Overwatch 2 devs interested in Fortnite-style collaborations

In a recent interview with Game Informer, Overwatch Vice President Jon Spector revealed his desire to work with other brands for collaborative events in the upcoming sequel, Overwatch 2. While nothing appears in place at the moment, Spector revealed the team is exploring options.

Spector cited Fortnite as one of his main inspirations, specifically referencing the recent appearance of Naruto in the battle royale game.

"“We’ve seen some really fun examples out there of games working with other brands or other games,. I’m a big anime nerd myself. I think it’s super cool when I see Naruto appear in Fortnite. I don’t even play Fortnite, but that’s awesome. And as we look at the Overwatch 2 space, those are things that we’re interested in exploring. If and when we do that, one of our key values is to do it in a way that feels like a great fit for the Overwatch franchise.”"

While it’s unlikely that we’ll get full-blown playable characters from other franchises, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see some of the characters get skins that are heavily branded or inspired a character from another game or movie. Or maybe it’s a custom map, or an event hosted by a character or celebrity. There are definitely possibilities.

I would say, however, that the key is to not make it appear as blatant advertising. The reason it works so well in Fortnite is because the various skins feel natural. The concerts at first felt a little out of place, but Fortnite has sort of evolved into something more than a battle royale game. The same can’t be said of Overwatch… yet.

With Overwatch 2 being free-to-play and Blizzard relying heavily on selling battle passes and cosmetics for its monetization model, crossovers and collaborations with other brands, games or movies could lead to increased spending. Imagine your favorite Overwatch character with a skin inspired by a Marvel or Star Wars character. What if you could represent your favorite NFL or NBA team in the game?

Fans will be also happy to hear that Blizzard is aiming to deliver more free content than ever before and on a consistent, regular basis. Whether this means cosmetics or game modes or special events — or maybe all three — remains to be seen, but it sounds like Overwatch 2 will get plenty of post-launch support.

Overwatch 2 is set to release on October 4. Do you want to see the game host crossover events?