Blizzard Honors Fallen Fan Through Overwatch Memorial
. The young man was nearby and witnessed someone stealing his friend's motorcycle. Wu gave chase [...]
Blizzard's Overwatch has become a multiplayer mainstay absurdly quickly and has also developed a tight-knit community in the same small timeframe.
20-year-old Hongyu Wu was one of the many who anxiously anticipated Blizzard's newest project, but a selfless act unfortunately prevented him from getting to experience it (via Kotaku). The young man was nearby and witnessed someone stealing his friend's motorcycle. Wu gave chase and followed the thief, but the two at some point collided into each other, and Wu didn't survive his injuries. The thief did survive the encounter and was subsequently arrested .
After word of Wu's actions got around, Blizzard's Chinese partner NetEase posted a screenshot of a recent group chat that Wu had with his friends before the accident, where it came to light just how excited he was for Overwatch, which was launching the very next day.
In response the company has actually placed a tribute to Wu in Lijiang Tower as a result, via the latest update. It can be found in the Control Center, where players will notice some changes in the display case that houses the astronaut suits. New text can be found on the ride colored side, which reads 宏宇, meaning Hongyu. If you look behind it, you'll see another piece of text 英雄不朽, which reads "Heroes Never Die."
It's a sweet gesture, and far from the first time Blizzard has paid tribute to fallen fans in their games. Our thoughts are with Wu's family and friends during this difficult time.