South Korea Thankful For Promoting Culture In Overwatch

Blizzard’s official Korean website revealed that the game development studio received the “Hanbok Love” certificate, which the South Korean government awards to organizations that help positively spread awareness of Korean culture. The award was given due to the modern Hanbok "Floral D.Va" skin for D.Va, the mech-riding hero in the game.

Each year, Overwatch celebrates the new Lunar Year and it comes with a handful of exclusive skins inspired by cultures like Korean and Chinese. Back in 2017, the event introduced the featured skin for D.Va. Other Lunar Year skins in the past also promoted South Korean culture, with Hong Gildong (Tracer), Magistrate (McCree), and Sanye (Orisa) being the most popular ones.

“Blizzard was recognized for its contribution to spread the beauty of the traditional Hanbok to more than 40 million Overwatch players around the world, through Overwatch’s Korean-style skin Floral D.Va,” the studio said.

The Ministry of Sports, Culture, and Tourism thanked the American video game company for its decision to promote the South Korean culture to the player base of its hit first-person shooter title. Apart from the aforementioned skin, the government is also thankful for introducing the Busan map in the game.

The ceremony took place in the Changdeokgung Palace, which is considered to be one of the most famous symbols of the country in terms of culture and history.

The “Hanbok Love” certificate, in particular, is basically is a letter of appreciation courtesy of the South Korean government. It is given to individuals or organizations for spreading Hanbok in foreign countries. During the ceremony, there were also others that acquired the prestigious award, including the popular K-pop boy band BTS (BangTan Boys).

Lee Hak Sung, the technical artist responsible for spearheading the creation of the D.Va Hanbok skin, was present during the ceremony. “As Korean artists, we can continue to promote Korean culture to the world through Blizzard games, such as Overwatch,” he said. “I will try.”