A Heist Goes Wrong for Overwatch 2 Hero Hazard in Epic Trailer

We Are Royale (WAR) produced a trailer introducing Hazard, the newest Hero to join the roster of Overwatch 2, the free-to-play team-based shooter game from Activision Blizzard. A visual feast of graphic energy, animation, and beautifully choreographed fight sequences that would make Guy Richie proud, the :90 trailer portrays the backstory and gameplay abilities of Hazard. The trailer debuted in conjunction with the release of a new Hazard comic book, 'Tear It Down.' 

The action ignites when Hazard and his fellow Phreaks break into the Oasis Labs to steal Vanadium, a powerful substance for world dominance in Overwatch 2’s Earth. When alarm bells go off, the heist is foiled by authorities, leaving Hazard no choice but to inject the Vanadium or be caught with it. The impact oozes through the lab as Hazard mutates into a new form, and Vanadium splatters everywhere. The ensuing sequence showcases Hazard’s new ability set, effortlessly shifting from Vanadium-fuelled melee hits to gunfire before making a clean getaway. 

WAR, led by chief creative officer Brien Holman, crafted the trailer with a blend of 2D and 3D animation using 3D models in Hazard’s brand kit, actual environments mapped out in the game, and gameplay. 

“Activision Blizzard, once again, treated fans with a trailer introducing a new character and narrative dimension to the lore of Overwatch 2,” remarks Brien. “Hazard’s story gave our team a reason to explore and experiment with the look and feel of the trailer. Players have been walking around Vanadium in the game, without really knowing what it was. We had the opportunity to use it as a medium to paint the backstory of Overwatch 2’s latest Hero."

Hazard is crafted as a fully CG character with more fluid movements that lean closer to 3D while retaining a painterly look. The environments around him are illustrated but projected against 3D geometry, allowing for the casting of interactive lighting. According to Matt Guzzardo, WAR’s VFX Supervisor on the job, this aspect of the project revealed a technical triumph over the limitations of cel shaders in Maya. 

“Cel shaders are often overly precise and sensitive to the shadows and light of the 3D form, making the subject appear unnatural when in motion,” Matt says of the process. “Using a refined rendering and compositing pipeline, we simplified the effect, idealizing Hazard’s shadows to create a more consistent shape and fall-off, similar to an illustrator’s approach.”

Graffiti is another prominent visual element from Hazard’s brand kit and teases the newly 'tagged' game maps in the latest Overwatch 2 update. Playing off the energy of the graffiti, WAR also made heavy use of glitch effects, especially in Hazard’s transformation, which WAR art director and lead designer Brandon Smith masterminded. The unconventional glitch effects steer away from datamoshing techniques while embracing the wild sensibilities of the Phreaks and the anti-establishment graffiti they would paint the lab with.

“Glitches are historically horizontal in nature - so we tried to break that rule in moments to find something more unique to the chaos going through Hazard’s mind,” Brandon elaborates. “This opened us up to experiment with colour and pattern a lot more, which really helped to give Hazard his identity within the trailer.”

“The most exciting part for us as a studio was the opportunity to help write a new chapter for Overwatch 2 with the creatives at Activision Blizzard,” concludes Brien. “They provided us with a wealth of visual assets and backstory around Hazard and his bandits, allowing us to push the limits creatively and experiment. We hope Overwatch 2 fans are as excited for Hazard's introduction as we are."