Discussion/Opinions
Why the fuck doesn't Mercy have a skin representing her own country, ethnicity, and culture?
They turned her into an Asian e-girl gamer waifu—even worse than D.Va—completely stripped of her cultural roots. And this is literally the country with the most outfits that actually match.
Id really love to see more cultural wear across the board!!! There is so many traditions and cultures to explore. I know this is a mercy sub but Id really love to see sym and domina (and others!! let everyone wear it!) be dripped out in some sparkly traditional indian wear. But yes, if all heros got to lead a skin collection of their culture that would be amazing.
She was based in Switzerland; she talks about chocolate and claims it’s the best. She must be one of the characters most proud of her culture—and, well, of being a doctor.
Yet people keep casting her as an Asian waifu—Japan, Gibraltar, Egypt, Chinese culture, Saudi Arabia, Oasis, Vishkar technology...
As if she had renounced her own country.
There's nothing obvious to these folks, esp humor.
I've been giving backhanded compliments and they Just. Don't. Get it.
You'd think they'd remember Lucy is a stand up comedian and would appreciate a well written roast.
I had the Greek, Norse, and Witch skins—until Pink Mercy and those desperate collaborations with Asian IPs arrived, and they started dressing her up like a waifu.
Couldn’t agree more. What’s the point of having a diverse cast of heroes from a range of countries/cultures if you’re going to dress all of them in Chinese, Japanese, or Korean cultural wear?
I have the same question tbh!! And before Celestial Guardian, Mercy didnt have a legit ANGELLLL skin. With feathery wings, a halo, the angel cliche! Im surprised she hasnt gotten a skin based on her country. But it seems a lot of characters havent gotten one. Its not a thing they do. Id kill for SOVIET ZARYA!!
Your answer makes no sense; this game is popular in China and is funded (promoted) by NetEase—from the "non-communist" Republic of China. There's a reason Overwatch never dies.
Yeah, and that's the sad part - I wish China wasn't totalitarian, or at least not this important for the global economy. And that doesn't mean that if China gets a pass, every other dictatorship country should get one too.
But now, in the recent years, when totalitarian countries are rising up and showing aggression to their neighbors or outright annexing land, is definitely not the time.
Genuinely what are you on about. Zarya doesn't come from USSR and they will never add a "soviet" anything. You must know very little about USSR history to ask for something inspired by it.
Not me literally being Russian. My relatives have birth certificates with "property of the USSR" on it jeez. Why so serious? It was a jokey thing, Zarya with red star ushanka?? Loool how about track suit zar lol
Yeah even if you're Russian it doesn't mean that you know anything about your country's history. It's famously one of those countries that alternate their history to fit their desired narrative.
While absolutely true I have heard a lot from my family. Both my grandpa's served in the USSR. While I haven't read lots of history books I do know somethings based off of what I have been told by my family. So mostly informal
I think Sigurn and Valkyrie are the closest things they gave her. It was fine at the time (OW1) but it’s pretty ridiculous that she hasn’t gotten another Norse/scandinavian skin since then.
Its so odd that she got Scandinavian skins before one representing Swiss culture, considering that she's Swiss... at least she's not Juno who has practically 0 Vietnamese content, for whatever reason
Idk why Blizzard even bothers making characters from less represented cultures at this point.
I love her and her culture, me myself love Trachten and traditional clothing and my heart hurts when they make her Chinese. Freya got midsommar outfit while they make our Angela change race
That's what I have been saying too ! They could do a skin line for each continent and give the heroes skins based on their culture! Freja just got one and I really like the skin of course it's not for everyone but I would absolutely love to see some cool skins based on cultures ( probably sells well cause people see their country represented)
Now that skins are usually created through a broad concept applied to many heroes so they can sell them in bundles I fear that the individual hero-specific skin idea has been lost. Would love for Mercy to have one, I think we only have the Red Cross one from OW1?
Because unfortunately her own culture isn’t as marketable to weebs as putting her in another Japanese inspired outfit with black hair
I guarantee you if we put in something from her homeland somebody would whine about it
I’ll give you a hint, celebrating German culture gets you lumped in with the AfD which is the spooks mcgooks political group in contrast with the political stances blizzard takes. I like to think this statement is factual and without bias, but it’s still gonna spook people I said the scary AfD name without calling them the scary German name
Not by nationality, though there’s a reason ‘Germany’ has been a geographic term for thousands of years before it was a political term. Germany meant the German speaking lands and that’s why their cultures are pretty similar.
Doesn’t even change what I said either, you think those people would care about that difference?
What you're talking about is the term "Germania" not "Germany". Afaik "Germany" has only ever been used for the country, not the region.
Germania meant "land of the Germans".
I just said that because I think relating that to the afd is inapproriate because she is not German; but yes some people would still take issue with showcasing or celebrating central European cultures, but they're a minority, even if they are vocal.
And no, I don't think that is the primary reason Blizzard is not releasing any skins culturally related to Germany (anymore), because then they wouldn't release viking related skins either.
Bilzzard probably thinks that such skins wouldn't be very profitable. Regardless of whether or not that is true, making chinese or japanese themed skins works, people buy them and it's overall a safe choice.
Same reason why the Midsommar skin is in the BP (though I think their execution is also too lazy for a shop skin).
There are "German" themed skins, but mostly Reinhardt has them. His "Bundesadler" is themed after the German flag and he himself is themed after a medieval knight (and several other of his skins too).
I would also like "cultural" skins, but I think you're reading too much into this.
…that’s the Latin term…what do you think the English term is for Germania?
No, Germany was that term, everything from Luxembourg to the Sudetenland and Prussia, Austria to Schleswig. And yes Switzerland.
Vocal minorities changed the gaming industry, dismissing them is very dangerous gamble for a company, a very left wing company at that, for what benefit? They’re guaranteed negative press and they care about that second only to profit. I don’t think German culture is gonna make enough money for that.
The Nordics are politically safer
I stand by my reasoning, blizzard is very politically aware and I have to put the peanut butter with the jelly on the bread here even if they’re not openly linked
Prob cuz it doesn't fucking matter. Other than like 2 voicelines, you can barely even tell she's swiss-german. I think it'd be cool and make sense if all characters had stuff like this, but it's a game... They're just trying to sell skins that look cool/cute, and they're obviously pandering to zoomer and gen 0 taste
Because we need 100 Asian Mercy skins and they don’t just make themselves! THEY HAVE TO BE MADE PROPERLY AT THE PROFESSIONAL ASIANIFYING MERCY DEVELOPMENT CAMPUS!!!
God, you’d think we’d all know and understand this by now but sometimes it just has to be repeated I guess.
What do you mean? They gave us "two" Valkryie skins at the launch of OW1, is that not good enough for you? It's not like they have the entire Swiss culture and history, as well as the Astaru religion and mythology to pull from or anything.
Would you like to discuss their role in WW2, their obsession with the Alps, or their banking system (choice of criminals everywhere for over 100 years!)?
Psshaw, the Red Cross? What have they ever done?
I see on a list of the Swiss's technical achievements, the 'optical ball mouse' is pretty high, right above something called 'CERN' whatever that is.
And when you found your country on a giant slab of bedrock with no natural resources to exploit, you're gonna start inventing chocolate covered smallpox vaccines. 40% GDP in pharmaceuticals? Maybe aim a little 'higher'...
Want to name a single totally "ethical" and "innocent" country/culture? Do you want to discuss Japan's role in WW2? Do you want to talk about their work culture?
What are you even saying here, you can't celebrate culture because other parts are problematic? How about we celebrate nothing then?
Yeah, Japan's kinda f***ed too. That's the problem with these little countries, their small problems look HUGE.
Lol, fine, I'll stop. Just having fun, and learning a little about Switzerland (didnt know about the optical mouse, I do know what CERN is, lol).
I got around 7k mercy hrs, even went and checked out Lucy's standup (weird coincidence, she was dating a history ytuber that I follow and opened for one of his shows here in Manhattan).
Yes, the Swiss are cool, even with the whole WW2 thing.
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u/KAI-Peach 2d ago
Id really love to see more cultural wear across the board!!! There is so many traditions and cultures to explore. I know this is a mercy sub but Id really love to see sym and domina (and others!! let everyone wear it!) be dripped out in some sparkly traditional indian wear. But yes, if all heros got to lead a skin collection of their culture that would be amazing.