10 gender-bent outfits that took 'Overwatch' cosplay to the next level

The best part of Blizzard's multiplayer shooter Overwatch is the incredible roster of individualized, unique characters that inhabit its bright, colorful Pixar-like world.

Ana, a 60-year-old Egyptian woman with one eye and a sniper rifle that shoots medicinal darts, can face off against Zarya, a hulking Russian bodybuilder with pink hair and a giant energy cannon. 

This diversity in Overwatch's 23-character roster is helpful from a game design perspective — the characters' distinct silhouettes communicate information to a player about the opposing team's lineup at a glance — but it also means that Overwatch represents characters with diverse ages, body types and sexualities that rarely make their way into video games, to such a degree that it's roping in players who otherwise feel alienated by multiplayer shooters.

As such, each character's distinct personality and visual design makes them perfect candidates for some seriously kick-ass cosplay. We want to celebrate a very specific subset of those cosplayers: those who shake up the formula even more by re-imagining their favorite Overwatch characters as a different gender.

Here are 10 of the best gender-bent Overwatch cosplays we've seen so far.

1. Mercy cosplay by Nathan DeLuca (left) and Tracer cosplay by Michael Hamm (right)

2. Junkrat cosplay by iomedae

3. Tracer cosplay by vellicant

4. Genji cosplay by Hans Kim

5. Roadhog cosplay by Bellexi

6. Zarya cosplay by Jechts

7. D.va cosplay by firstknivesclub

8. Soldier: 76 and Reaper cosplays by Bloodraven

9. Lúcio cosplay by tri-forcing

10. Junkrat cosplay by madicosplays

Have you created some particularly awesome gender-bent Overwatch cosplay that wasn't included here? We want to see it! Email tim@mic.com.