Blizzard retroactively decided that O1 was set during classic Overwatch, and O2 is about new Overwatch, I guess because the only lore O1 had were the Archive events
Even though we all assumed it was technically after they got back together and the game was non-canon
this is one of the funniest images i’ve ever seen
I am incredibly confused, I thought Overwatch 1 was after Overwatch disbanded but now it’s before and 2 takes place much later?
I guess if you treat the PvP games as wholly divorced from any continuity, and approach OW1 only by the PvE story event missions, this makes sense.
Launching OW1 with a cinematic of Winston hitting the Reform Corrupt Extrajudicial Organization button makes the concept they’re outlining here really confusing, though.
After 20 years of being various levels of engaged with Blizzard games, I’ve learned exactly one thing: They aggressively cannot weave a coherent story.
Now That’s Chris Metzen Storytelling
This is less offensive than Apex Legends’ “the Militia kinda forgot about the Frontier” backstory.
So where does the new Watchmen series on HBO fit into this?
Yeah, this seems to be exactly it.
The three “Overwatch Archives” events are the only real story Overwatch has had in game, all three of which have been during the original Overwatch’s time.
Everything else in game was mostly references within the maps to external story, like the cinematics or comics. And, as much as I agree that Blizzard just loves to retcon things out of the blue to allow for new story, I think all of the story told so far(at least all of the story that I know of) can still be canon while still considering Overwatch 1 to be the “old” Overwatch.
I remember being puzzled by this sentiment for the longest time because the only parts of Blizzard narrative that I’d meaningfully engaged with was Warcraft 3 and Diablo 2.
And then I started trying to make heads or tails of WoW lore and buddy, that’s not a smart thing to do.
As the resident discourse dot com self-proclaimed Warcraft lore expert, buddy that’s not a smart thing to do.
It’s funny because those are probably, and I am saying this based on memory so I could be giving them too much credit, Blizzards most coherent and successful stories, when considering them self-contained. I’d probably put the first StarCraft in there as well. None of it’s great fiction but at least its parsable.
I’ll echo the wow lore sentiment though because…buddy…
listen its easy. the horde and alliance take turns doing warcrimes. sometimes they do warcrimes at the same time.
also everyone gets a turn at being King Shit Of Frosty Mountain
Yeah, like it’s nothing groundbreaking, though I do think the Human campaign in WC3 holds up very well as a contained narrative. Both Diablo 2 and WC3 work well maybe in part due to both of them being the first entries in their respective series that, like, Had a pronounced narrative. Both series up until then were so basic naratively, like it was more concepts than actual stories. D2 and WC3 navigated that transition extremely well and they didn’t make it “bigger” than it needed to be.
After so many years of expanding upon the same lore that job gets harder and harder, especially if you’re constantly aiming higher and higher and higher.
Blizzard were usually at their best when resource and tech limitations forced them to work within a story framing that was at least somewhat grounded in tone and scale.
Everything they’ve done recently, including and especially Overwatch, can skate by on completely passable writing thanks to how amazingly produced it all is.
Also they’re trash at dialogue. Have you watched any of those Overwatch trailers? That dialogue is nothing but schmaltz. I don’t want to punch this talking gorilla but goddamn all that’s coming out of his mouth is treacle.
Back to the main topic: Does this mean everyone gets the pre-Overwatch shutdown skins unlocked for free since now they were supposed to always be there. Do we now get teen McCree and pre-adolescent Pharah skins? That in mind, does this mean Mercy isn’t suspiciously ageless anymore? What does this mean for the Pharmercy.
whoopsie
I saw this a couple days ago, and honestly, some of these regulations sound pretty good actually
It’s relevant here because Blizzard did the bootlicking for money and the nation they bootlicked for may be capping their potential profit.
Got around to watching the reveal cinematic and wowee is the dialogue bad. Blizzard’s art department lets them get away with some terrible writing
