Moira

Moira O'Deorain is a character from the 2016 video game Overwatch, a Blizzard Entertainment–developed first-person shooter. First appearing in a 2017 tie-in comic, she was later added as a playable character in an update for game, and later returned for its sequel. Voiced by Genevieve O'Reilly, Moira serves as a healer who can refill her resources by damaging enemies with her main attack. Within the Overwatch story, she is an Irish geneticist who refuses to let any "ethical constraints" interfere with scientific advancement, and works with the terrorist group Talon to this end while posing as a member of the scientific community. Since the game's release she has appeared in various spinoff media related to the franchise, including comics and merchandise. Designed as a support character able to also deal a large amount of damage, she is able to both heal allies or alternatively siphon health from enemies. Moira has been positively received from video game media writers and the game's fan base alike since her unveiling, with the latter lauding her as a queer icon. Her visual design, particularly her androgyny is a core driver of the character's critical and fan acclaim, and has earned her heavy comparison to actor and musician David Bowie. Her characterization has also received significant praise, with Cass Marshall of Polygon declaring her the franchise's best villain. Conception and development Developed for Overwatch, Moira was created from the team's desire to introduce an "evil healer" into the game. Assistant Art Director Arnold Tsang looked at concept art for Titan, a cancelled Blizzard Entertainment project, and found unused designs built around tentacles to fit the concept he was looking for. The preliminary sketches revolved around them, but also worked in two other features they wanted to portray with the character: making the character feel androgynous to give her a "mysterious feel", and heterochromia. However the tentacles gave the impression she was a character meant for offensive play, and according to Senior Story Designer Michael Chu the team was unsure how to utilize them in gameplay. Tsang noted that while they gave the character a unique silhouette to stand out from a distance he agreed, and they tried a giant two-handed "spray cannon" with a tube connecting it to a large backpack.