Stylish Overwatch skin transports Genji to the Yakuza franchise

While everyone anxiously awaits Overwatch 2 and all of its hero redesigns, the community has taken it upon themselves to create one of the most original Genji skins we’ve seen yet.

Flashy new cosmetics is what the Overwatch playerbase has grown used to with each new event. Meatier content updates are being held for the game’s sequel, but charming skins and unlockable items are always coming through.

Tracer was the latest hero to receive a new Legendary skin thanks to her Comic Challenge event. While many others are showered with new items, Genji hasn’t quite had the same treatment. The shuriken-throwing ninja has just nine Legendary skins all up, spanning more than four years since the game’s release.

Instead of waiting to go hands-on with the upcoming Overwatch 2 redesign, ‘kewpieee’ has designed their own custom skin for the character… and it’s a doozy.

In the game’s lore, Genji is part of the Shimada clan as the youngest son of founder Sojiro Shimada. He maintains his status in the clan with this new design, though the clan itself appears wildly different.

Inspired by the Yakuza series, Genji stands out with one of the more unique concept skins to date. Ditching any form of armor, this version of the DPS hero jumps into the fight with nothing but a stylish green jacket and some suit pants.

He’s wearing green sunglasses with his hair slicked back, giving off a more casual style found throughout the Yakuza games. “I love the gaudy and flamboyant aesthetic in the styling for these characters,” the creator said. 

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Despite all the changes, Genji sticks with his trademark sword for this concept. It’s all too easy to imagine cocky new voice lines coming from the hero as he dashes into the enemy backline with this skin unlocked.

It’s purely just a concept for now, but the idea certainly piqued interest in the community. Not just for a more casual Genji skin, but for the potential of future crossovers in general. Imagine the kinds of Overwatch skins possible if Blizzard collaborated with other developers moving forward.

• Read more: Every Overwatch easter egg in Tracer’s new Comic Book skin

We’ll have to wait and see what Overwatch 2 has in store when it comes to cosmetics. In the meantime, here’s how you can get the latest addition to the first game’s skin collection.