better engage with its audience, Overwatch 2 has 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 the Cowboy Bebop crossover, the My Hero Academia skins can only be purchased with currency, alienating the free-to-play community.
Per an official trailer on YouTube, Overwatch 2 announced that five legendary skins based on characters from My Hero Academia will be available from October 17 to October 30.
The transformed characters included Reaper 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 see Overwatch 2's introduction of anime-inspired skins as a response to Fortnite which 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 favorite My Hero Academia character but the event seems like an odd mix with a game that is already known for its distinct characters and artfully-designed cosmetics. The Overwatch 2 community largely agrees that instead of spending money on licensing other franchises, more high-quality original skins would be better appreciated.
There's also the fact that the My Hero Academia event, much like the Cowboy Bebop crossover, feels like an attempt to squeeze more money 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 given Overwatch 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 and Overwatch 2 is 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 future which seems like a shame when Blizzard has spent so much time building out Overwatch 2 to have such a unique identity. Players don't want crossovers, they want more original stories featuring the characters they've been playing as for years; one can only hope that Blizzard will eventually provide that.
Source: YouTube
