. 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 17, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  12. 1 2 Tseng, Arnold (November 10, 2015). Overwatch - What's New Panel Blizzcon 2015. Archived from the original on October 17, 2023. Retrieved October 17, 2023– via YouTube.
  13. ↑ Pereira, Chris (April 7, 2022). "Overwatch 2 Hero Redesigns: See How Characters' Looks Have Changed". GameSpot . Archived from the original on October 20, 2023. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  14. ↑ Burns, Matt (October 24, 2017). Simpson, Robert; Gary, Cate; Monahan, Allison (eds.). The Art of Overwatch Limited Edition. Dark Horse Comics. p. 217. ISBN   9781506705538.
  15. ↑ Burns, Matt (October 24, 2017). Simpson, Robert; Gary, Cate; Monahan, Allison (eds.). The Art of Overwatch Limited Edition. Dark Horse Comics. pp. 230, 232. ISBN   9781506705538.
  16. ↑ Taylor, Mollie (April 28, 2021). "Overwatch's new Mei skin draws criticism for cultural appropriation". PC Gamer . Archived from the original on April 29, 2021. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  17. ↑ Bailey, Dustin (April 28, 2021). "Overwatch's MM-Mei skin is proving controversial". PCGamesN . Archived from the original on April 29, 2021. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  18. 1 2 Henley, Stacey (October 13, 2022). "I Can't Believe How Badly Overwatch 2 Has Ruined Mei". TheGamer. Archived from the original on June 3, 2023. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Mei - Overwatch". Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  20. 1 2 Geracle, Nick; Lunardi, Lara (November 1, 2019). "[BlizzCon 2019] Overwatch 2 announced in 'ZERO HOUR' cinematic". Inven Global. Archived from the original on October 20, 2023. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  21. ↑ Pereira, Chris (December 13, 2016). "Overwatch Christmas Update Is Now Live". GameSpot . Archived from the original on November 6, 2018. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
  22. ↑ Kim, Matt (August 23, 2017). "Overwatch Releases Mei's Animated Short, Get the Tissues Ready". US Gamer . Archived from the original on August 24, 2017. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  23. ↑ Khan, Imran (December 22, 2017). "Mei Hunts Winston In New Overwatch Comic". Game Informer . Archived from the original on May 29, 2023. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  24. 1 2 Winslow, Jeremy (June 15, 2020). "New Overwatch Character Coming To Blizzard's Heroes Of The Storm". GameSpot . Archived from the original on June 15, 2020. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  25. ↑ Carter, Chris (May 23, 2016). "Overwatch character guide". Polygon . Archived from the original on December 30, 2018. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
  26. ↑ Kaplan, Jeff (May 22, 2017). 6 Secrets about Overwatch's Defense Heroes by Jeff Kaplan. IGN . Archived from the original on June 5, 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2023– via YouTube.
  27. 1 2 Williams, Mike (May 25, 2017). "Overwatch - How to Play Mei". US Gamer . Archived from the original on June 8, 2017. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  28. ↑ Bailey, Dustin (May 23, 2021). "Overwatch 2 will rework Bastion "from the ground up"". PCGamesN . Archived from the original on May 23, 2021. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  29. ↑ Vaz, Christian (March 7, 2023) [May 4, 2022]. "Overwatch 2 roles and role queue explained". PCGamesN . Archived from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  30. ↑ Skrebels, Joe (June 15, 2020). "Overwatch's Mei Joins Heroes of the Storm". IGN . Archived from the original on October 25, 2023. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  31. 1 2 Hanna, Wirman; Jones, Rhys (March 2022). "Overwatch Fandom and the Range of Corporate Responses". In Ruotsalainen, Maria; Törhönen, Maria; Karhulahti, Veli-Matti (eds.). Modes of Esports Engagement in Overwatch. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 167. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-82767-0_9 . ISBN   9783030827663.
  32. ↑ Kim, Matt (November 2, 2019). "Blizzcon Protesters Share Why They're Fighting For Free Speech at Blizzard's Big Event". IGN . Archived from the original on October 27, 2023. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  33. ↑ Burns, Matt (October 24, 2017). Simpson, Robert; Gary, Cate; Monahan, Allison (eds.). The Art of Overwatch Limited Edition. Dark Horse Comics. pp. 360–361. ISBN   9781506705538.
  34. ↑ Copeland, Wesley (June 13, 2022). "All the New Overwatch Funko Pop Figures Revealed". IGN . Archived from the original on October 13, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  35. ↑ Saed, Sherif (April 11, 2017). "Overwatch Mei Nendoroid is way too cute". VG247 . Archived from the original on October 25, 2023. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  36. ↑ Santangelo, Nick (October 5, 2018). "Overwatch's Mei Is Getting a $175 Levitating Snowball Toy". IGN . Archived from the original on October 20, 2023. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  37. ↑ Sheridan, Connor (January 12, 2022). "Overwatch 2 Lego set "paused" as Lego reviews partnership with Activision Blizzard". GamesRadar . Archived from the original on October 20, 2023. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  38. 1 2 "《守望先锋》小美引吐槽 我们想要的中国元素不是这样的！_资讯新闻_游迅网". December 4, 2015. Archived from the original on August 31, 2017. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  39. ↑ Patterson, Christopher B. (April 2020). Open World Empire: Race, Erotics, and the Global Rise of Video Games. NYU Press. pp. 65–72. ISBN   9781479802043.
  40. ↑ Sainsbury, Matt (July 13, 2016). "On beauty and Overwatch; Blizzard's masterful use of sex appeal to make the game fun for all". DigitallyDownloaded.Net. Archived from the original on July 19, 2016. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  41. ↑ Araújo, Guilherme Pedrosa Carvalho; Pereira, Georgia da Cruz (2017). "Não se preocupem queridos, a cavalaria chegou: análise crítica do design das personagens de Overwatch" [Don’t Worry Darlings, the Cavalry Has Arrived: Critical Analysis of Overwatch's Character Designs](PDF). Anais do Simpósio Brasileiro de Jogos e Entretenimento Digital (in Portuguese). 16. ISSN   2179-2259 . Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  42. ↑ Rodriguez, Mathew (April 28, 2023). "Brigitte Shows Overwatch 2 Still Doesn't Fully Get Body Diversity". Kotaku . Archived from the original on October 23, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  43. ↑ Ashcraft, Brian (October 9, 2019). "Overwatch's Mei Is Becoming A Symbol Of The Hong Kong Resistance". Kotaku . Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  44. ↑ Wolf, Jacob; Yim, Miles (November 1, 2019). "BlizzCon protesters gather outside Anaheim Convention Center". ESPN . Archived from the original on October 17, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  45. ↑ Carpenter, Nicole (October 9, 2019). "Protestors are trying to get Overwatch banned in China, using memes of popular hero Mei". Polygon . Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.