- April 28, 2026
- 5:00 am
Hero Info
"Float like feather, strike like steel."
A reputable landlord and a legendary WuXing metalbender, Mama Hong came out of retirement to protect her land against Talon-affiliated forces.
Mama Hong is a dive tank with decent poke capability.
Drawing inspiration from Hazard and Mauga, she makes space by marking enemies with Concussion from a distance, exposing them to Manslaughter’s impact. By hitting skill shots midair, she can dive into enemy backlines and do heavy damage.
Her ultimate is a combo of Soft CC + Survival like Orisa’s Terra Surge, but is vulnerable to multiple enemy sightlines. She makes up for it with a long range finisher.
Passives
Subrole: Initiator
Gain a heal over time from using movement ability.
Gain a heal over time from using movement ability.
Concussion
Quick Melee and Primary Fire apply Concussion， making enemies vulnerable to Manslaughter.
Duration: 4s
Quick Melee and Primary Fire apply Concussion， making enemies vulnerable to Manslaughter.
- Narratively, Mama Hong is a master of the Metal Wuxing element.
- Unlike Anran's Ignite, tanks don't have extra consussion resistance.
- Concussion don't have any effect besides enabling Manslaughter's detonation.
- Concussed enemy hears a dull metal sound and sees subtle ripples on the corners of the screen.
Weapon
Rising Maw
️
Arcing cannonballs that apply Concussion on direct hit.
Cast Time: 0.3s
Damage: 40 (Impact) + 10~50 (splash)
Splash radius:2.5m
Rate of fire:1 round per 0.9s
Projectile speed:50m/s
Projectile radius:0.325m
Ammo:5
Reload time:1.5 seconds
Arcing cannonballs that apply Concussion on direct hit.
- Each shot has a cast time like mei, and a falling arc like torbjorn.
- Splash damage doesn't apply Concussion.
- Visually, the explosion is a golden ripple with a bell-like sound.
- Elimination: "Crushed under the might."
- Elimination: "Daa dou nei saang saai!" (Crushed to pieces!)
Abilities
Manslaughter
Slam weapon to send enemies upward. Implode Concussed enemies hit.
Cast time:0.5s
Impact radius: 12m
Implosion Delay:0.6s
Damage:5~25 (shockwave) + 100 (implosion)
Launch height:3m
Slam weapon to send enemies upward. Implode Concussed enemies hit.
- Shockwave is blocked by environment and barrier.
- Shockwave is spherical.
- The shockwave launches enemies lower than Wreckingball's Piledriver, but disrupts enemy movement all the same.
- Manslaughter.
- "Reverberate!"
- "Baau! (Implode!)"
- "Break!"
Toad Pounce
Leap onto a wall and launch yourself from it.
Damage:
25
Leap range:12m (arc)
Max duration on wall:2s
Launch range:2026m (arc)
Leap onto a wall and launch yourself from it.
- When landing on a wall, Mama Hong can stick to the wall for up to 2s, during which she can choose to drop off or leap off it.
- Mama Hong can attack or use Manslaughter when leaping or on a wall.
- Cooldown starts on the second leap.
- A subtle shout on jump, and a toad sound on wall-landing.
- On regular landing: "Featherweight!"
Iron Mantle
️
Maintain a bowl-shaped barrier and take half of its damage mitigated.
Barrier dimension:2.25m radius hemisphere
Barrier health: 450
Barrier duration: 0.4s ~ 3s
Move speed penalty: -40%
Maintain a bowl-shaped barrier and take half of its damage mitigated.
- Can be cancelled early.
- The barrier moves and turns with Mama Hong, but doesn't block attacks from within or behind.
- Mama Hong can't attack during Iron Mantle, except Quick Melee.
- Since Mama Hong takes half of its damage mitigated, enemies can see and hear hitmarkers when hitting the barrier.
- "Sanctuary!"
- "Gam Dzung Dzau!" (Golden Bell Shield!)
- On barrier broken: "Caang m' zyu laa!" (Can't hold it anymore!)
Lion Roar
Inhale to slowly pull frontal enemies and absorb frontal projectiles, then release a soundblast with knockdown.
Rrange: 16m, 55° cone (Pull, Absorb, Soundblast)
Duration: 2s~4s
Pull speed: 2m/s (first 0.5s)
8m/s (after 0.5s)
Soundblast damage: 125
Soundblast Knockdown duration: 2s
Inhale to slowly pull frontal enemies and absorb frontal projectiles, then release a soundblast with knockdown.
8m/s (after 0.5s)
- Mama Hong can look around but can't move, attack, or cast abilities during Lion Roar.
- Barriers block the pull and soundblast.
- Casts instantly.
- To enemies/self: "SII..." "HAAU!"
- To allies: "Lioooon..." "Roar!"
- On elimination: "M' sai zang zaat!" (Don't even try fighting back!)
Perks
Brute Force
Imploding an enemy grants 35 overhealth.
Imploding an enemy grants 35 overhealth.
Borrowed Force
Lion Roar releases all projectiles inhaled.
Lion Roar releases all projectiles inhaled.
Feather Steps
Toad Pounce can leap for a third time if the second leap lands on a wall too.
Toad Pounce can leap for a third time if the second leap lands on a wall too.
Echoing Bell
Quick Melee hit during Iron Mantle applies Concussion to enemies within 6 meters.
Quick Melee hit during Iron Mantle applies Concussion to enemies within 6 meters.
Design Process
Hero Fantasy
Mama Hong has been the forbidden knowledge of the community. Teased well before Overwatch’s 2016 launch, her “Manslaughter” ability was memed upon.
Anyone who pays attention can find her resemblance of the Landlord Auntie in Kung Fu Hustle. This character is a spicy, blunt Landlady, who is also a kind hearted Kung Fu legend that mastered the skill of “Lion Roar“, using soundwave to destroy enemies and even buildings. She also puts up great defense using her “Chi”.
It’s been my obsession to make Mama Hong into a real hero that uses “Manslaughter”, “Lion Roar” and “Chi” defense. I also want to shed lights upon other Kung Fu skills in the movie, like “Toad Stance” and “Iron Ring Punch”.
Dual Weapon? Marks?
Gameplay wise, I initially wanted her to be a dual weapon bruiser. Unlike Torbjorn and Mercy, she will actually use both weapons with maximum efficiency.
I also gave her the “marker” gameplay identity: Mark enemies with ignition, then make them combust. Enemies marked will think twice before engaging Mama Hong, hence space is made.
Her two weapons both feature a left click (normal attack) and right click (special attack). Using special attack makes her switch to the other. So her flow will be: Attack – Special (switch) – Attack – Special (switch)…
Rising Maw (Old)
🖱Cannon that ignites on direct hit.
🖱Flamethrower burst. Switch weapon.
🖱Cannon that ignites on direct hit.
🖱Flamethrower burst. Switch weapon.
Bearfall Wok
![🍳]()
🖱Melee combo that detonates ignition.
🖱Throw weapon to knock enemies back. Switch weapon.
🖱Melee combo that detonates ignition.
🖱Throw weapon to knock enemies back. Switch weapon.
Rising Maw
️
Arcing cannonballs that apply Concussion on direct hit.
Arcing cannonballs that apply Concussion on direct hit.
Abilities
I made ~10 large and small versions of her abilities, like a different type of “Mark”, flamethrower as primary fire, dropping a bell-shaped barrier, etc.
These issues were concluded:
- Ignition is overused in OW, keep making igniting heroes will give the ignition heroes (Anran, Mauga, Ashe, Torbjorn, Illari) unwanted advantage, and force a “hardcoded” fire meta.
- Having both “weapon swap” and “combust marks” makes her gameplay too complex unlike an OW hero. I should drop Weapon Swapping.
- She cannot be a brawl tank without a melee weapon.
- Lion roar has a strong power fantasy and multi step utility that doesn’t fit inside a normal ability. It needs to be an ult.
- Manslaughter = accidentally killing people. There’s only so many tank ultimates that is strategic AND chaotic enough to fit this description. Manslaughter should be a normal ability instead.
- Giving her a bell shaped barrier and a leap makes her too much like Winston. She needs a unique defense ability.
Manslaughter and Lion Roar
Lion Roar (Old)
![🗣]()
Inhale frontal projectiles. Enough damage inhaled enables a linear, slowing roar.
Inhale frontal projectiles. Enough damage inhaled enables a linear, slowing roar.
Lion Roar
Inhale to slowly pull frontal enemies and absorb frontal projectiles, then release a soundblast with knockdown.
Inhale to slowly pull frontal enemies and absorb frontal projectiles, then release a soundblast with knockdown.
Manslaughter (Old)
![🔥]()
Transform recent damage taken into overhealth. Rising Maw becomes a blazing flamethrower.
Transform recent damage taken into overhealth. Rising Maw becomes a blazing flamethrower.
Manslaughter
️
Slam weapon to send enemies upward. Implode Concussed enemies hit.
Slam weapon to send enemies upward. Implode Concussed enemies hit.
Movement
Toad Pounce (Old)
Pounce towards the ground indicator when airborne. (Rocket jump makes you airborne too.)
Pounce towards the ground indicator when airborne. (Rocket jump makes you airborne too.)
Toad Pounce
Leap onto a wall and launch yourself from it.
Leap onto a wall and launch yourself from it.
Damage Mitigation
Golden Bell
Wield a bell-shaped barrier, echoing Concussion buildup.
Wield a bell-shaped barrier, echoing Concussion buildup.
Iron Mantle
Maintain a bowl-shaped barrier and take half of its damage mitigated.
Maintain a bowl-shaped barrier and take half of its damage mitigated.
Discarded Perks
Lung Tang
Manslaughter triples jump height and reduces Toad Pounce cooldown by 75%.
Manslaughter triples jump height and reduces Toad Pounce cooldown by 75%.
Chuk Ging
Fractured enemies’ first 50 health or 100 armor constantly decays for 4 seconds.
Fractured enemies’ first 50 health or 100 armor constantly decays for 4 seconds.
Gam Gong
Lion Roar grants 70% damage reduction for 2 seconds or until you attack again.
Lion Roar grants 70% damage reduction for 2 seconds or until you attack again.
Hang Sai
Back to back hits with different weapons increases attack speed by 25% for 2s.
Back to back hits with different weapons increases attack speed by 25% for 2s.
Iron Phallanx
Iron Mantle is 30% larger and inflicts 50% less damage, but no longer turns with you.
Iron Mantle is 30% larger and inflicts 50% less damage, but no longer turns with you.
Final Design
These decisions were made from iterations:
- She is a “ground dive tank” with mobility comparable to Mauga. The least mobile among the initiator subrole. She can peel and poke decently.
- She threatens enemies by marking them with a unique effect: “Concussion”. Her “Manslaughter” ability implodes nearby concussed enemies, so as long as she has this cooldown, she holds space. She makes space like a hybrid of Mauga (debuff enemies then jump in) and Roadhog (one deadly cooldown), taking the less frustrating part of both.
- Her barrier is a hybrid between normal barriers and “block”: Block all CCs, but still take part of the damage. This fits her “Chi defense” power fantasy.
- Her ultimate is comparable to Orisa’s: Extra sustain, pull enemies in, do a final finisher. Except each part works differently, hence making the ult loop and countering methods very different.
The House (Weapon) Primary Fire
Smart pistol with red dot scope.
- Damage: 35-17.5
- Falloff range: 20-35m
- Rate of fire: 3 shots/s
- Projectile speed: hitscan
- Projectile radius: 0.1m
Notes:
- The weapon’s gun play is clicky, clean and controlled, with modest audio and tactile recoil animation, but no actual recoil.
“Predictable.”
(On crit elimination)
“You should have folded.”
(On elimination)
Bounty Shot - Alt Fire
Take aim to release a shot that applies Bounty on hit, healing anyone who damages them.
- Cooldown: 6s
- Damage: 60-30, plus 40 over 4s
- Falloff Range: 30-45m
- Projectile speed: 125m/s
- Projectile radius: 0.2m
- Bounty uptime: 6s
- Bounty lifesteal rate: 25%
Notes:
- Bounty’s healing charges Max’s ultimate.
“Bleed the pot.”
(To self/target)
“Claim your cuts from them.”
(To Allies)
Joint Stake (E)
Select an ally to echo healing received and partially transfer damage taken, going both ways.
- Cooldown: 0s
- Healing echo rate: 33% (generate extra)
- Damage transfer rate: 33% (deducted from ally)
- Out of sight uptime: 3s
- Damage transfer stops when the transfer target is below 33% health.
Notes:
- Echoed healing charges Max’s ultimate.
“Our interests aligns.”
”We share the stake now.”
False Tell (Shift)
Dash and release an identical decoy at the opposite direction. The decoy performs weaker attacks and heals you when it takes damage.
- Cooldown: 12s
- Dash distance: 8m
- Decoy release distance: 8m (opposite direction)
- Decoy max uptime: 5s
- Decoy healing rate: 50% of its damage taken
- Decoy damage output: -75%
Notes:
- Decoy looks identical to Max from enemy POV, using Kiriko’s clone tech in Stadium.
- Decoy can’t be healed, revived, or targeted by buffs.
- When decoy is active, ally beams fade when attached to Max, similar to Sombra in stealth.
- Healing from decoy doesn’t charge Max’s ultimate.
“Watch Closely…”
”Read the wrong hand, didn’t you?”
(On decoy death)
Ace in Play (Ultimate)
Secretly mark self or an ally as an Ace. The Ace instantly revives on death with increased speed and damage, applying Bounty to all who eliminated them.
- Casting time: 0.3s
- Deploy time: 1s
- Ace uptime: 10s
- Ace health on revive: up to 350
- Ace damage/speed boost rate: 30%
- Ace damage/speed boost duration: 5s
- Bounty uptime: 6s
Notes:
- Enemies can hear the ult voiceline on deployed, but don’t know who is the Ace.
- Ace only revives once and can’t revive from environmental deaths.
- Ace uptime countdown displayed above Ace’s health bar and below Max’s crosshair.
“An ace is on the table. Play wisely.”
(On deploy, to enemies)
“You are my Ace. Fear nothing!”
(On deploy, to Ace&self)
”Ace deployed.”
(On deploy, to allies)
“YOU MISPLAYED.”
(On revive, to enemies)
“Shall we continue?”
(On revive, to Ace)
The Heart (Minor perk)
Using False Tell restores your health up to 50%.
The Diamond (Minor perk)
Bounty Shot can crit enemies.
The Club (Major perk)
Joint Stake heals both sides by at least 5% max health per second.
The Spade (Major perk)
You can do friendly damage to your Ace ally and False Tell decoy.