Overwatch
News, coverage and analysis tracking Overwatch across the outlets.
Overwatch co-creator Jeff Kaplan on his exit from Activision-Blizzard: 'It was the biggest f**k you moment…Overwatch co-creator Jeff Kaplan detailed his departure from Activision Blizzard in 2021, citing immense pressure from the Overwatch League's overmarketing and unrealistic revenue expectations for the base game and Overwatch 2. Kaplan described being threatened with layoffs of 1,000 employees if financial targets were not met, calling it a significant 'fuck you moment' in his career.
Overwatch Co-Creator Says His Departure Came From “Biggest F*** You Moment” After Meeting CFOFormer Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan revealed in an interview that his departure from Blizzard was influenced by the immense pressure and unrealistic expectations placed on the Overwatch League, which he described as a "biggest f*** you moment." He detailed how the league's financial demands interfered with game development and led to a focus on rapid monetization, ultimately contributing to his decision to leave after nearly two decades with the company.
10-Year-Old Overwatch Display at Walmart Sparks Gaming NostalgiaA decade-old Overwatch promotional display discovered at Walmart has sparked nostalgia within the gaming community. The find serves as a physical reminder of the game's early days and its cultural impact, contrasting with its current state as Overwatch 2. This discovery highlights the growing importance of physical artifacts in preserving gaming history and evoking feelings of discovery and excitement.
Perfect Mei Timing Shows Why Overwatch Still Has Incredible DepthA viral clip showcasing precise timing with the character Mei in Overwatch has sparked community discussion about the game's depth and player skill. The moment highlights the importance of mechanical precision and game sense, reminding players of the endless mastery possible within Overwatch's existing framework.- Hearthstone begins Cataclysm expansion pre-release events, Overwatch releases pricey Nier skinsHearthstone is launching its Cataclysm expansion on March 17th with pre-release events including a Tavern Brawl featuring the Deathwing hero card and community days offering card packs. Meanwhile, Overwatch has released Nier-themed character skins, drawing player complaints about their high price and lack of unique features, alongside upcoming in-game events and balance changes.
This year's Overwatch April Fool's event is a two week Underwatch mode which throws 'common sense off the…Overwatch is launching a new two-week April Fools event called Underwatch, starting April 1 and running until April 13. This event will feature a game mode where physics and balance are disregarded for humorous and experimental gameplay. Past April Fools events have sometimes served as trials for potential future game mechanics.
How Marathon avoids the mistake that Concord and Highguard madeMarathon is praised for avoiding the "Blorko" problem that affected Concord and Highguard by implementing a unique "Shells" mechanic for combat avatars. The game, developed by Bungie, launched on March 5, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, offering a fresh take on shooter gameplay with depth and flexibility. The article also briefly mentions other games like Crabmeat, Pragmata, Fortnite, Super Mario Lego, Never's End, Crimson Desert, and the lawsuit against Valve regarding lootboxes.
Overwatch's Nier Automata collab is here, but with no voice lines and a price higher than the action RPG it's based on, players aren't happy: "Hello Kitty got more than these folks"Overwatch players are expressing dissatisfaction with the new Nier Automata collaboration skins, citing a lack of unique voice lines and VFX, and a high price point of $69.99. Players feel the bundle offers less value compared to previous collaborations, such as the Hello Kitty event, and is priced higher than the original Nier Automata game.
Overwatch's mid-season update has given Mizuki a jawline buff before Anran's redesign (alongside actually…Overwatch received a mid-season update that included a visual buff to Mizuki's jawline on his Streetwear shop skin and an increase to his Remedy Aura radius. While Anran's redesign was not included, several other hero abilities and role passives were adjusted, and item icons were reverted to improve readability.- Overwatch's Mizuki gets a surprise face update, while Anran's much-requested rework is nowhere in sightThe latest Overwatch patch notes include a visual update to the character Mizuki's jawline. However, a highly requested rework for the character Anran is not present in this update.
One of Marathon's best tricks? It dodges the "Blorko" problem that doomed Concord and HighguardBungie's upcoming shooter Marathon distinguishes itself from recent hero shooter failures like Concord and Highguard by focusing on functional 'Shells' rather than heavily marketed individual characters. This approach allows players to engage with distinct playstyles without the pressure of immediately bonding with pre-defined personalities, a strategy that has proven challenging for other games in the genre.
'This Is Big Unemployed Behaviour': Overwatch Dev Roasts SteamDB FanaticsAn Overwatch developer criticized the intense focus on Steam concurrent player numbers within gaming communities, calling it 'big unemployed, maidenless behaviour.' The developer highlighted how these metrics are often misinterpreted and lack context, especially for multiplatform releases where data from PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo is unavailable.
Overwatch senior dev says using Steam player counts to dunk on multi-platform releases like Marathon is "big…Overwatch senior designer Dylan Snyder and Warframe creative director Rebecca Ford have commented on the scrutiny of Steam player counts for multi-platform games like Marathon. They argue that Steam player data alone is not a definitive measure of a game's success, especially for titles available on multiple platforms or through different launchers like Battle.net. The discussion highlights the increasing competition and saturation in the PC gaming market.- Engagement RingMetal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater has achieved over two million shipments and digital sales. Meanwhile, developers from Warframe and Overwatch have commented on the ongoing discourse surrounding player counts in games.
Overwatch Fan Tackles Ambitious Domina Cosplay for Summer ConventionsA dedicated cosplayer is undertaking an ambitious project to create a Domina costume from Overwatch for upcoming summer conventions. The cosplayer shared progress on makeup tests and acknowledged the significant challenge of crafting Domina's intricate arm pieces, highlighting the passion and dedication within the Overwatch cosplay community.
As the Marathon player count discourse reaches peak stupidity, Warframe and Overwatch devs speak up in solidarity: 'This is big unemployed, maidenless behavior'Developers from Warframe and Overwatch have spoken out against the intense scrutiny of Marathon's player count on Steam, calling it "unemployed, maidenless behavior." Rebecca Ford of Warframe highlighted the increased competition in the market since the game's launch, while Dylan Snyder of Overwatch pointed out the limitations of using SteamDB for player count analysis. The discussion touches on the challenges faced by new live service games in a crowded market.
Overwatch Achievement Hunter Creates Ultimate Difficulty Guide for New PlayersA dedicated Overwatch achievement hunter has created a comprehensive difficulty guide for new players, ranking achievements based on how challenging they are to obtain. The guide aims to help newcomers navigate the game's achievement system, inspired by the creator's own experience, including finally earning the elusive Vendetta cute spray.
Steam game listing achieves knockoff singularity by aping Pokémon, Zelda, and even Overwatch designs with a shamelessness Palworld could only dream ofThe Steam game listing Pickmon is heavily criticized for its blatant imitation of popular titles like Pokémon, The Legend of Zelda, and Overwatch, going as far as to copy Palworld's designs. Despite its derivative nature, the game's developers have implemented a card-throwing mechanic instead of ball-catching to potentially avoid legal issues with Nintendo. The article questions the ethics of such shameless copying, even if it remains within legal boundaries.
Website that let Marvel Rivals players pay each other to throw matches pivots to "transparency initiative" after NetEase get madMarvel Rivals developer NetEase has implemented new systems to detect and combat match-fixing after a third-party website facilitated players being paid to throw matches. The developer has introduced an active server-wide detection system and a compensation system for affected players, while the website in question has pivoted to a "transparency initiative."- The Overwatch devs think you're banning the wrong heroesBlizzard Entertainment has shared data on hero ban rates and win percentages in Overwatch, indicating that players may be focusing bans on the wrong characters. The developer noted that the new hero Mizuki is currently flying under the radar in terms of ban frequency.