First steps for Martian Kind – A Look at Juno’s Development

Juno has finally landed in Overwatch 2, and players are jumping into battle with her, gliding  through tricky team fights and blasting off to light speed with her unique kit. You’ve watched her hero trailer, checked out her comic, and seen her in action, but let’s take a unique look with concept artist Daryl Tan and lead narrative designer Miranda Moyer to see how Juno’s story came to life.

What was the general idea behind making Juno?

Daryl Tan: The hero team had plans to introduce a Support hero that was fast, agile, and had a hitscan-like weapon, so that is where we explored the idea of a space-themed hero.  Juno was heavily designed through the gameplay kit, which helped inspire the fantasy of what this hero would look like.

Which of Juno’s abilities was the biggest influence on her design?

Daryl Tan: Juno’s Pulsar Torpedoes ability was a big factor in that it had to display information on a cool-looking visor while also showing enemies and allies to lock on to.

Miranda Moyer: The abilities really impacted the creation of her story. We questioned how Juno might have learned to use her technology, and under what conditions. That line of thinking inspired a lot of elements of her backstory, delving into what life was like for a child growing up on Mars.

How did you create the story about a hero from Mars?

Miranda: We wanted to demonstrate the scope of Lijiang’s operations. Unknown to the rest of the world, Lucheng Interstellar secretly funded other projects beyond the Horizon Lunar Colony project. One of those projects was a secret Martian expedition called Project Red Promise, which would be the initial stages/foundations of the first human colony on Mars and was comprised of a small team of scientists. However, when Juno was born in the colony, she became the first human born on Mars—the first Martian. We found the hook of a human who has never lived on Earth to be very compelling. It’s something that caught on in the early stages of Juno’s narrative and helped shape who she is.

So what is happening on Mars that is causing Juno to seek help from earth? 

Miranda: Essentially, part of the Red Promise team’s mission in establishing the foundations of a Martian colony is terraforming the planet’s surface. But due to the terraforming project kicking up debris into the atmosphere, massive dust storms have started threatening the colony’s safety. Within a few years the colony may not be habitable anymore. All of the colony’s attempts to contact Lucheng have gone unanswered.

So the scientists compiled their limited resources and realized they only had enough power to send one person back to Earth. Immediately, they knew it had to be Juno, the only one to never have signed onto their mission. They wanted her to have a chance at life. Even though she was sent off with no expectation to ever come back, Juno is very determined to seek help on Earth and find answers that can save her parents and everyone else in Project Red Promise.

What makes Juno so happy and curious about her experiences on Earth?

Miranda: Juno’s personality gives so much color and weight to both her voice and her experiences. Being on Earth for the first time and experiencing so many different cultures she’s never interfaced with before is super overwhelming. She’s not well-versed in the ways of Terrans, which makes her uncertain and anxious at times.

As we mentioned in our Developer Update, her heroism comes from the fact that she’s able to face those fears. She’s afraid, but she’s still going to brave it and figure everything out. Plus, even though she’s terrified and overwhelmed, she’s also super curious. She wants to learn all there is to know about Earth, and with the help of Mei, she’s going to find a lot of wonderful things to experience for the first time.

Are there any fun surprises or easter eggs for Juno?

Daryl Tan: We wanted her spacesuit to show her connection to Project Red Promise, which you see by their insignia on it. Also, you may notice Juno’s mom standing with Mei in the photo in the escape pod that landed in Dorado. Juno even has hair similar to her mother.

Miranda Moyer: I’m most excited to see players discover Juno’s relationship with Mei. Juno’s mother, Jiayi, is an old friend of Mei’s from grad school, which Mei mentions on the Lijiang Tower map. Juno believes that Mei will be helpful in saving her colony, but  Juno has only seen her mother in the context of her scientific work, so she’s quite curious to learn more about what her mother enjoyed before her time on Mars.

I also think it’s sweet in how Mei interacts with Juno, taking on a motherly role. She is always making sure Juno is eating or getting sleep, and it’s nice to see Mei look out for Juno in this way. So, it’s those interactions I hope players can discover.

Daryl Tan: Oh, one other fun thing that I am glad many players have discovered is how Juno’s Mediblaster emotes based on whether she is firing on allies or enemies. Basically, the idea there is there is a smart program for the Mediblaster that figures out if it is firing on allies or enemies and know which projectile to fire. The smiling or angry emotes give it a charming touch to Juno’s personality.

Jump into Overwatch 2 where Juno is now available to play in game. Also be sure to check out her hero trailer and comic where you can learn more about her story and adventures on Mars. We’ll see you in game!