Between March 7th and April 6th, Overwatch fans the world over will be able to take part in a limited-time collaboration that brings One Punch Man into the game. Well, kind of.
For a month, Overwatch players will be able to unlock a fusion skin that turns Doomfist into Saitama, the legendary protagonist from One Punch Man. It’s appropriate given that Doomfist has a giant fist… And Saitama, also has a relatively powerful fist?
It has been known for several months that Blizzard, the creator of Overwatch, has had plans to create crossover events in Overwatch 2 – much like those found in Fortnite. Well, here we are.
The First of Many
This is the first collaboration of its kind between Overwatch and another IP, but it shouldn’t be the last. As Overwatch 2 has pivoted to a free-to-play model, the funding for ongoing development has to come from somewhere, and typically, there are two avenues that developers can take:
- Skins
- Battle Pass
Of course, Overwatch 2 has both of those, and this collaboration will likely be a money-maker, if even a small-ish one, for Blizzard, especially as it’s a limited-time offer. Last September, in an interview with Game Informer, VP of Overwatch at Blizzard, Jon Spector, said:
… We’ve been more focused on those collaborations as the stuff we might be interest in doing. And less on the ads-in-our-game type stuff. … We want to be in a position to sustain content delivery for years to come.
After several months, that promise has come home to roost, in the form of a One Punch Man x Overwatch crossover. Reportedly, there are several skins dropping at the heart of the update, which goes hand-in-hand with Season Three of the game, as well as an exclusive, customised loading screen.
There’s also an all-new map coming to Overwatch 2 in Season Three and a limited-time Valentine’s Day event. What a time to be an Overwatch fan, right?
For more Insider Gaming news, check out our coverage of the report that Ubisoft+ may be headed to Xbox very soon.
