Overwatch heroes are obviously popular with cosplayers, but some of those characters have easier outfits to make than others. I've seen a lot of McCrees, because a hat, a cigar, and the ability to say "It's high noon!" at everyone is all you need. Others are trickier, not that it'll stop fans from trying—I look forward to seeing more Hammonds doing the rounds at conventions in the future.
Avery Byrd's Genji costume has been in the works for a while. While he first concepted the idea late in 2016, he says the bulk of the work was done in four months, with additions later on as he made a new helmet and shoulders, modified the paint scheme, and so on. "It's pretty much all foam of varying thicknesses along with straps and velcro," he explains. "It's all held together with cement so it won't fall apart having continued use. Finally, I actually used a bunch of different dupli-color brand filler primers and paints for the finished metallic look I currently have."
Genji's not always the most popular character in Overwatch, so it's nice to see him getting some attention. "I have a major love for cyborg ninjas like Gray Fox and Raiden from Metal Gear," Byrd says. "The moment I saw Genji in the Overwatch roster when he had yet to be named, I knew for a fact I wanted to cosplay him. His character silhouette was so freaking cool."
And the reaction from other fans has been positive too. "Everyone loves it. I can actually change the lights on the chest to a bunch of different colors so that usually gets people excited. I've also gotten my fair share of people wanting me to do really silly meme type stuff, which I'm always more than willing to do. It's a part of what makes a convention fun. Numerous people have also said they would love to use the skin in-game, which is a pretty high compliment."
Check out more of Avery Bird's cosplay on Instagram and Facebook.
