Creating Fantastical Worlds Between Virtual and Real — An Exclusive Interview with Llia Yu, Honoree of the 2025 AACYF “Top 35 Under 35 Chinese Americans”

LAPost/Los Angeles, (August 16, 2025) – In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the results of the 2025 “Top 35 Under 35 Chinese Americans” were officially announced in Los Angeles. Co-hosted by the All-American Chinese Youth Federation (AACYF) and the English-language outlet LAPost.us, the list recognizes exceptional young professionals across technology, sustainability, finance, and the arts. Among this year’s honorees is Llia Yu, an artist whose practice bridges interactive entertainment and contemporary art, and whose influence is increasingly visible in the future of American game art.

Originally from Nanjing, China, Yu moved to the United States in 2012 to study Entertainment Design at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, widely regarded as a leading program in visual development. Inspired early on by the world-building of Star Wars, she set out to create immersive universes that connect imagination with technology.

Yu’s professional work has left a durable imprint on global gaming culture. From 2017 to 2024 she contributed to Overwatch and Overwatch 2 at Blizzard Entertainment, serving as a core producer for the sequel. She led the creation of multiple in-game maps and oversaw several high-profile character skins. Notably, the “Black Cat D.Va” skin achieved breakout success with sales exceeding ten million units, becoming one of the most beloved female character skins in the franchise. The Overwatch series has been repeatedly recognized at The Game Awards, with Overwatch winning “Game of the Year,” “Best Multiplayer,” and “Best Game Design” in 2016, and Overwatch 2 earning “Best Multiplayer” in 2022.

Beyond interactive media, Yu is steadily building a record of achievement in contemporary art. In 2025, her work was recognized at The Lost Vision: London Contemporary Art Review Exhibition, an international showcase that highlights forward-looking creators in London’s global art hub. In the same year, Yu won First Place (Category 18: Futurism or Futuristic) at the World Art Awards 2025, where an international panel celebrated her visionary approach—melding speculative futurism with precise visual craft. These honors underscore the critical reception her fine-art practice has garnered alongside her mainstream cultural impact in games.

Yu’s works and research have been exhibited at Nucleus Gallery, CTN Animation Expo, Photonic Playground, and Start Los Angeles. She has delivered talks at Art Center College of Design, Fitchburg State University, and the California Institute of the Arts, and her work has been featured in ImagineFX, Visual Art Journal, and 3Dtotal.

“I want to keep building my fantasy worlds with my art and allow more people to see the infinite possibilities through my work,” Yu reflects. For her, art functions as a bridge—between imagination and reality, technology and humanity, culture and community.

Yu’s inclusion in the AACYF Top 35 Under 35 Chinese Americans, together with her distinctions in London and at the World Art Awards, positions her as a leading voice in visual culture: an artist advancing the aesthetic language of games while contributing original thought to contemporary art. As studios and cultural institutions look to define the next era of immersive storytelling, Yu’s trajectory suggests not only present excellence but also outsized potential to shape the future of American game art.

By: Richard Ren / LAPost