The official Overwatch Twitter account has lately shared a very amusing Thanksgiving-themed drawing and it is, in fact, pure madness. The picture shows the game’s new character Vendetta, a damage hero, as the one who is keen on serving the turkey, while the others are looking quite frightened. The accompanying text says, ‘This year Vendetta insisted on carving the turkey (and we were too scared to say no) 🦃.’ Moreover, they acknowledged the artist @PPYCH0W for the gorgeous drawing which has got the entire community talking, laughing, and possibly being a bit worried about the gravy’s contents.
The image is akin to a grotesque caricature of today’s holiday anxiety. Although all the Overwatch characters are sitting around a Thanksgiving table, the ambiance is not one of thankfulness but rather a fierce battle that is soon to erupt. Vendetta is upfront, sword in hand, looking overly impatient to serve the roasted bird. Reaper has occupied a spot at the wall, possibly contemplating the dreadful fear of green bean casserole, and one user opined, ‘Look at reaper,’ which is true, his feeling is quite understandable. Another user cracked a joke, ‘Reaper be like,’ showing a GIF of a person who seems like they are already over everything, which indeed is his character trait. The community has even invented a term “Drafty” to describe the mixing of the fierce with the festive.
But, the comments, oh the comments are the source of the most amazing things. Overwatch players are always… sharing their opinions. Some gamers were simply praising the drawing, with comments like ‘Awesome work!’ and ‘Fantastic Artwork’, while many replies right away turned to game balance and their complaints. It almost seems they spotted a cute holiday picture and their thoughts instantly switched to the patch notes. One of the most liked comments was a very direct statement: “Nerf TF out of her. She’s far too OP”. This gamer is obviously still in a daze after being dispatched by Vendetta’s dash in their last rank match. Another player countered, “Cass flashbang, Ana sleep, Mei, so easy to counter her brother,” trying to be comforting by suggesting counter-picks. Yet it was unmistakable—players think she is a bit of a monster right now.
Then came the… other demands. The Overwatch social media team must have been fed up after going through their notifications. A player wrote, “Release a tank next season. If you want to reshape things slow down the pace of change, don’t make me wait a whole year for just one tank and then it is a no tank situation”. This person surely still feels the hero release schedule is affecting him. Another user added, “Change her to a tank you fools @PlayOverwatch—so silly to let such a character be a dps.” Not only do they want her power reduced, but some also argue that the whole character type is wrong. The feedback was nothing short of overwhelmingly expressive.
Excuse me, what was the topic again? Oh, right, Thanksgiving art. It also triggered players to come up with some absurdly funny headcanons and theories. One user even went as far as to setting a very dramatic scene: “vendetta: my father died 8 years ago.. he was only one of my family left. Ana: Oh I’m so sorry to hear that.. Vendetta: that monster killed Antonio Bartalotti he was my father. Reaper: [GIF of someone sweating]”. This points to the fact that Reaper might even have to take the blame, which is as shocking as saying it at the dinner table. On the other hand, someone suggested, “Maybe she put some poison on her sword that’s why she insisted lol,” which is in her legend and not entirely unrealistic. Would you eat turkey that has been cut by a vengeful assassin? I think I would hesitate a little bit.
A slight cultural debate also emerged. One commenter stated, “But we don’t celebrate an American festivity,” questioning why an international group of heroes would all be participating in a purely U.S. holiday. Another user then jumped in with a quick comeback, “All the other heroes in the drawing do, that’s why it’s strange. It’s also kinda weird, in general, to force a character into another culture.” It is a valid point that shows the players are taking the lore and character identities into account, not just the gameplay of the heroes.
Also, regional server complaints just have to be made in an Overwatch thread. “latam deserves a better server than this bullshit jungle,” said one player, while another added, “no more brazil monkeys, I am tired of every defeat, aimbots, fake aims, lame banana teams, I can’t enjoy vendeta, I am tired of bad matchmaking.” The dissatisfaction with matchmaking and server quality appears to be a common language in the gaming community, even Blizzard must address these ongoing issues. Meanwhile, the PlayStation and Xbox platforms continue to host the vibrant Overwatch community.
