It’s no secret thatOverwatch 2has had a rocky existence butif recent reports are to be believed, Blizzard could be trying to inject some life into the hero shooter with a mobile port. There’sa huge market for decent FPS games on mobileas titles likeCall of Duty MobileandPUBG Mobilehave attracted millions of players from across the world. GivenOverwatch 2’s reputation, bringing the title over to mobile seems like a risky move, but if it works out, it may just save the game.
Over on Reddit, user-LastGrail-shared an excerpt from the bookPlay Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future Of Blizzard Entertainmentby journalist Jason Schreier whereinit’s suggested that a mobile version ofOverwatch 2is in development:
“Overwatch was led by Walter Kong, who oversaw the release of regular heroes and content for Overwatch 2,as well as new projects like a mobile version of the franchise.”
Aside from this snippet of information, nothing else is known about the project butSchreier is known as being one of the most reputable insiders in the video game industry. Whether the project is intended for a wide release or if it exists as a purely conceptual piece remains unknown.
Should Overwatch 2 Come To Mobile?
It’s Not The Worst Idea
As mentioned above, there is a massive audience for competitive shooters on mobile so with the ever-increasing power of smartphones making games likeResident Evil: Villageplayable,it stands to reason that Blizzard would see a future forOverwatch 2on iOS and Android. With its simple objectives and relatively low barrier for entry, there is certainly a case to be made for the hero shooter thriving on mobile. Yet the bigger question is what this means for the established player base.
Opening upOverwatch 2for a wider audience could prove successful in terms of revenue generation butit may alienate those players who have been with the sequel from the start.Overwatch 2has been mired in controversyever since it was announced and the game has struggled toplease its players for the last few years. Spending time on porting it to mobile isn’t the kind of work enthusiasts want to see from Blizzard, so the game risks losing many of its long-time fans.
Marvel Rivals Is Exactly What Overwatch 2 Should’ve Been
Marvel Rivals is in its closed beta and looks to take the hero shooter by storm on launch, showing players what Overwatch 2 should’ve been.
Screen Rant’s Take: Overwatch 2 On Mobile Is A Cool Idea
But It Won’t Fix The Game’s Problems
Having a mobile version ofOverwatch 2may be fun as a novelty but its existence will only exacerbate the game’s existing problems.I think Blizzard should focus more on fixing the game’s poor reputationby re-evaluatingits monetization model, disappointing cosmetics, and poor match-making rather than chasing the potential cash cow that is mobile gaming. As with most reports, it’s worth taking this with a grain of salt until an official announcement is made, but it seems very possible that Blizzard would at least experiment with the idea.
