Ana | |
---|---|
Overwatch character | |
First game | Overwatch (2016) |
Created by | Michael Chu[1] Geoff Goodman[2] |
Designed by | Arnold Tsang |
Voiced by | Aysha Selim[3] |
In-universe information | |
Class | Support |
Nationality | Egyptian |
Ana Amari is a character who first appears in the 2016 video game Overwatch, a Blizzard Entertainment–developed first-person shooter, later appearing in the resulting franchise, including literary media and the game's 2022 sequel, Overwatch 2. Voiced by Aysha Selim, she is a sniper and member of the global peace-keeping force Overwatch, and the mother of fellow character Pharah. Created originally by lead writer Michael Chu as a backstory character, when the development team wanted to include a "skill-based support healer" into the game, she made playable to fill that role. Taking design elements from a character concept of an alchemist, they gave her gameplay abilities that they felt would make her a good counter to the game's existing sniper, Widowmaker.
Ana was well received upon her release, seen as a character defying stereotypes and praised for her representation as an Egyptian woman, something they felt Blizzard had previously fumbled with Pharah. Additional praise came from her presentation as an older woman amongst the game's cast, both bringing into play a different body type but also a mature kind of femininity. Her role as a mother additionally received praise, with several outlets noting that such was often underrepresented in gaming and in contrast to how other titles often approached the subject.