[6] Lead writer Michael Chu conceived her as a robot guardian for their "Numbani" setting, an African city within the Overwatch universe.

They developed her personality to be somewhat between that of RoboCop and GLaDOS, with an emphasis on advanced artificial intelligence and learning through action, to help separate her from the other robot playable characters and be "a little more low tech".

Though the earlier designs were modeled after a beetle, this didn't fit the image of a "mighty protector" the team wanted to convey, so as a result her torso was straightened and adjusted her legs to more resemble a centaur.

[1] When developing the game's sequel, Overwatch 2, they considered removing her centaur aspect entirely and changing her whole model to be more a "tribal" bipedal robot carrying a shield.

[10] Rebuilt from the wreckage of an OR15 defense robot after an attack by Doomfist in her home city of Numbani, Efi upgraded the hardware and software on the Omnic, emphasizing public safety as its primary objective.

Her Barrier, Halt, and Supercharger abilities have been removed, and instead she gained an Energy Javelin that can be used to launch enemies away, potentially damaging them if they hit walls.

[11] While Orisa was cited as an example of one of the "badass, stereotype-defying ladies" in Overwatch by sources such as Kotaku's Cecilia D'Anastasio,[15] other outlets voiced issues with the character, leading to mixed reception.

Colin Campbell of Polygon noted that while she was happy to see Efi representing Sub-Sarahan African cultures in gaming, she was disappointed the character wasn't the primary hero, only her creation was.

"[17] Other criticism was focused on the context of the then-lack of a playable black female character in the roster, with several outlets stating Orisa herself "didn't count" due to being a robot.

He further praised that the character's story and characterization allowed both of them to make mistakes and grow, something that he felt black characters were seldom able to experience in video games, and enjoyed the social imagery of Efi creating her own answer to surrounding violence scratch as providing "affirmation of the work black girls and women do for social progress."