This Overwatch concept art for Mercy is goddamn amazing—and the community loves it

Mercy wasn’t always a woman—concept art in The Art of Overwatch has surfaced online, showing one of Blizzard’s original ideas.

The uniform hasn’t changed much at all—Mercy still wears a white suit with wings and holds the Caduceus staff—but she’s now a buff man with white hair. It’s a really cool iteration on an Overwatch healer, and fans love it.

Related: Overwatch’s fan art community is obsessed with the new Halloween skins

As you might have expected, Overwatch fans have created a ton of fan art to honor the Mercy that once was. Some of them use Mercy’s skins as inspiration, while others draw from her in-game poses.

As pointed out by Heroes Never Die, there’s a true draw to Overwatch concept art and seeing what could have been in game. Overwatch fans are inspired and engrossed by the heroes and their stories, not only by gameplay. It’s fun to imagine what stories Overwatch could have told, as well as examining the world as is.

Ultimately, Overwatch chose a different Mercy, but we’re hoping to see hints of the Mercy concept throughout the world of Overwatch.

H/T Heroes Never Die