Overwatch 2 loses lead hero designer who's been with the franchise since launch

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Geoff Goodman was one of the most recognizable faces on the Overwatch dev team

Overwatch 2 battle pass
(Image credit: Blizzard)

Overwatch 2 lead hero designer Geoff Goodman left Blizzard at some point this year, according to PC Gamer. Goodman was one of the most recognizable faces on the Overwatch team and has been with the game since it was just a reworked version of Blizzard's canceled Project Titan. 

Blizzard supplied PC Gamer with an official statement in regards to Goodman's departure: "We thank Geoff for his many years of service at Blizzard and wish him all the best. His ability to bring to life Overwatch’s diverse hero roster through gameplay has been incredible, and the mark he’s left on the Warcraft and Overwatch teams will be felt for years to come."

Aside from former game director Jeff Kaplan, who left Blizzard in April 2021, you'd be hard-pressed to find an Overwatch dev more well-known than Goodman. He was responsible for many major hero designs and reworks, and was with the team as recently as June of this year, where he answered questions about Overwatch 2 new hero rollouts during a Q&A session with press. 

It's unclear how much of a hand Goodman had in new healer hero Kiriko, who feels a lot like a support version of the iconic DPS character Genji, or how much faster and deadlier Overwatch 2 heroes feel overall. But with Overwatch 2's October 4 release date just a few weeks away, and players still reeling from the news that heroes will be locked behind battle pass progression, this isn't the sort of news fans wanted to hear.

Overwatch 2's approach to new heroes is bad for both players and the game.

Alyssa Mercante
Alyssa Mercante
Former Features Writer

Alyssa Mercante used to be a features writer at GamesRadar+ and is now a freelance writer and editor. Prior to entering the industry, she got her Masters's degree in Modern and Contemporary Literature at Newcastle University with a dissertation focusing on contemporary indie games. She spends most of her time playing competitive shooters and in-depth RPGs and was recently on a PAX Panel about the best bars in video games. In her spare time Alyssa rescues cats, practices her Italian, and plays soccer.