Overwatch Team Makes Little Fan’s Character a Reality

Blizzard Entertainment‘s new game Overwatch has taken over the gaming world. And the geek world. And… well the Internet in general. The multiplayer shooter boasts 21 diverse playable characters each with their own special skills. The game has inspired all kinds of fan art, including a little masterpiece by young fan Ava Hickey. Ava decided to create her own original character named Birst, which her dad Shane Hickey shared with the Overwatch team on Twitter. She even made sure to describe her character’s abilities:

“Her name is Birst and she has a boomerang. She has lasers on her suit. You can make her kill or heal. She has things in a bag on her dress and she has a healing box in her bag. She can also fly with wings. She can jump so high.”

@PlayOverwatch hi team! my daughter created a new character.Her name is birst. She’d love to know your thoughts pic.twitter.com/b31YWUPqSs

— Shane Hickey (@shanehickey) May 20, 2016

So she’s a bit like Mercy but you know, WAY cooler. She has a BOOMERANG and LASERS, people. Blizzard is known for being supportive of its fan community, including an enthusiasm for fan works. So when they saw Ava’s drawing, the team’s response was just as positive as usual. In fact, not only did they love Ava’s art, but they also made their own fan art in return – a concept of her original character!

@shanehickey Our artists were so inspired by this that they created their own fan art! Hope your daughter loves it! pic.twitter.com/c1ToeH1MJF — Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) May 21, 2016

How awesome is that? Shane later posted Ava’s reaction to her new character art, and it looks like she’s pretty much the happiest gamer girl in the world right now.

@PlayOverwatch hey again team, Here’s Ava finding out about the character you did for her #Birst Thanks again! pic.twitter.com/nqRFLykRPs

— Shane Hickey (@shanehickey) May 23, 2016

And the Overwatch team was glad they could make a young fan so happy.

@shanehickey No, thank you! We can’t wait to see Ava’s next creation. ❤️? (PS – I’m not crying. You’re crying!) pic.twitter.com/v6VNOjs3rN

— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) May 23, 2016

The fans love it too! Someone has even started a Reddit thread where people are coming together to flesh out a full backstory and skill set for Birst to truly bring her into the Overwatch universe. We can’t wait to see what creativity comes out of the Overwatch fandom next!