With the Overwatch Anniversary Remix, a variety of in-game rewards were added to the game, including numerous beloved costumes. However, one of them is notable for the change made at first glance. It is no longer possible to see the letter Z in Zarya’s Arctic and Siberian Frost costumes.
In fact, the letter Z in these costumes, of course, represented Zarya’s name. Zarya, whose full name is Aleksandra Zaryanova, was a Russian soldier before joining Overwatch, so there’s an interesting coincidence here, too.
The reason for the removal of the symbol is that it has become a symbol that has also been used by the Russian forces occupying Ukraine. This letter, which is not normally found in the Cyrillic alphabet, is used by both Russian soldiers and Russian citizens who support the war to show their support for Russia.
CNN also noted this detail, saying, “In Russia, the letter Z became a symbol supporting President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. This symbol, which was first seen in tanks and military vehicles, seems to have started to receive support from Russian civilians.”
Blizzard hasn’t made an official statement on the matter, but there’s no more Z in the costumes. Images from the caption shared by ProtoVI on Reddit:
