Overwatch 2’sPvP has finally been released and is seeing an enormous surge of active players. On October 14, Blizzard announced thatOverwatch 2had hit an impressive milestone of 25 million playersin ten days which is a solid statistic in spite of the numerous connectivity issues, hero bugs, and lengthy queue times that initially plagued the game. With old players flooding back to the hero-shooter accompanied by new players, now is the perfect time for Blizzard to capitalize on this success by moving to new mediums.
Overwatch 2doesn’t need to be limited to just a video game format, especially since its predecessor wasn’t. Of course, the sequel has already debuted its Junker Queen and Kiriko animated shorts, so it’s fairly safe to assume that more is in development. However, with the brevity of these animations, Blizzard needs to consider anOverwatchTV series in order to fully satisfy its audience.
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It’s Time for Overwatch to Expand
It was rumored in 2017 that Blizzard was considering anOverwatchfilm after the former CEO of Activision Blizzard’s Consumer Products Group, Tim Kiplin, expressed interest in one. Sadly, no film came about and further information was limited. It appeared that there was something in the works for aDiabloseries on Netflix in 2018 which may still be happening, or it could be that both Blizzard and Netflix have completely abandoned it.
Of course, fans never gave up hope and the release of otherOverwatchanimated shorts, such as “Shooting Star” and “Reunion” kept most fans satiated. The excitement surrounding a potential show or film fully reignited afterLeague of Legends’Netflix showArcanereceived an Emmy, proving that with time and effort, adaptations of video game characters can be popular in mainstream media.
Not only didArcaneintroduce several people to the world of Runeterra and many of its characters, but it also saw theLeague of Legendsservers increase from 115 million active players to 180 million. Blizzard could do the same, after all, there’s plenty of material to work from since the originalOverwatch had several comic books, animated shorts, and merchandise released to market the game.
An Overwatch TV Series Has Plenty of Lore to Explore
Who the television series would follow is a question that Blizzard would need to answer itself. It could be a series that follows different characters, perhaps like minis, but in a way that they all come together at the end such asin the cinematic “Zero Hour”. The show has the option to be a prequel to the game’s events, similar toCyberpunk: Edgerunnersor it could be set during the same period asOverwatch 2around the years 2074 to 2076.
Many of the voice lines inOverwatch 2reference events to these comics and cinematics, but since thePvE portion ofOverwatch 2isn’t set to come out until 2023, Blizzard really could be doing more to expand the world ofOverwatch.There’s a risk that a show wouldn’t do well, but it seems unlikely this would happen if they continue to maintain its Pixar-like quality of animation, talented voice actors, and diverse characters.
In the end, anOverwatch 2television series would probably be extremely profitable while also acting as a medium to help fans understand ‘sunique cast of characters.Seeing Ana and Widowmaker’s unsettling dynamic, Ashe and Cassidy’s history, or what has become of Hanzo and Genji’s relationship on TV would be a dream come true for manyOverwatch 2fans.
Many people at this point are probably wondering “when” this television show, or film, will be released, rather than “if”. Timing in the gaming industry is everything and now could genuinely be the right moment for Blizzard to either release a television series or get one in development, with the gamebeing so successful andOverwatch 2’sPvE mode on the way.
Overwatch 2is available now in early access for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
