The most recognizable part ofOverwatch 2is undoubtedly its roster of heroes. Tracer, Winston, Mercy - many of the characters have become iconic and are instantly recognizable even by those who do not play the game themselves. However, the diverse cast of characters present withinOverwatch 2is not the only popular thing to come from the hero shooter. For years, fans have celebrated the Pachimari, an in-universe stuffed animal that is popular with the playable heroes and real world gamers alike.
Blizzard has recognized the popularity of Pachimari, and it now holds an annual celebration for its creation every March that is fittingly titled “Pachimarchi.” With the next version ofPachimarchiset to begin on March 21, now is the perfect time to look closely at the anime onion and chart its path to success. In doing so, it becomes easy to recognize just how well Blizzard has done to establish a connection between fans and the odd plushie.
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Why Overwatch 2’s Pachimari is So Popular
The first appearance of a Pachimari came in thebeloved 2CP map Hanamura, with Blizzard needing to come up with a number of unique stuffed animal designs for a claw machine in the attacker’s arcade spawn. According to theOverwatchwiki, concept artist David Kang was responsible for their creation, with the name coming from the Korean word for onion, which sounds like “pa.” The design is simple, with an onion and squid mixed together and given an adorable smiling face. That simplicity and the odd decision to give an onion a personality makes for a memorable toy, and it is no wonder the cute design is a hit with so many.
ThoughBlizzardcould have left Pachimari inside the claw machine on Hanamura and stopped there, it chose to make the critter a pseudo-mascot for the series. As a result, fans started to see Pachimari everywhere, with the spawn ships on control maps all boasting a Pachimari that can be melee’d and shot at. Every seasonal event gets a special Pachimari profile icon to celebrate, ensuring that players will be reminded of a Pachimari in a lot of their competitive matches. And, of course, there is Pachimarchi.
Pachimarchi, like other limited timeOverwatchevents, offers a few special rewards to get players interested in loading up the game while the event is ongoing. These include a profile icon, a special emote for Junkrat, and aRoadhog skinthat sees the hero decked out in Pachimari gear. Sprays that turned heroes into Pachimari were also made available to those who logged into the game, while the skin, emote, and icon required wins. With the event set to return soon inOverwatch 2, fans will hopefully have a chance to get all these rewards again.
It is also worth acknowledging how one of the aforementionedOverwatch 2heroes has been integral in the rise of Pachimari: Roadhog. Roadhog is a terrifying character with a dark backstory and intimidating personality, which makes it all the more fun that his best emote sees him making sure nobody is around before playing with a Pachimari. The aforementionedJunkratemote where the character rummages through Roadhog’s bag to find said Pachimari only deepens the connection, ensuring that when players think of Roadhog, they will likely remember his guilty pleasure.
WhenOverwatchreleased its first batch of events, Pachimarchi was nowhere to be seen, as Blizzard likely had no idea how popular the creature would become. However, it has gone on to reach incredible heights, and is now deserving of the special event that pays tribute to it. The simple design allows the onion to feature on icons and clothing, Roadhog’s love for anything Pachimari has become a memorable quirk, and it being a stuffed animal makes it an excellent option for merchandise. Blizzard smartly realized how popular the smiling food item was, and it has capitalized on it perfectly. For that reason, it is likely that fans will only see more of the squeaky toy going forward.
Overwatch 2is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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