Twitch streamer Fareeha Andersen, the English actor for one of Overwatch’s newest heroes, Anran, is demanding Blizzard redesign the character to “challenge the beauty standards.”
In a video, Fareeha, addressed backlash over the hero’s appearance after fans noticed major differences between her in-game model and earlier animated depictions.
Anran was unveiled during Overwatch’s recent spotlight event alongside Jetpack Cat, Emre, Domina, and Mizuki.
The fire-based DPS had previously appeared in an animated trailer for her younger brother Wuyang, a support hero added last year. However, some players quickly pointed out that her in-game design looks noticeably slimmer and more conventionally styled than her earlier portrayal.
One viral post shared side-by-side images and sarcastically listed supposed cosmetic procedures including “rhinoplasty, eye lift, jaw shave, botox, cheek filler, facial bone surgery, gastric bypass surgery, face lift, lip filler, buccal fat removal.”
The comparison fueled debate across social media, with some players accusing Blizzard of softening Anran’s more distinct features.
Anran voice actor says she “mourned” the final design
In a video addressing the controversy, Andersen admitted she felt conflicted speaking publicly but ultimately agreed with much of the criticism.
“I didn’t want to not address the elephant in the room, but I didn’t want to step on the devs’ toes,” she said, describing it as a “tightrope” between supporting the community and giving developers grace.
“I got to mourn Anran, between the design that I had hoped for for her, and the design we ended up with,” Andersen continued.
She argued that Anran’s earlier comic and cinematic appearance set an expectation that Overwatch would “challenge the beauty standards that are plaguing and ransacking media these days,” referencing what she called the “Ozempic chic” trend and ultra-slim, highly contoured facial aesthetics.
According to Andersen, the final look sends a different message.
“It’s not the bold, optimistic swing that we know Overwatch to make,” she said. “It’s a look that isn’t congruent with her personality.”
She added that Anran now appears “more docile” despite being positioned as a powerful fire hero, even comparing her to her peacekeeping support brother.
Andersen said she would continue to “champion the version of her that we all wish for.”
Changing Anran reportedly on Overwatch devs’ radar
The comments quickly split the community.
While some players echoed calls for Blizzard to restore Anran’s earlier look, others argued the hero looks good as is and accused critics of overreacting.
Some accused Fareeha of stepping outside her role as a voice actor to urge changes to the hero while others encouraged her to “help us push the agenda.”
In any case, the developers are seemingly aware of the demand for an edit.
Twitch streamer Warn, who said he spoke with developers, claimed that adjustments to Anran are “on their radar.” However, he cautioned that redesigning a hero model is not a quick fix and could take months, even if changes are made.
The debate also comes amid prior comments from Overwatch developers suggesting that conventionally “hot” heroes are easier to build skins around, as symmetrical and streamlined facial geometry simplifies cosmetic design.
