Villainy, fury, and vengeance: Inside Overwatch 2’s Vendetta comic with Jude Stacey

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Her intelligence and ambition are what make her such a compelling villain.

The new damage-dealing hero, Vendetta (also known as Hero 45), is coming to Overwatch 2 on December 9th. Xpsp recently received an advance copy of her origin comic, and we had the chance to speak with senior narrative designer Jude Stacey. Our exclusive interview covered the comic’s details, Vendetta’s role as a villain in Overwatch 2, her relationships with other characters, and what drives her.

Interview: Vendetta as an unapologetic villain in Overwatch 2

Stacey shared in an interview with Xpsp that Vendetta’s defining characteristic is her intense anger. The Overwatch 2 team builds core personality traits for each new hero, and rage was central to Vendetta’s design. The new comic shows Vendetta motivated by justified fury, grief, and a desire for power, and her aristocratic background still influences her even as she fights in the Colosseo. Stacey believes Vendetta is a captivating villain because she’s authentically herself and confidently uses her power.

Stacey observed that the comic revealed a lot of justified anger fueling the character’s past. She’d lost so much and was incredibly driven to reclaim it. When she entered the Colosseo to prove herself, she resorted to violence, but she hadn’t forgotten her refined upbringing. Stacey particularly enjoyed how the character balanced her street smarts with her knowledge of high society.

Stacey explained that the character reflects how women often feel pressured to suppress their anger. However, she also highlighted the character’s intelligence and ambition as what makes her a compelling villain. Stacey described her as incredibly clever with grand schemes, and she found it empowering to write a character as unapologetically herself – someone strong enough to reject anyone who tries to limit her power or identity.

The Overwatch 2 team was completely on board with Stacey’s ideas and gave her the freedom to create a truly impactful villain. She especially appreciated the chance to write a character who felt fully realized and wasn’t forced to fit into a smaller role.

Stacey shared with Xpsp that when discussing the villainous character with lead narrative designer Miranda Moyer, she emphasized wanting a truly bold and dramatic portrayal. She wanted the character to be unapologetically herself, speaking freely and without restraint. Stacey found the idea of writing a hero who confidently occupies space and doesn’t need to temper her words incredibly appealing. She described it as a rare and exciting opportunity for a writer, particularly when crafting a female villain.

Chiara Preziosi, who voiced the character Vendetta, truly brought her to life with a powerful performance. Stacey noted how effectively Preziosi portrayed both Vendetta’s public persona and her more private, vulnerable side. She was able to convey the character’s complexity in just a few recordings, and her work even motivated the Overwatch 2 team to expand Vendetta’s role in the game.

Wow, Chiara was incredible! As a fan, I was so impressed with how easily she switched between playing this character’s manipulative, even cruel side, and then just exploding with intense, fiery anger. It was seamless!

Vendetta comic features Doomfist, Vialli, and more Talon members

The new trailer shows Vendetta battling in the arena while remembering her complex relationship with her father, Antonio Bartalotti, the leader of Talon. The comics reveal how she uses the lessons he taught her when making deals and forming alliances. Although Vendetta respects her father, she aims to create an empire even more powerful than his.

Stacey described her character’s relationship with her father as complex. While there’s a lot of love between them, as shown in the trailer, he encouraged her to be resourceful and manage her feelings. However, it was her own drive and determination that ultimately led her to pursue her business goals.

Stacey explained that she believes the woman recognized his flaws early on and predicted his eventual failure. When that happened, despite her best efforts, Vialli and Doomfist intervened and took everything she’d built. She had to rebuild from scratch, which is why she now navigates both sides of the conflict. It’s not enough to be a warrior; you also need to be a diplomat, forging alliances and choosing your allies carefully. We see her doing exactly that in the comic, when she interacts with a member of Talon’s leadership.

Stacey highlighted that the comic’s two-page spread illustrating Vendetta’s development was influenced by ancient Roman wall paintings.

Okay, so there’s this cool panel in the top-right corner, and it shows Vendetta with a table splitting her life. On one side, you see all the gladiators she hangs with, and on the other, it’s all the fancy high-society people she’s mixed up with. It really gives you a sense of her double life!

Stacey also noticed a referee making a distinctive “Tweeeee” sound in the background, and she liked it so much she even used it as her work profile picture for a while!

Stacey hopes readers will understand that the character’s defining trait is her ability to become even stronger after facing hardship. This pattern – being knocked down and coming back with renewed force – is central to her story in the Colosseo and reflects the character’s personal journey. Having overcome significant loss, she’s now driven by intense determination and a talent for making a powerful impact wherever she goes. Ultimately, Stacey wants readers to recognize that this character’s ambition stems from a deep-seated anger and resilience.

Vendetta: Striking back twice as strong

I’ve always loved how Vendetta’s character really emphasizes coming back stronger, and there’s this awesome Italian voice line – it’s something like “colpiero due volte più forte” – that perfectly captures that! Apparently, it plays whenever she respawns, and it actually inspired the comic series and a lot of her other appearances. There’s another line I think is super cool, “I am the empire,” which Stacey came up with really early on. It’s just such a powerful statement that it stuck with everyone and ended up being the name of the whole comic!

Stacey is really hoping players will love the feeling of playing a powerful and confident gladiator in the game. She believes the character Vendetta’s voice acting will be a big part of bringing that experience to life.

There’s almost nothing better than wielding a huge sword,” she explained. “We really hope players feel as strong and enthusiastic while playing this character as we did when we designed her.”

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2025-12-04 20:12