One of the more intriguing aspects of Blizzard's team-based multiplayer shooter Overwatch is the way its sound design complements competitive play by, say, making the footsteps of an enemy sound louder than those of an ally.

According to Blizzard's Scott Lawlor and Tomas Neumann, this is what happens when your game director says you have to design a game that players can "play by sound."

At GDC 2016, the pair took the stage to run down exactly how they did that -- and the many challenges they faced along the way -- in an hour-long behind-the-sounds look at Overwatch's audio design.

It was a fun talk about a popular topic that's rarely discussed in such technical detail, so you should take this 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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