Summary
- An Overwatch 2 fan reimagines the hero shooter as a fighting game, drawing inspiration from titles like Guilty Gear.
- Fans loved the reimagined art, sparking excitement and theories about hero gameplay in a different genre.
- While an Overwatch 2 fighting game may not be confirmed, leaks suggest Blizzard may explore smaller games in the universe.
An Overwatch 2 fan recently shared some art that transformed Blizzard’s first-person shooter into a fighting game. This incredible fan art captures the style of games like Guilty Gear and brings it to Overwatch 2 in a way that makes one wonder what it and its prequel would have been like as a totally different genre.
Since its release in 2016, Overwatch has set the standard for hero-based first-person shooters. Both it and the 2022 sequel inspired tons of similar games in the genre, including popular titles like Paladins, Valorant, and the highly-anticipated Overwatch 2 competitor Marvel Rivals.
Now, one fan has reimagined the FPS as if it were a completely different genre of game. Player and fan artist JB transformed Overwatch 2 into a fighting game in a stunning series of pictures featuring Tracer and Kiriko battling on King’s Row. The art style evokes 2D fighting games like Guilty Gear Strive – the inspiration for JB’s work – and features UI elements pulled directly from Overwatch 2. JB even experimented with a couple of other maps, including the MEKA base in Busan and Junkertown, all of which he shared on Twitter.
What If Overwatch 2 Was a Fighting Game?
Needless to say, Overwatch 2 fans loved JB’s work. They showered his post with comments and likes, saying how much they wished the game was real, all while theorycrafting about how each hero would play in it. Some brought up how it would be even better if it pulled a Heroes of the Storm by using characters from Warcraft, Starcraft, and Diablo – much like the fictitious Fighters of the Storm arcade game players can find hidden on various Overwatch 2 maps. Either way, gamers were impressed with JB’s art, with many actually being convinced it was made by a professional team of UI designers, rather than one person.
Blizzard actually made a similar joke for April Fool’s Day in 2014. Blizzard Outcasts: Vengeance of the Vanquished was a fake fighting game featuring dead heroes and villains from Diablo, Warcraft, and Starcraft, such as Arcuturus Mengsk, Kael’thas Sunstrider, Deckard Cain, Mankrik’s Wife, and even a Treasure Goblin. While the gag predated the original Overwatch, it is safe to say slain characters from its continuity would probably have shown up there as well.
That said, an Overwatch 2 fighting game isn’t completely out of the question. A recent leak suggests Blizzard is forming a new team to focus on making AA games based on its existing IPs. While fans shouldn’t get their hopes up for a fighting game, they could possibly see other smaller games set in the Overwatch universe soon.
Overwatch 2
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 77 /100 Critics Rec: 65%
WHERE TO PLAY
Overwatch 2 is an always-on and ever-evolving free-to-play, team-based action game set in an optimistic future, where every match is the ultimate 5v5 battlefield brawl. Power up your railgun and disrupt the battlefield as Sojourn, or yield your axe and command attention as Junker Queen. Battle to take control of a robot and move it toward the enemy base in the new Push Mode. Bring the fight to new destinations across the globe in iconic locations like New York, Rome, Monte Carlo and Rio. Daily challenges and frequent updates mean there is always something new to play.
