'Overwatch': How B.O.B Went From Joke to Reality

The team behind Overwatch unveiled their newest hero during BlizzCon 2018 and though players instantly fell in love with Ashe, let's be real - it was the mustache'd robot B.O.B that stole the show. When sitting down in an interview with the Overwatch creative team, we talked a lot about B.O.B but what you may not know is that his character was fought for, and thus he went from joke to star.

We recently sat down with Overwatch lead writer Michael Chu during the BlizzCon celebration to talk about B.O.B following the immediate fan reaction towards our new mustachio'd friend. Chu mentioned that they had been tinkering with his idea for awhile but it quickly became apparent that he needed to be in the game in a more official capacity the longer the team deliberated about him.

Chu mentioned that B.O.B quickly became "an essential part of the fantasy of the character" and because of that, the creative team went "above and beyond" to make him a doable reality for the FPS experience.

It was important to make him stand on his own though and not just be a random addition, which makes his purpose as Ashe's Ultimate attack even better. The best part is though he is part of another hero, he easily has his own personality and offers something special to each match.

In the same interview, they also talked about how the anime Trigun interviewed Ashe as a whole. The Lead Writer for Overwatch mentioned, "It was more important for us that Ashe stood out and she's not just the "female cowboy" - it's not a tributary off of McCree's story."

Though both he and the Lead Character Designer both agreed that she does help McCree fans understand him more, she isn't just some afterthought.

You can read more about the inspiration behind her and B.O.B with our previous coverage right here. As for the game itself, Overwatch is now available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.

What are your thoughts on Ashe and B.O.B being added to the hero roster? Join in on the conversation in the comment section below.