Roadhog is one of Overwatch 2’s quieter heroes. Where some characters like Tracer and Junkrat are real chatterboxes, the chain-slinging, shotgun-toting Tank is a man of few words. That changes with the game’s latest limited-time mode, which makes him the announcer. Not only is he the one to declare your team the victor, but he also has nicknames for several members of the cast at the hero select screen. They’re delicious roasts of nearly every character that also offer a deeper look at a character who doesn’t usually get a ton of spotlight in Overwatch’s grander story.
The PachiMarchi event includes several cosmetics based on the in-universe Pachimari mascot that Roadhog is a big fan of, a few of which originate from when a similar event ran in the first Overwatch back in 2021. However, the new 3v3 deathmatch mode Catch-A-Mari is the real treat because Roadhog voice actor Josh Petersdorf delivers a concise, pitch-perfect roast of most of your faves as you build your team before a match. Unfortunately, there isn’t one for every character. According to senior writer and narrative designer Justin Groot, the nicknames in the mode now were part of an hour-long brainstorming session before deadline, which means a few favorites didn’t get a nickname. But the ones that are here are delightful.
A few standouts include:
- Cassidy – Cactus Bootbuckle
- Doomfist – Largefist
- Genji – 500 Edges
- Mei – Princess Icicle
- Ramattra – Thunko, the Metal Man
- Sigma – Gravity Frank
- Zarya – Gravity Janice
- Soldier: 76 – Legs of America
- Widowmaker – Scopetta Baguette
- Winston – Mister Nanners
All of these are very funny caricatures of each of these heroes, but my favorite one is Sojourn, who gets her full government name “Former Overwatch Acting Commander Vivian ‘Sojourn’ Chase.” It shows she is not to be fucked with and that Roadhog, despite roasting everyone else, respects her. 500 Edges is such a good name for Genji because he’s got a bunch of sharp weaponry at his disposal, but he’s also an edgelord, and it’s fun to see Overwatch poke fun at itself like this. Legs of America points to Soldier: 76 being from the US of A, but the character’s history has always made him feel like a Captain America analog for the series, so needling his patriotism is a good gag. They could have called him America’s Ass if they really wanted to lean into the comparison, but Soldier famously has no ass.
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It’s a small touch, but it feels like Overwatch 2’s writing has leaned harder into both fleshing out how characters relate to each other and into the fandom’s perception of them, as well. And it’s nice to get a sense of how Roadhog views other heroes, even if the relationships aren’t quite as overt. Hopefully the next time this mode rolls around, the team will add more nicknames for the whole cast.