For more of Chu’s comments on how Blizzard is trying to tell stories within the context of a multiplayer shooter, check out the full interview over on RPS.
Up front, each of those characters is little more than a name, a character model and an ability set.
– Overwatch senior game designer Michael Chu.
But over time, Blizzard has been gradually disseminating character backstories to fans via indirect means: think animated shorts, comics and in-game clues.