Blizzard made a major announcement for Overwatch 2 players, and the community is… to say the least, it is a very mixed bag of emotions. The official Overwatch Twitter account said that on the 28th of October, a new Japanese Spirits Mega Bundle would come in the in-game store and that mysterious message: “You do not choose the spirit, the spirit chooses you.” How spooky! However, it seems like the spirit selection is a mixture of the users’ displeasures and cautious optimism at the same time. Let’s dive into the matter.
The inquiry is what this bundle will contain? The teasing picture indicates that the skins being offered are based on Japanese fairy tales. The attraction is quite nice and cooling, let your imagination go wild with yokai and spirits, etc. However, the players have already found something very… intriguing. Raddkann, a user, sardonicly pointed out the irony like this: “japanese spirits” > peek inside > one japanese character only. Oh no! That is going to hurt a bit for a game that is so much into representing all the world countries.
The like also contributes to the happening view. As witchy1_witch_ very nicely pointed out: “Halloween season by the way…” I mean, are we going to get the Japanese spirit bundles in the spooky season instead of Halloween content? That is a very risky decision indeed. On the other hand, all-atill_mig was also right when he/she said “where is the main menu background of Hallwoeen, not feeling the Halloween spirit with this one.” Players have a strong point that where the pumpkins and ghosts are located?
But the skin issue is not only related to the timing. MarshallMalone3 raised up about the deep lore and even asked why Widomaker was given a Yuki-onna skin rather than Mei when one acknowledges that Yuki-onna are actually ice spirits according to Japanese folklore. “Why not share it with the character who’s whole kit revolves around ice and snow” they speculated, and they are not wrong. What might have been a missed opportunity is now causing gamers to scratch their heads.
Coming up next, there is the entire money issue. This is how the current Overwatch is, and nothing is free. ItemsENABLED was not happy, tweeting “Dammit why do all the cool skins cost 20 dollars EACH? This is robbery.” And they used a crying emoji because, quite frankly, that is the mood. The complete shift from loot boxes to direct sales has been an ongoing source of contention for the community, with LucasBuBon reminding Blizzard “Last season you could have put new skins in loot boxes as you promised instead.” Oh, broken promises!
There are also the accusations of character favoritism coming from all directions, just like they always do. MarshallMalone3 (once again, they are on fire in these comments) said “more unfair favoritism for Kiriko has to make sure she gets at least 3 brand new legendary skins every season as usual while some of the roster hasn’t even gotten epics for more than a year.” It is true that some characters are getting the deluxe treatment while others just hang around.
At the same time, despite the skin issue, players are still demanding Overwatch to look after the game more.
OverwatchIdea had an epic rant about Venture being allowed to claim points from underground, calling it “absurd and not ohw.” Also, a lot of players are asking for the features of Cybermedic Ana and the Sakura bundle to be returned.
Reading the replies is quite a rollercoaster – on one hand, you will find players who are super excited about the new cosmetics and on the other, there are players who tell Blizzard to “fix your freaking game instead of abusing women” as SLA_SHX bluntly put it. The community is certainly divided between those who still value the cosmetic aspect of Overwatch and those who believe the core game is being neglected.
The remark from goldsweatpants is illuminating: “this is the very first time I have heard something good about this game in 8 months.” Ouch! That must have hurt Blizzard at their headquarters. When a game is only discussed in terms of new paid cosmetics instead of gameplay improvements or content drops, it means that the game is not in a good place.
So what happens next? No one disputing the fact that the Spirits Bundle is going to be a feast for the eyes. The concept is appealing and the execution is nothing short of good. But it is being released in a community which players are getting more frustrated by issues like pricing, character balancing, and the feeling that the “spirit” of the game is being sold off rather than nurtured. They want to be immersed in the spirit of Overwatch itself, not just the spirits available in the shop.
Will people still buy it? That’s for sure. The players who use Kiriko and the collectors will be the first ones to be at the front of the line. However, the bigger issue being talked about in these comments portrays a community in a transitional stage – one that is still passionate enough to voice their discontent loudly, but has become more skeptical regarding the direction their favorite game is taking.
The spirits might be choosing the players on the 28th of October, but the burning question is whether the players will still pick Overwatch. The new bundle is also available on PlayStation and Xbox.
