Yes, Overwatch Fans, There Really Is a Church of Hanzo Now

There are few heroes in Overwatch that are more polarizing and divisive than Hanzo. While some players just can’t stand this bow and arrow-wielding defense character with seemingly tree trunk-sized hit boxes on all his enemies, others are extremely devoted to him and wouldn’t let any insane amount of peer pressure persuade them into maining a different hero. Those who love Hanzo love him unconditionally. Apparently, they love him enough to form a church in his honor.

For all the Hanzo mains out there, the Church of Hanzo has officially been established in Brazil. Seriously, legally speaking, there is a real church dedicated to Hanzo and it’s called the Hanzo National Church. Of course, this newfound religion entails a lot more than just proclaiming your love for this particular Shimada brother. First things first, ditch the term “Hanzo main.” It’s, apparently, a sin. There are also some serious perks that come with this religion. For example, members of the Hanzo National Church can request a “free Tuesday” that should be dedicated to playing Overwatch and it is “encouraged” that you stuff your face with high calorie foods during this time. Perhaps one of the true standouts of this newfound church is that you don’t actually have to play Overwatch to be a part of it. If you can’t afford a copy of Overwatch, you’re more than welcome to partake in worship through the free-to-play game Paladins that many wrote off as an Overwatch ripoff. So, yeah, Hanzo be praised.

All jokes aside, the church actually has nothing to do with someone in Brazil loving Hanzo so much that they believe he is a spiritual deity. Instead, the entire church was created by a writer in Brazil who set out to highlight some of the absurd flaws that plague Brazil’s legal system. While the church was created as a joke, it doesn’t overshadow the fact that the Hanzo National Church is now legally a real entity in the South American country—and it apparently has the right to sell pirated Hanzo merchandise as untaxed goods used for religious expression. Nice.

So whether this was a church formed from the love of Hanzo or just a clever way to prove a point, Hanzo mains now officially have a legal church dedicated to their favorite Overwatch hero. And that’s still pretty cool.

Check Out More

• Warren Spector Thinks AAA Gaming is “Same Old, With Prettier Pictures”
• 10 More Video Games Perfect for an Animated Netflix Series
• Injustice 2: How to Play Sub-Zero