Overwatch fan recreates hero portraits using AI program

Overwatch takes place in the distant future, where heroes from across the world come together to stop ongoing threats plaguing the world. Though fictional, these heroes have resonated with fans worldwide to make the game one of the biggest hits of the last ten years.

A Reddit user showcased art of various Overwatch heroes created entirely by the Stable Diffusion AI program, depicting them as more realistic versions of their in-game counterparts. Each of the heroes appears as if they could be a real person—or robot—roaming the real world, some a bit more menacing than others.

These portraits, centered around the damage heroes currently part of the base Overwatch roster, retain the notable features of each hero, while emphasizing aspects that allow them to stand out. For example, the AI’s interpretation of Junkrat paints the mayhem-creating hero as much more menacing with steel fangs and a deep-yellow glare.

The user also generated images for the game’s support and tank heroes. They detailed that creating these images required multiple specific keywords, including those that replicate the style of other artists. This trend resembles the increased usage of AI programs across the internet in creating images resembling those actual artists make, showcasing how far these programs have come.

All of the Overwatch heroes have received updates to their looks in the upcoming Overwatch 2, which is set to release in early free-to-play access on Oct. 4. The images created by this AI are not official Blizzard renders of the heroes.