It may be too late to save the Overwatch fandom

OverwatchThe announcement trailer, released in 2014, was melodramatic and beautiful, and it kicked off a fervent fandom. Players love the bright designs, strong personality and optimism inherent in the scene. The game’s launch and subsequent cinematics only solidified this fan base; People love to assign characters, imagine their quests and fantasize about future lore. Overwatch so popular and iconic, it even revolutionized the Rule 34 scene; the game is everywhere.

Then, just as suddenly, it disappeared. The lore slowed to a trickle after 2018 and eventually stopped altogether, along with major additions – we haven’t seen a new hero since 2020. Now, on top of the game. Overwatch 2PvP is entering beta and with a new Overwatch League season the game should be ready for a triumphant return. Instead, it’s on ever worse ground, and other developers have taken inspiration from Blizzard and run after it instead.

Open flood

Overwatch didn’t invent the idea of ​​building a hero shooter around the powerful characters represented through the cinematography. Valve’s Fortress Team 2 and its “Meet the Team” clips are still around nearly 15 years later, and they’re much less elaborate and elaborate than Overwatchintroductory paragraphs.

But OverwatchThe film’s diverse cast and improbable near-future have attracted a fan base historically underappreciated by the first-person shooter genre. Community of women and gay players gathered around the game; some of them are there mainly to play the game, while others are there for the lore and the characters above all else.

Overwatch , in its heyday, was a legitimate cultural phenomenon. The stunning cinematography, lively character design, and hints of a larger story have inspired a massive fandom. Everyone cosplayed Overwatch characters and their skins, create fan art, write lengthy fanfiction epics, collaborate on 3D animations of their own original heroes, and more. These players are the heart of Overwatch fandom, play the game and let it power their imaginations.

Affection Overwatch is evident in its many competitors. The character roster feels more important than ever; Just a bunch of gun names with mysterious back stories don’t cut it anymore. Apex Legends, Rainbow Six Surroundand Valuable substance all of which are great examples of games where a character’s aesthetic, personality, and background are just as important as their playstyle. Other developers currently create and promote characters like Valuable substanceof Neon, a Filipina speed player; Rainbow Six SiegeOsa conversion operator, and non-binary Apex Legends Bloodhound character.

Overwatch will lose to these titles in the years to come, not because of its roster or lore, but because of the lack of consistency around it.

Plot, Pace and Purpose

Overwatch Set up big, impressive dominos – and then keep gesturing to them and saying “Pretty cool isn’t it?” There have been great mysteries set up from day one, like a climactic showdown at Overwatch’s Swiss HQ. In the 2016 feature film “Recall,” Winston taps the big red button to restart Overwatch. We don’t see Overwatch actually doing a mission until the 2019 “Zero Hour” movie, which sets up campaign content that currently doesn’t have a release date.

My personal breaking point is the Storm Rising Archives event in 2019. This legendary event culminates with an encounter between a cyborg and Doomfist, the leader of the terrorist organization Talon. He agrees to join the cause, then takes off his hood to reveal… like a cyborg. I haven’t seen him before or since. Rather than settle anything with the current cast, there’s a random new character with lots of mystery involved. I’ve been waiting months to figure this out, and all I really had to do was wait for more answers. I can’t do that anymore.

While Overwatch tripping, games like Valuable substance and Apex Legends jumped into the void. Valuable substance is set to release six new heroes a year, but more importantly, Riot has proven it can sustain a fandom.

Valuable substanceespecially establishing a comfortable “gift” with which fans can safely theorize and fantasize about the characters. You can watch Raze dance around her hometown and get a manga-inspired look at Yoru’s typical day. A feature film from January called “Warm Up” shows a part of the cast hanging out and having a practice goal; No fairy tale, no confrontation, no epic plot. It’s just fun prank and action. Nothing stalls waiting for the story to come together perfectly.

While, Overwatch fans will daydream about parts of the game’s rules as they wait for the next installment of the story, only to have their ideas about the past or present conflict later as the plot is delayed. from disclosure to disclosure. Questions posed about Reaper, from 2016, were answered in the 2022 novel, but many fans were not satisfied with the answers.

Too little, too late

At the end of 2021, Blizzard finally moved Overwatch plot forward. The company released a series of comics showing outlaw cowboy Cole Cassidy, formerly known as Jesse McCree, bringing the gang back together. The character was renamed in October, when Activision Blizzard removed references to developers and employees following a sexual harassment and gender discrimination lawsuit.

There’s also the 2020 Tracer comic, with its cute supporting cast, made by an artist that I really love. But it’s too late! It’s only a matter of time before you can hit the pot with a ladle and promise me you’ll be delicious, spoon by spoon, before I go looking for another trough.

OverwatchIts lore has stagnated for so long, and its fandom has been so willing to make a meal out of sprinkled crumbs over the years, that I feel like the specific fan’s version of the cast. than the actual rule. A short story of the Reaper came out and I was only vaguely transparent. I do not know anyone this he is, but he’s not a Reaper to I.

There’s a chance that Blizzard will get the magic back with Overwatch 2updates of and upcoming PvE campaigns, and also the train has left the station. There was a brief, radiant moment in my life that I truly loved Overwatch. Now, I just feel vaguely frustrated with the franchise. There’s only so much time left that you ask the player to wait and see before they give up completely.