Overwatch introduces a new type of skin with Pink Mercy - a standalone purchase that benefits charity

Mercy, the angelic doctor from Overwatch, is about to put her healing powers to use in the real world. Say hello to Pink Mercy, a special skin introduced by Blizzard to help fund breast cancer research:

This unique standalone skin costs $14.99 / £12.79, with 100% of the purchase price going to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. She's only available for a limited time though, from May 8 to May 21. So if you want to add her to your collection, you've got just a little under two weeks to do so.

In a developer update video, game director Jeff Kaplan explained the reasoning behind introducing the skin: "Breast cancer is the most common cancer that affects women worldwide. Many of us on the Overwatch team have friends and family who have been personally affected by this devastating disease," Kaplan said. "Mercy is a symbol of helping and healing, and therefore we've decided to introduce a new Mercy skin called Pink Mercy, today."

"We know how motivated and inspirational the gaming community can be, and we would love to see you join us in this effort," Kaplan continued, before explaining that Pink Mercy T-shirts will also be sold through the Blizzard Gear store from May 8 to May 21. Those cost $30, with half of the price going toward the BCRF.

If you don't want to or can't spend any money but still want to raise awareness, you can do that too. Simply log on any time between now and May 21 to earn a unique BCRF-themed player icon. You can also connect your Blizzard and Twitch accounts to earn special sprays and another player icon just for watching designated charity streams. For a full schedule of streams and breakdown of rewards, visit the official Blizzard blog.

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Sam Prell

Sam is a former News Editor here at GamesRadar. His expert words have appeared on many of the web's well-known gaming sites, including Joystiq, Penny Arcade, Destructoid, and G4 Media, among others. Sam has a serious soft spot for MOBAs, MMOs, and emo music. Forever a farm boy, forever a '90s kid.