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CultureCosplayOverwatch Pros Share Their Cheesiest Pick-Up Lines
At the preview event for the latest season of the Overwatch League, cosplayer Stella Chuu—no stranger to this kind of business—polled players on their selections for Valentine’s Day pick-up lines. Somehow they manage to be both corny and yet slightly endearing at the same time, given the context. So much so you wonder whether every ult…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 17, 2019 -
Hasbro Is Releasing Overwatch Action Figures Later This Year
Hasbro has announced that they are partnering up with Blizzard Entertainment to release a series of action figures and other toys based on the popular hero shooter Overwatch Nine Overwatch heroes are getting turned into figures, which will be available Spring 2019. Lucio, Sombra, Tracer, Reinhardt, Anna, Soldier 76, Pharah, Mercyand Reaperare the first heroes…
By Zack Zwiezen Published February 16, 2019 -
Overwatch League’s Season Two Debut Was Exciting Despite An Unpopular Meta
Standing in the Blizzard Arena in Burbank, California for Overwatch League season two’s debut, I heard some of the biggest cheers of the night when, after a long evening of matches, Shanghai Dragons and Hangzhou Spark flipped the script. Tank-and-healer-heavy compositions had formed the core of every other match, but in this one, Reaper, Sombra,…
By Nathan Grayson Published February 15, 2019 -
Esports
Symmetra Makes Her First Real Appearance Ever In Overwatch League
It finally happened. After an entire season in which Overwatch’s oft-abused queen of holograms was relegated to troll pick (and immediate switch) status, an OWL player finally played Symmetra for real tonight at the league’s second season debut. It was the second map of Los Angeles Gladiators’ match against Seoul Dynasty. LA had taken the…
By Nathan Grayson Published February 15, 2019 -
Esports
Esports Will Be Your Valentine
Don’t have a special someone with whom to share foot rubs and chocolate-covered strawberries tonight? No worries, esports is here for you. Have a special someone but don’t feel like trying to make-up last minute plans to impress them? Esports has you covered there, too. In esports this is called a double-kill, otherwise known as…
By Ethan Gach Published February 14, 2019 -
Esports
The Big Stories To Follow For Overwatch League Season Two
Tomorrow, after several cold, OWL-less months, Overwatch League season two kicks off. The first season had its ups and downs, fittingly ending on a simultaneously high and low note with a blockbuster grand finals match in New York that ended up being a one-sided blowout. Since then, a lot has changed, leading to questions about…
By Nathan Grayson Published February 13, 2019 -
Esports
Overwatch League’s Once-Dominant Team Opens Up About Their Season One Failings
New York Excelsior’s first season in the Overwatch League ended with more questions than answers, most of them boiling down to some variation on “What happened?” The answer to that question depends on who you talk to. Two members chalk it up to the choppy waters of a shifting meta, but to hear another tell…
By Nathan Grayson Published February 11, 2019 -
Culture
I Tried These Weird New Cereals So You Don’t Have To
If you’ve walked down the breakfast aisle of your local supermarket in the last few months you’re likely aware that some sort of bizarre cereal apocalypse is upon us. Classic cereals of the past are currently being forced to bump elbows with some of the strangest new additions to the junk food breakfast market in…
By Ben Bertoli Published February 9, 2019 -
OK, We Can Shut Down Overwatch Toys Now
Wrap it up. Nearly three years after it was first released, and long after I stopped playing the actual game, my one and only Overwatch request has come true, and so there is no need for any further merchandise. There’s a Figma based on Mercy coming next year. Selling for $90 (!) from Blizzard’s online…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 7, 2019 -
Apex Legends Has A Cute Overwatch Tribute
Like Overwatch, Apex Legends, the new hero-based battle royale game from the creators of Titanfall, contains a playable character who’s a bipedal robot with a heart of gold. He’s also got a bird friend, although I’m not sure how friendly they are. Reddit user Arzamar discovered that Apex Legends has an in-game banner pose that’s…
By Nathan Grayson Published February 6, 2019 -
Player Hacks Overwatch To Play In-Game Piano With A Real Piano
You’ve probably heard by now that Overwatch’s new Paris map has a fully playable piano. You might have even heard somebody play “All Star” by Smash Mouth on it, because that song—a shimmering monument to the idea of unearned confidence—will outlive us all. Now, one player has taken things a step further. Overwatch fan Zbnone…
By Nathan Grayson Published February 5, 2019 -
What I Learned From Watching A Great Deal Of Overwatch Porn
Last week, I stumbled upon Overwatch porn. I wasn’t looking for it—I know as much about Overwatch as I do about sports, cars, or how to talk to my parents about what I write—but it’s not hard to stumble across porn when browsing the gigantic nudity repository that is the internet. NSFW Warning: This post…
By Kate Gray Published February 1, 2019 -
Overwatch‘s New Paris Map Has A Piano And Everyone Is Playing It
Yesterday, Blizzard surprise-dropped a new Paris map onto Overwatch’s PC public test server, and players were thrilled to discover that their guns, hammers, and hamster balls can do more than just claim lives in this ravaged city of romance. They can also play piano. Players have been using the new piano to fire bullets into…
By Nathan Grayson Published January 31, 2019 -
Esports
Overwatch League season two’s “all-access pass” will include first-person camera options for each player. The $14.99 package also includes other viewing options and bonuses, but fans have been requesting a first-person camera since the start of season one last year. Now they’ve got it. Well, if they’re willing to pay.
By Nathan Grayson Published January 31, 2019 -
Overwatch Gets New Paris Map
Surprise surprise, Overwatch—which players have taken to declaring a veritable dust bowl of new content in the wake of yet another seasonal event retread—is getting a new map. This one’s set in Paris, the city of romance (and now, romance’s close friend, Death) just in time for Valentine’s Day. Blizzard revealed the map without a…
By Nathan Grayson Published January 30, 2019 -
CultureKotaku Game Diary
Overwatch Is No Longer My Third Place
Nobody ever asks why anyone stopped playing Halo 2. No response would merit it. The game came out in 2004, and three years later, there was Halo 3. At some point, it got old. Another game came along. Friends moved on. It was just a thing you did, and then you went and did something…
By Cecilia D'Anastasio Published January 25, 2019 -
CultureOverwatch‘s New Skins Are Based On Historic Figures
It’s that time again: Another year has passed, sapping us all of precious vitality and slowly pulverizing our faculties until we’re unidentifiable powder in the wind. But in return, we get new Overwatch skins as part of the game’s annual Lunar New Year event. Really, it’s a pretty even trade. Overwatch’s “Year of the Pig”…
By Nathan Grayson Published January 24, 2019 -
Jeff Kaplan Knows Some People Will Always Hate Overwatch‘s Meta
Metas of competitive games age less like fine wine and more like cottage cheese in a dumpster. When a meta’s overstayed its welcome, you know—because players make stink after stink after stink about it. That’s where Overwatch, with its unpopular “GOATS” meta, is at right now. Game director Jeff Kaplan, though, isn’t sure it’s possible…
By Nathan Grayson Published January 9, 2019 -
As a tie in with yesterday’s “Bastet” comic, Overwatch is kicking off an in-game event that’ll allow players to earn themed rewards. Much like D.Va’s Nano Challenge from last year, Ana’s Bastet Challenge will grant players a new skin for winning nine games, as well as other rewards on the way to that milestone. You…
By Nathan Grayson Published January 8, 2019