Overwatch 2: Creating an out-of-this-world sound for support hero Juno

Hello Overwatch2 Fans and fellow sound engineers! We recently welcomed the newest hero and Mars colonizer Juno to Earth and the Overwatch mission in Season 12. As the lead sound designer for her, I thought I’d share a bit about how I created the sound identity for Juno and how my journey through the world of sound design led me there.

Discovering my passion

Just as Juno found her way on Earth, my journey to shaping her sonic profile began at Berklee, where I initially studied electric bass. Music has always been my first love, but as I delved into various aspects of audio production, I discovered my fascination with sound design. Ultimately, this led to the decision to pursue a career in sound design. Unfortunately, life events led to the difficult decision to leave Berklee, but I still wanted to get into the industry and start making connections. Since I was just starting out, I began creating sound design music and sharing it with anyone who would listen. It was a tough job that paid off when I got a few gigs creating sample packs for major sample pack companies. These jobs may not have been that important, but they were incredibly educational and helped me build a solid initial base of work.

Join the Overwatch 2 team

With a growing portfolio, I found a job at an external audio company, where I worked my way up to a senior position, gaining experience and honing my skills. It wasn’t long before I felt ready to take on a bigger challenge – a position in a AAA work environment. My chance came when I applied for a position at Overwatch2 team. The application process was intense – I was interviewed and tested while battling my first case of COVID – but despite the hurdles, I was accepted for the role of Senior Heroes Designer. Within the first year, I was entrusted with designing Juno, my first hero.

Designing Juno

Juno uses her space technology to solve any problem that comes into her orbit, and her bubbly and energetic personality demanded a sound design that was lighthearted and fun. Her primary fire and torpedoes are rapid-fire weapons, so they needed to be punchy and concise, clean and satisfying. One of the challenges was balancing her primary fire to suit both a medical healing device and a laser gun. The team kept trying this element until we found the perfect balance that felt right for Juno.

To achieve their cosmic abilities, I experimented with some unconventional techniques. To capture some otherworldly effects, I used noise reduction plugins for tonal sounds like bass synths and glassy textures. This was one of the most fun parts of the process as it allowed for a lot of creative freedom.

Juno’s retro aesthetic allowed me to go with a more cliche “pew pew” weapon style. I took modern-sounding gunshots and explosions and processed them with quick filters and pitch sweeps to give them that vintage “pew” quality.

Another interesting challenge was creating the sounds for her mech and foley. I wanted them to sound minimalistic but still authentic, while avoiding anything that sounded too plastic or toy-like. So I went to Home Depot and looked for different items to experiment with to give her mechanical sounds a unique level of authenticity. The goal was to find rubber and soft plastic items that you could mix and match, so I ended up using plumbing supplies, a plastic paint bucket, and a plastic plunger. I also went to a local sporting goods store and found some great sounds using a baseball glove and a collapsible camping bucket.

All in all, Juno’s sound identity is a bold future-retro sound. Keep an eye out for Juno’s unique sounds – knowing the story behind them might make your next game even more fun!

An unforgettable experience

Creating Juno was a rewarding experience both professionally and personally, and the positive feedback from the Overwatch community was the icing on the cake. My journey from Berklee dropout to creating sounds for a popular game like Overwatch2 was full of unexpected twists and invaluable lessons.

Check out my latest character designs in the World of Warcraft x Overwatch collaboration where I added sound to bring the legendary Widowmaker/Sylvanas skin to life!

If you’re an aspiring sound designer or just curious about the process, I hope this glimpse into my experience inspires you to follow your passion no matter what obstacles stand in your way. Until next time, happy playing and making noise!

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Juno is now available in Overwatch2 – play now for free on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC.