Blizzard's team-based shooter Overwatch has given rise to a vibrant community of fans, and a big part of the game's appeal is its cast of larger-than-life characters.

At the GDC 2016 Animation Bootcamp, Blizzard animator David Gibson took to the stage to break down exactly how those characters are designed and animated, using his work on the ice-obsessed scientist Mei as an example.

By walking through the design and animation of Mei step by step, Gibson shed light on how an artsts and animators can breathe life into their characters -- as well as some important traps to avoid if you want to create believable, appealing characters for your game.

It was a fun talk, and if you missed it in person don't miss your opportunity to watch the whole thing for free via the official GDC YouTube channel.

About the GDC Vault

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its new YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.

Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC, GDC Europe, and GDC Next already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.

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