Overwatch game director Aaron Keller and associate game director Alec Dawson have shared their favorite heroes within the game, discussing their original mains and newer additions that have captured their attention. For Alec Dawson, his journey in Overwatch began with Lucio. "My first main, like, 'I want to play this character all the time,' was Lucio," he stated, citing the hero's exceptional mobility as the primary draw. Dawson explained that heroes with fluid movement options, like Lucio's wall-riding ability and his speed-boosting Crossfade, encourage him to "lock in and learn as much as I can about this hero." He noted Lucio's capacity for rapid repositioning, escape, and engagement as key elements that resonated with him from the game's inception.
Aaron Keller's initial main was Tracer, a founding member of the Overwatch roster. "I don't know if I have a main now, but my first was probably Tracer," Keller said. He praised the hero's kit as "almost perfect," highlighting its synergy of speed, mobility, and constant repositioning. Tracer's Blink ability for quick teleports and her Recall function to rewind her position and health were singled out as key mechanics. Keller, who now frequently plays tank, mentioned that he still opts for Tracer when playing the damage role, though he admits his proficiency has waned.
When playing tank, Keller indicated a preference for a rotation of heroes rather than a single main. His current roster includes Reinhardt, Winston, Zarya, and Orisa, all of whom he enjoys playing. "I typically queue flex now, which means I typically queue tank now, is what happens. So, I rotate through a few of the tanks, between Reinhardt, Winston, I love playing Zarya. I'll play Orisa, also," he explained.
Among the newer heroes, Dawson highlighted Doctrine as a successful fusion of art, lore, and gameplay. He described Doctrine as a "wonderful example of taking an art visual archetype that we hadn't explored yet, this techno-vampire, making it the Overwatch version of that, with all the gameplay bundled together for his drones." Keller concurred, calling it an "amazing combination of backstory, visuals, and gameplay that really supports this, sort of, vampire fantasy."
Dawson's personal favorite among the newer characters is Shion, whom he finds "just over the top." He revealed that the development team based Shion's design on action movie tropes, aiming for an extravagant, almost villainous personality that he believes resonates well with players. "We need to kick a motorcycle from the air. It was like we're going crazy with this hero," Dawson said.
Keller's pick for a standout newer hero is Emre, with his praise focused on the hero's primary fire. "I think the primary file of Emre feels so good," Keller stated, referring to Emre's Synthetic Burst Rifle. He noted that this straightforward, satisfying weapon makes Emre accessible and that its effectiveness is a key reason for the hero's popularity. "Overwatch is a first-person shooter, so you just want a weapon like that in the game," Keller added. "He might not be the flashiest character that we've got, but he has really resonated with a lot of players, and I think one of the reasons is that primary fire."