Hello Overwatch 2 fans and fellow sound engineers! Recently, we welcomed the newest hero and Martian colonist Juno to Earth and into the Overwatch mission in Season 12. As the senior sound designer for her, I thought I’d share a bit about creating the sound identity for Juno, and how my journey through the world of sound design led me there.  

Discovering My Passion 

Like Juno finding her footing on Earth, my path to designing her sound profile began at Berklee, where I initially went to study electric bass. Music has always been my first love, but as I immersed myself in different aspects of audio production, I discovered a fascination with sound design. Ultimately this led to a decision to chase a career in sound design. Unfortunately, life events led to the tough decision to leave Berklee, but I still wanted to break into the industry and begin making connections. Since I was just starting out, I began creating sound design music and shared it with anyone who would listen. It was a hustle that paid off when I landed a few gigs making sample packs for large sample pack companies. These jobs may have been small potatoes, but they were incredibly educational and helped me build a solid starter reel of work. 

Joining the Overwatch 2 Team  

With a growing portfolio, I found a job at a third-party audio company, where I worked up to a senior role, gaining experience and refining my skills. It wasn’t long before I felt ready to take on a more significant challenge—a position in an AAA work environment. My opportunity came when I applied for a position on the Overwatch 2 team. The application process was intense—I 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-age technology to solve any problem that enters her orbit, and her spunky and energetic personality called for a sound design that was lighthearted and fun. Her primary fire and torpedoes are quick burst weapons, so they needed to be punchy and concise, clean and satisfying. One of the challenges was in balancing her primary fire to fit both a medical healing device and a laser gun. The team went back and forth on this element, tweaking it until we found the perfect equilibrium that felt right for Juno. 

For her cosmic abilities, I experimented with some unconventional techniques. To capture some otherworldly effects, I used de-noising plugins on tonal sounds like bass synths and glassy textures. This was one of the most fun parts of the process because it allowed for a lot of creative freedom. 

Juno’s retro aesthetic meant I could lean into a more cliche “pew pew” gun style. I took modern sounding shots and blasts and processed them with quick filter and pitch sweeps to give them that vintage “pew” quality. 

Creating the sounds for her mech and foley provided another interesting challenge. I wanted them to sound minimal yet authentic, while avoiding anything too plastic or toy-like. So, I took a trip to Home Depot and found various items I could experiment with to add a unique layer of authenticity to her mechanical sounds. The objective was to find rubber and soft plastic items that could be mixed, so I ended up using some plumbing supplies, a plastic paint bucket, and a plastic plunger. I also took a trip to a local sporting goods store and found some great sounds using a catcher’s mitt and a collapsing camping bucket. 

All in all, Juno’s sound identity is plucky future-retro. Keep an ear out for Juno’s unique sounds—knowing the story behind them might just make your next game even more enjoyable! 

An Experience to Cherish 

Designing Juno has been a rewarding experience, both professionally and personally, and seeing the positive feedback from the Overwatch community has been the cherry on top. My journey from Berklee dropout to creating sounds for a beloved game like Overwatch 2 has been filled with twists, turns, and invaluable lessons. 

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

If you’re an aspiring sound designer or simply curious about the process, I hope this window into my experience inspires you to follow your passion, no matter the obstacles. Until next time, happy gaming and noise-making! 

If you enjoyed this post, consider joining our community forum where we discuss all things Overwatch 2 and sound design. Your thoughts and feedback are always welcome! 

Juno is available now in Overwatch 2 – play for free on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC now.

Overwatch® 2

Blizzard Entertainment

☆☆☆☆☆
2019

★★★★★

Get it now

Xbox One X Enhanced

Xbox Game Pass

Overwatch 2 is an always-on and ever-evolving free-to-play, team-based action game set in an optimistic future, where every match is the ultimate 5v5 battlefield brawl featuring new heroes and maps, different ways to play, and unique cosmetics! Lead the charge, ambush your enemies, or aid your allies as one of Overwatch’s 40 distinct heroes. Team up with friends, take them into battle across 25+ futuristic maps inspired by real-world locations, and master multiple unique game modes.

Overwatch 2 – Season 12: New Frontiers

Prepare for an interstellar journey to discover new frontiers as this season introduces Juno, a formidable new Support hero hailing from Mars. Then, battle through two new maps in the Clash game mode where you’ll engage in an intense tug of war for the win! Unleash ancient Egyptian divinity with the new Mythic Anubis Reaper Hero Skin and smite your foes as the sun God Ra sends down a blazing heavenly sword animation to mark your kills with the upcoming Mythic Ana Weapon Skin. And don’t miss out on adding Legendary Bast Doomfist and Oni Ana to your collection from the Premium Battle Pass. Play for free to earn 600 coins, 1500 credits, plus the Apep Zarya and Polar Lucio skins.

The Overwatch League Token will no longer be purchasable after December 9, 2024. The OWL shop will remain open until at least December 2025, with limited inventory purchasable with players’ remaining OWL token balances.

The Castlevania Dominus Collection has launched on Xbox Series X|S. This bumper package brings together three classic Castlevania entries originally created for Nintendo DS – Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, and Castlevania Order of Ecclesia – as well as a redesigned version of the original Castlevania arcade game, Haunted Castle, titled Haunted Castle Revisited. All of this comes alongside modern quality-of-life features, brand new art to check out, and more. It’s a true celebration of the series.

As part of that celebration, we spoke with Tsutomu Taniguchi, the producer behind Castlevania Dominus Collection. From the excitement of working on Castlevania again to adapting almost two decade-old mechanics for modern consoles, learn why the developers were committed to honoring the legacy of Castlevania for the beloved fans, while also getting new players interested in the series.

When you revisit these classic Castlevania games from the Dominus collection, what emotions or memories come to mind?

Since most of the original games in this collection were on a 3-inch LCD screen, it’s surprising to see these games on a TV or monitor now and discover all the attention to detail that you may have missed before. The carefully crafted detail in the background, the attention to detail towards the character’s animations and more.

All the titles have such incredible soundtracks, so the moment we heard the music play, it took us right back to all the fun we had playing them on the DS for the first time.

As you say, several of these games were created for Nintendo DS, which is a very different visual format to traditional on-TV play. How have you adapted them?

The Nintendo DS has two 3-inch LCD screens with an aspect ratio of 4:3, and there’s a big difference in the pixel count (resolution) compared to modern home screens. So, to adapt that to the current 16:9 Full HD display, we’ve prepared five different screen modes to choose from. We hope users can find the screen layout that works best for them.

We recommend the three-screen layout, with the enlarged game window as the main screen, and a smaller status window and map window as sub-screens. With this layout, you can see three different screens at once, something that wasn’t possible in the original game. This allows you to conveniently keep both your map and character status screens open as you play, which we think will help with the overall gameplay experience.

Of course, for anyone who’d like to recreate the same experience as the original version, two-screen layouts will also be available. We also have a screen mode specially designed for optimal magnification (dot by dot), for when the display resolution differs from the original pixel resolution.

As developers, what’s the most exciting and challenging part of bringing a collection like this to life?

Firstly, we’re honored to be working with the series and just the fact that we were able to play a part in creating this collection is so exciting. The chance to bring these titles that weren’t available on current consoles to players again was also a big motivating factor. It’s so rewarding to know that, with the collection, players can experience all the fun that Castlevania has to offer again.

We noticed comments online saying, “I wish I could play the three DS titles on current consoles!” and seeing that always made us happy to be working on it, and really motivated us to bring these titles back as soon as possible! We were truly grateful to see that players were still interested in the games.

For all those players who have fond memories of these titles, we would be delighted if this collection aids to relive the times you’ve enjoyed with Castlevania. And for players new to Castlevania, we hope this will be the perfect opportunity to give these titles a try.

Why do you think now is the perfect time to bring these titles back?

It was around 2019 when we started seeing people online mention, “I love exploration-based action games! But I’ve never played a Castlevania game…” That was what got us first thinking about making Castlevania available on current consoles again, so that people could have the chance to discover them.

At that time, we didn’t have any ported versions of the “exploration-action” style of Castlevania titles available on current consoles, and any of the originals that were floating around the market went for a premium price, so even for people who wanted to play the games, it wasn’t so easy to get into.

We have several of these exploration-action style Castlevania titles, so it was hard for the team to decide which order we wanted to go in to adapt them to current consoles. But in the end, we decided to follow the order in which they were released, so we started with the 3 GBA titles in the Castlevania Advance Collection, released in 2021. We were pleasantly surprised to see it so well received by even more players than we had imagined.

Since that was the thought process from the start, it was easy to follow through and have a team consensus of “if we ever create anything next, it would be the three DS titles!”

What do you hope new players will discover about Castlevania through this collection? Are there any aspects of the games that you think will surprise them?

Firstly, for returning players, we hope this collection helps them rediscover Castlevania and relive those moments they enjoyed in the past. Additionally, this collection includes features such as ‘Gallery Mode’ where you can view concept and design documents, a newly-added Encyclopedia, and a Music Player Mode, all to provide a deeper dive into the world of Castlevania.  Please do have some fun and try these additional contents out!

And for players who have never played Castlevania, we hope this will be your chance to get to know the series. Finally, we’ve included a bonus title, Haunted Castle Revisited, an adaptation of the arcade game, Haunted Castle. We hope you enjoy!

For new players, out of the 4 titles in the Castlevania Dominus Collection, what order should they play these games in?

Even within the development team, we can’t all agree on which of the three we’d recommend first, so we think players will likely enjoy them no matter which order they try them in.

But if we had to say, perhaps the order they were released in might be the way to go.

Alongside the DS remasters, you’ve also created an entirely revamped version of the original Castlevania arcade game. Why did you return to that game, and how have you improved it?

The bonus title was decided by going through all the available options, together with M2 Co. Ltd. [the collection’s co-development studio]. A little secret: it was so hard to decide between the titles that we had many, MANY discussions just to narrow down our top options. I had decided early on that the bonus title should be a stage-clearing action game, something that’s different from the three featured NDS titles. We thought that the bonus title should either be a port of a game that was not compatible with the current consoles, or a small remake of a past title.

Having said that, I somehow knew that it would be a ‘port’, just like the Castlevania Advance Collection. In the end, we narrowed down the possible ‘port’ and ‘remake’ titles, but none of them felt ‘right’. That was when the director of M2 suggested, ‘How about redesigning an arcade title that was super difficult so that it could be played on console?’ and that’s when we all had the ‘Aha!’ moment. Thereon, deciding which title to include was smooth sailing.

I think we’ve succeeded in creating beautiful graphics while retaining the original feel of the pixels, and I believe the game design is finished in a way that people can have fun with.

I really hope that this game gets played by many and brings enjoyment to them! Initially, we intended this to be a small-scale remake, but when we realized, it had turned out to be a full-scale remake. This is all thanks to M2’s commitment and workmanship.

Castlevania Dominus Collection

KONAMI

☆☆☆☆☆
123

★★★★★

$24.99

Get it now

In addition to the three action adventure games from the Castlevania series, Haunted Castle Revisited, an redesigned version of the very first Castlevania arcade game, makes its debut! And you can also play it in its original format!
Experience the world of Castlevania like never before, with never-before-seen art and handy new features such as rewind, quick saves and much more!

– Titles
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
The adventures of Soma continue! Discover a completely new way to create countless weapons by combining souls, in stunning 2D graphics.
One year after the events of Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, a boy named Soma Cruz is once again put at the center of a plot to resurrect Dracula led by a mysterious cult.. Will he finally be able to face his own destiny and put an end to all this?

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
Not one but two heroes join their forces to fight the evil this time! Switch between Jonathan and Charlotte with a single button press and make the best use of their unique abilities.
Dracula’s Castle has suddenly resurfaced, but something doesn’t add up.
Jonathan Morris and Charlotte Aulin make their way in to investigate, they soon discover that the mind behind all this is not who they thought…

Castlevania Order of Ecclesia
The enigmatic Shanoa is the only human capable of using the glyphs, symbols full of magic.
Gather glyphs by exploring the Castle and its surroundings and absorb the power of the mighty foes you fight!
The three most powerful glyphs, thought to be able to even defeat Dracula himself, have been stolen. Can Shanoa bring them back to the Order, and finally destroy the Dark Lord?

Haunted Castle
Haunted Castle Revisited, an redesigned version of the very first Castlevania arcade game, makes its debut! And you can also play it in its original format!

We have games for all kinds of people, and in this batch, we especially have games for people who are ready to build their own city or civilization (and maybe watch it burn, who knows?). We also have games, Perks, and updates for adventure, sports, and more. Let’s jump in!

Coming Soon

Wargroove 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – September 19
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

Embark on an all-new adventure filled with unlikely friendships, unknown adversaries, and ugly revenge plots. Wage war against your foes with a cast of new Commanders. Design and share maps, cut-scenes, and campaigns with easy-to-use editors and in-depth customization tools.

Frostpunk 2 (PC) – September 20
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

Coming day one to PC Game Pass: Take the role of a Steward and lead your city through a cascade of calamities taking place in a postapocalyptic, snowy setting. Develop, expand, and advance your city in a society survival game set 30 years after an apocalyptic blizzard ravaged Earth. In Frostpunk 2, you face not only the perils of never-ending winter, but also the powerful factions that watch your every step inside the Council Hall.

Ara: History Untold (PC) – September 24
Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass

Coming day one to PC Game Pass: From Oxide Games and Xbox Game Studios, Ara: History Untold is an evolution in historical grand strategy, featuring beloved classic PC strategy mechanics alongside innovative gameplay. Build a nation and lead your people throughout history as you explore new lands, develop arts and culture, conduct diplomacy, and go head-to-head with your rivals to prove you are the greatest ruler ever known. It’s your world now. Pre-install today to get ready to play on day one.

Unlock In-Game Loot In Overwatch 2 with Game Pass

Starting today, Game Pass members will receive six awesome hero skins and an instant one-time grant of 30 Mythic prisms to spend on Mythic unlocks. These items will be yours to keep, but you’ll need to login and ensure that your accounts are linked by October 21 to claim them. Members will also earn ongoing rewards, including a stackable XP boost and access to Overwatch 2 Shop cosmetics from prior seasons. Overwatch 2 benefits are available to Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass for Console members.

DLC / Game Updates

Fallout 76: Milepost Zero – Available now
Escort caravans across the Shenandoah and recruit a diverse crew of merchants to build your caravan empire. Customize your dream arsenal with the revamped Legendary Crafting system. Submit and upvote player C.A.M.P.s on the paper map with Best Builds.

EA Sports FC 25 Early Access Trial – September 20
Starting September 20, PC Game Pass and Ultimate members can try EA Sports FC 25 for up to 10 hours via EA Play and win for the club. Members unlock a Welcome Pack available until Oct 31, Football Ultimate Team Draft Tokens, and seasonal Clubs Rewards. Plus, save 10% on pre-orders, FC Points, and more.

Starfield: Shattered Space – September 30

Game Pass members save 10%! Shattered Space is a new story expansion for Starfield, Bethesda Game Studios’ epic role-playing game and first new universe in more than twenty-five years. A mysterious power stirs in the city of Dazra on House Va’Ruun’s hidden homeworld. Investigate a frightening cosmic threat, explore a new planet, and find unique weapons, spacesuits, and gear in this all-new adventure.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks

Persona 3 Reload: Expansion Pass – Available now
The final story chapter just launched! Dive deeper into the world of Persona 3 Reload with this Expansion Pass featuring an extra story DLC “Episode Aigis -The Answer-”, offering over 30 hours of additional gameplay, new costumes, and BGM. All 3 waves are available now – dive into Episode Aigis today! This Perk content requires Persona 3 Reload to use.

The First Descendant: Season 1 Invasion Bundle – Available now
Enhance your gameplay in this co-op action RPG looter shooter with the Season 1: Invasion Bundle! Featuring a stylish pink back accessory, unique weapon skins, vibrant sprays, custom makeups, and bold paints.This bundle lets you stand out in every battle!

Apex Legends: Bright Idea Weapon Charm – Available now
Add some flair to your arsenal with the Apex Legends Bright Idea Weapon Charm, available with your EA Play Membership!

Hawked: Plunder Pack 2 – Available now
Daring adventures await in Issue #2: Dark Arrival, so load up on new loot for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members to use in this free-to-play online extraction shooter. Claim the intrepid Evergreen Outfit, blaze by on the Halcyon Green Hoverboard, and make your mark with the Slash Weapon Pattern!

Leaving September 30

The following games are leaving the library soon, so be sure to jump back in before they go. Remember you can save up to 20% off your purchase to keep them in your library.

• Gotham Knights (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Let’s Build a Zoo (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Loop Hero (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• My Time At Portia (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• PAW Patrol Grand Prix (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Pheonix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season (PC)
• The Walking Dead: Season Two (PC)
• Valheim (Cloud, Console, and PC)

It was great seeing everyone jump into the Beta last weekend for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6! Now we just need to (im)patiently wait for October launch. In the meantime, we’ll be here with more games to play, or you can tune into @Xbox, @XboxGamePass, and @XboxGamePassPC on social for what else is coming to your download queue next. Cheers!

As the New York Liberty charts a course to the 2024 WNBA Playoffs, Xbox and Sea of Thieves are landing on the shores of Brooklyn to add their fearless seafaring energy to the fandom. We’ll spread fun and pirate shenanigans across the five boroughs, finally coming together at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on International Talk Like a Pirate Day – Thursday, September 19 – to celebrate the New York Liberty’s final home game of the regular season. The Liberty are marauding their way into the playoffs, and the Sea of Thieves crew will bring all the trappings of a proper pirate send-off as the team pursues their first championship.   

The Liberty’s mascot, Ellie the Elephant, will serve as “Pirate Queen” for the week, leading the Sea of Thieves’ pirate crew as they make landfall across New York City today, sharing their signature swashbuckling excitement with fans. Once the pirates land, from September 16-18, Ellie will send her crew out to the five boroughs to hide various pirate treasure such as New York Liberty VIP tickets and one, three and six-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscription token codes (in the form of Gold Doubloons) around the city. Follow Ellie the Elephant on social media for clues on where to find the treasure!  

The adventure continues September 19 at the Liberty’s Fan Appreciation Game, where Ellie and her pirate crew will host more Xbox giveaways and help fans perfect their “arrrgh”s and “aye matey”s—just in time for International Talk Like a Pirate Day. For the ultimate nautical flair, this game will feature a custom Xbox and Sea of Thieves-themed court at Barclays Center. 

The continuation of the Liberty and Xbox’s award-winning and innovative partnership allows both brands to reach and engage with new fans in unique ways, while also creating synergy between the WNBA and gaming communities. 

This collaboration continues Xbox’s commitment to women’s sports. In past seasons, we have teamed up with the Liberty to bring the excitement of Roblox and Starfield to the team’s loyal fanbase, and now the adventure continues with Sea of Thieves, marking yet another innovative partnership.  

In Sea of Thieves, the fun of International Talk Like a Pirate Day lasts all week long! Check out discounts in a Pirate Emporium sale beginning September 19, stream your adventures on Twitch and give out Twitch Drops to your viewers, and set course for a Community Weekend full of login bonuses and boosted rewards. Check out the Sea of Thieves website and social channels for all the dates and details!