Overwatch players looking for some sort of advantage with D.Va and Pharah should look no further than the pair’s Summer Games skins for the “sole” reason that they’re barefoot.
Being able to hear your opponent is a big bonus in Overwatch so you can react accordingly to that Tracer blinking in your backline, a Doomfist punching your supports or a Reaper lurking in the shadows.
That said, footsteps can also play a huge factor. As it turns out, different skins can give you a bit of an advantage in that department too.
In a YouTube video appropriately titled “D.Va and Pharah barefoot walking sounds,” the user tested out D.Va and Pharah’s default walking noises and compared them to their summer skins.
In Baby D.Va form, the MEKA Squad leader is actually quite loud. This can be a problem if you want to stay out of sight and get your mech back.
However, with the Waveracer skin, she makes far less noise, even when jumping. This can help out and maybe even let you sneak up behind an enemy and unload your pistol into the back of their head.
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Meanwhile, with Pharah, even though you’re going to be ideally in the air more often, there is far less noise when her feet touch the ground in her summer skin.
This can be useful if you want to land near an enemy, let your jetpack recharge and hover again without being heard.
Amusingly, the character Sigma doesn’t have any footsteps sounds at all as he simply hovers in the air like Zenyatta.
It’s a very particular area to be sure, but if you’re looking to maximize any advantage you can get in Overwatch, you may as well invest in those skins if you get the opportunity.