Overwatch 2is returning to the world of anime witha crossover event themed around the belovedMy Hero Academiafranchise. As a part of the competitive shooter’s attempt tobetter engage with its audience,Overwatch 2has begun dipping its toes into the world of IP collaboration, a move that has resulted in some fun character designs but has also managed to irk the player base. Much like theCowboy Bebopcrossover, theMy Hero Academiaskins can only be purchased with premium currency, alienating the free-to-play community.
Per an official trailer onYouTube,Overwatch 2announced that five legendary skins based on characters fromMy Hero Academiawill be available from October 17 to October 30.
The transformed characters includedReaper as Tomura Shigaraki, Juno as Uravity, Tracer as Deku, Reinhardt as All Might, and Kiriko as Himiko Toga. There’s no denying that each of the designs looks fantastic and each of the character combinations work better than one might expect, but one can’t help but be wary about the precedent the event sets for the future.
Do Overwatch 2 Players Want Anime Skins?
They’re Cool But Not Needed
It’s difficult to not seeOverwatch 2’s introduction of anime-inspired skins as a response toFortnitewhich has been doing the same thing for years and has earned plenty of praise for it. Many players no doubt want the opportunity to enjoy the experience as their favoriteMy Hero Academiacharacter but the event seems like an odd mix with a game that is already known for itsdistinct characters and artfully-designed cosmetics. TheOverwatch 2community largely agrees thatinstead of spending money on licensing other franchises, more high-quality original skins would be better appreciated.
There’s also the fact that theMy Hero Academiaevent, much like theCowboy Bebopcrossover, feels like an attempt to squeeze moremoney out of the player base. While Blizzard has yet to reveal how much the new skins will cost,the previous collaboration boasted exorbitant prices that drew substantial ire from the community. Whether or not the developer has learned from its previous mistakes remains to be seen but givenOverwatch 2’s popularity, the event will likely be a success regardless.
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What Does This Mean For The Future Of Overwatch 2?
More Crossovers Will Definitely Happen
The entertainment industry is currently dominated by IP andOverwatch 2is just one of the most recent games to discover that crossover events are a means of driving engagement by uniting two potentially connected fandoms.It’s almost a given that more anime events will happen in the futurewhich seems like a shame when Blizzard has spent so much time building outOverwatch 2to have such a unique identity. Players don’t want crossovers, they wantmore original stories featuring the charactersthey’ve been playing as for years; one can only hope that Blizzard will eventually provide that.
