-
Esports
How The New York Excelsior Took Over The Overwatch League
The New York Excelsior is the best Overwatch team in the world. Despite an always-shifting metagame and one of its best players sitting out nearly a third of the season so far, they’ve won two Overwatch League stages and made the playoffs for the third. They rarely drop games and have swept every team in…
By Eric Van Allen Published June 5, 2018 -
Culture
A Cool Set Of New Overwatch Character Designs
Korean artist Kirim Son has done what loads of fans have already done, and designed some new Overwatch characters. What’s different about Son’s though is that all three have been specifically designed to represent Overwatch heroes whose powers are drawn from various mobility issues. Jalkikuva Laine (below), for example, became deaf as a child, but…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 4, 2018 -
What I Learned From A Year’s Worth Of Overwatch Coaching
One year ago, I dropped from Platinum rank to Gold in Overwatch’s competitive mode. Even though it was just a number, it felt like a huge defeat. Since then, over the last year, I’ve been working with a coach to improve my game. I thought I was just chasing after my old rank, but I…
By Heather Alexandra Published June 4, 2018 -
What Overwatch’s Maps Look Like From The Outside
You normally only get to enjoy Overwatch maps from the ground level, so this clip that jumps outside their boundaries is a really cool new way to see what they’re made of. The video is by Noobinabox, and was made simply to “show just how beautiful this game is”. Only the first half of the…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 3, 2018 -
Fallout 76 Gives Overwatch Fans Crossover Fever
When Fallout 76 was announced yesterday, half the world immediately thought “Heck yeah, new Fallout.” But the other half—a more insidious and frankly intolerable one that includes noted individuals such as me—started cracking jokes about Soldier 76 from Overwatch. Then came the fan art. Evidently, a whole lot of people want to see Soldier 76…
By Nathan Grayson Published May 31, 2018 -
A Little Sombra Figure For Overwatch Fans
This Nendoroid Sombra is out early next year. She includes two different faces, a skull mark (to stick on other figures), translocator, effects, a gun and some interchangeable hands, including one with a “boop” finger. Sombra will cost around $40, which is in line with the other Overwatch Nendoroids.
By Luke Plunkett Published May 30, 2018 -
Esports
Dallas Fuel Is Playing Its Best Overwatch Yet, Despite No Hope For Playoffs
The Dallas Fuel cannot, mathematically, make the playoffs of the Overwatch League’s inaugural season. After three stages of disappointing placements, it just isn’t in the cards. Despite that, a new coach and a newfound team confidence are putting them over top competitors. The Fuel can’t make the playoffs, but they’re kicking ass anyways. We’re two…
By Eric Van Allen Published May 27, 2018 -
A Year And A Half Later, Overwatch Devs Still Don’t Know When They’ll Fix Play Of The Game
Overwatch loves to give players cookies for explosive plays. After every game, all players are treated to a recap of the “Play of the Game,” a video replay that usually only focuses on whatever killed the most people. It’s a feature that has been desperately in need of a revamp since Overwatch’s release two years…
By Cecilia D'Anastasio Published May 24, 2018 -
Leather Daddy Reinhardt Is Not An Official Overwatch Skin
Not yet, anyway. It’s a very good fit. This mock skin is the work of artist Brian Choi, has worked on stuff like FFXV Kingslaive and What Becomes Of Edith Finch It’s based on this piece of slightly fleshier art by Yvonne Chung. Which, in turn, looks a lot like that NSFW Overwatch cosplay showcase…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 23, 2018 -
Overwatch‘s New Map Isn’t The Problem, Deathmatch Is
Overwatch characters are like pieces on a chess board. Whether we’re talking about David Bowie reincarnated as a mad scientist or a hulking hook boy who’s probably never heard of David Bowie, everybody’s unique abilities are kept in check by the structure of the game. Now imagine if that structure—the lines on the board—didn’t exist.…
By Nathan Grayson Published May 23, 2018 -
CultureCosplay
Oh Man
By Luke Plunkett Published May 23, 2018 -
Overwatch Players Discover Mystery That Spans Multiple Maps
Overwatch’s new deathmatch map, Petra, is full of Pharah-friendly open spaces, jump pads, and a break-away floor, but like any crumbling ruin worth its salt, it’s also got mysteries. Shortly after the map went live earlier today, players started posting screenshots of laptops and data pads they found sprinkled around, with members of the Overwatch…
By Nathan Grayson Published May 22, 2018 -
Paladins Developer Says It’s Fired Contractor For Using Overwatch Art In Ad
Free-to-play hero shooter Paladins has always invited comparisons to Overwatch. There’s a tanky knight character with a deployable shield and a bearded dwarf who builds turrets. While developer Hi-Rez Studios has always denied cloning Blizzard’s game, a mobile port of Paladins lifted artwork from the game, a foul the studio is blaming on a contractor.…
By Heather Alexandra Published May 22, 2018 -
Here Are Overwatch‘s New Anniversary Skins
Overwatch’s two-year anniversary event is now live, and Doomfist is actually lookin’ pretty good right about now. Some of the best skins yet came out today—namely Orisa’s, Brigitte’s and, as previously discussed, Symmetra’s. Today also brought what is, in my opinion, a pretty bad skin, too. And, welp, they gave Junkrat dreads: Along with the…
By Cecilia D'Anastasio Published May 22, 2018 -
Overwatch Fans Love Moira And Symmetra’s New Looks
As the Overwatch Anniversary skins and emotes trickle out, fans are getting hyped over a few specific ones. Moira’s new dance emote and Symmetra’s magician skin are sending the fandom into a whirlwind of jokes and fanart. Moira’s dance emote was leaked over the weekend. Whether or not it’s real, Overwatch fans find the idea…
By Gita Jackson Published May 21, 2018 -
Esports
Brigitte’s First Week In The Overwatch League Was Fine After All
The start of stage 4 in the Overwatch League meant the debut of the newest hero in the game, Brigitte. The anti-dive support was a big question mark, as pros would be playing her on a patch where she was still incredibly dominant. But it turns out, at least in week 1, things were kind…
By Eric Van Allen Published May 20, 2018 -
Overwatch‘s New Map Is A Brawl In A Hidden City
At halftime in today’s match between the Philadelphia Fusion and Florida Mayhem, the Overwatch developers showed off their new map, called Petra, that will go live in the game on May 22 during the Overwatch Anniversary event. In the short gameplay trailer that we saw between Overwatch League matches, it appears that Petra is part…
By Cameron Kunzelman Published May 19, 2018 -
Esports
Luka Dončić’s Overwatch Mains Are Cause For Serious Concern
Luka Dončić is not only a presumptive top-two pick in June’s NBA Draft, he’s also the proud owner of a Gamer’s Heart. According to a profile written last month by ESPN’s Mina Kimes, Dončić is a fan of the Call Of Duty series. He also “spends two to three hours a day playing video games…
By Patrick Redford Published May 16, 2018 -
Esports
Why Overwatch League’s Regular Season Will End On A Wacky, Short-Lived Patch
Last week, the Overwatch League found itself encircled by controversy after pros and analysts hinted that stage 4 would run on an old version of the game that didn’t include Hanzo’s flashy new overhaul or a much-needed nerf to Brigitte. Today, the league finally confirmed that and explained its decision. For the past week, Overwatch…
By Nathan Grayson Published May 15, 2018