Overwatch 2 devs not interested in copying Fortnite with content creator skins

Jeremy Gan
OW2 Fortnite

Overwatch 2 devs have revealed they are not planning on doing any content creator collabs akin to Fortnite, despite being open to various crossovers. 

Fortnite has innovated the world of video game collabs, with its various crossovers featuring the likes of Marvel, Capcom, DC, and just about everything in between. In addition, the popular battle royale also includes many creator collabs with names like Ninja, SypherPK, and Lachlan all dropping into the game.

Naturally, Overwatch 2’s devs have been inspired by the battle royale giant, with the game’s Vice President, Jon Spector praising the game’s ability to bring disparate intellectual properties together in a Game Informer interview.

It seems the inspiration has resulted in the team creating the much-hyped One Punch Man collaboration skins. Turning Doomfist into Saitama, Kiriko into Terrible Tornado, and Soldier 76 into Mumen Rider. And this has opened the floodgates for more potential collaborations with Overwatch 2 and other intellectual properties, perhaps with Dragon Ball Z on the way next.

However, the team is quite hesitant to make the jump into content creator collaboration skins, just like Fortnite did.

Overwatch 2’s very first IP collab focused on One Punch Man.

In an interview Dexerto attended, we asked the team if they would ever be interested in honoring Twitch or YouTube personalities with their own cosmetic collaborations in-game. 

Associate Producer Aimee Dennett said, “we are really careful with that, so it would have to be a really good reason that we feel is a good fit for Overwatch.” Continuing to say the team is much stricter when it comes to collaborating with non-fictional intellectual properties. 

Dennett did point out that Overwatch has historically done Overwatch League MVP skins in commemoration of players who performed well in the professional League. Celebrating their skills with a special skin of the Hero they gained MVP with. 

While individual players have received custom Overwatch skins in the past, it’s not a common occurrence.

But OWL MVP skins have been through a number of controversies before. When Ex-OWL player Jay “Sinatraa” Won was accused of sexual abuse, his MVP skin, Alien Zarya, underwent changes to remove the OWL and MVP trophy badges from the skin. Refunders were even offered to players who purchased the skin.

It seems, at least for now, the Overwatch devs would like to avoid another situation like that, thus sticking to fictional characters and intellectual properties. So fans shouldn’t hold their breath on the idea of content creator bundles making their way to the hero shooter anytime soon.