Storytelling inOverwatch 2has a lot of potential, as the PvE campaign content that is set to come later in 2023 is something that fans have been waiting years for. Development for the roster of heroes and their various relationships will likely be seen across the co-op missions, and the overall story is finally set to progress beyond the reformation of theOverwatch organization. However, one thing that could be harder to deliver is proper stakes.
Overwatch 2heroes suffer from an even worse version of the Marvel effect where they feel truly invulnerable from any serious consequences. This is because they need to remain as playable heroes, with gamers owning paid skins for them and their abilities being integral to the gameplay experience. The PvE campaign could struggle to deliver a powerful story because of this, as it will feel very safe without Blizzard taking risks or killing a character. If every named character lives each time Overwatch and Talon butt heads, fans could start to get bored. Fortunately, there is one character that would be “easier” for Blizzard to kill off than others: Doomfist.
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Another Doomfist Successor Could Be Introduced in Overwatch 2
While Reinhardt’s age and his mentorship of Brigitte make him an interesting option for a tragic death, the reality is that nobody can easily fill the role he provides for the game. With Doomfist, however, there is already a line of other Doomfists, meaning there is already a precedent for an eventual replacement. With the gauntlet passed from person to person like the title ofBlack Panther in Marvel comics, perhaps the current Doomfist will be replaced down the road.
As mostOverwatch 2players will surely be aware of, the active Doomfist is a villain with an ideology that sees him wanting to plunge the world into chaos so that it can become stronger. This has placed him at the head of a terrorist organization called Talon that is regularly at odds with Overwatch, and that is unlikely to change even as Ramattra’s uprising steals the attention of the heroes. Eventually, Talon andOverwatch’s leaderscould clash again, with Winston needing to stop Doomfist permanently this time around.
Doomfist dying in a fight with one ofOverwatch 2’s heroes in the PvE campaignor an animated short could shock players, proving that not every hero is safe and adding a feeling of danger to future stories. It would also allow for a very different gauntlet wielder to become a hero. While the current Doomfist that players know and love, Akande Ogundimu, is a villain, perhaps the next one will be a hero. There has been a good Doomfist in the past, and it could make for a nice change of pace if another were to appear.
What makes the concept of killing Doomfist appealing is thatBlizzardwould have a relatively easy path toward working the new version intoOverwatch 2. He could have the exact same body type and moveset, and the skins could require a minimal amount of changes to make the redesign work, with only the face needing to be changed. From there, it comes down to giving the new Doomfist some fresh voice lines and hero interactions, replacing all the old dialogue with new additions.
Killing off a character would be a tough pill to swallow forOverwatch 2fans, but the biggest villain on the roster dying would be a logical route to take. Unlike someone like Ramattra, who is newer and more difficult to replace, Akande can safely die to make room for anotherDoomfist. This could be treated like a major event in-universe and in-game, with Doomfist possibly disabled for a few days after his death so that all players realize what happened. Then, the new Doomfist could drop, with Blizzard telling the story of a man who is working to change the way the world views his name and his gauntlet. The rest of the cast would no longer feel safe from all danger because of the change, making for a far less predictable narrative from then on.
Overwatch 2is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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