Overwatch 2 Just Unveiled Its Next Anime Crossover & It Looks Fantastic

screenrant.com:

is returning to the world of anime with a crossover event themed around the beloved franchise. As a part of the competitive shooter's attempt to better engage with its audience, has begun dipping its toes into the world of IP collaboration, a move that has resulted in some fun character designs but has also managed to irk the player base. Much like the crossover, the skins can only be purchased with premium currency, alienating the free-to-play community.

Per an official trailer on YouTube, announced that five legendary skins based on characters from will be available from October 17 to October 30.

The transformed characters included Reaper as Tomura Shigaraki, Juno as Uravity, Tracer as Deku, Reinhardt as All Might, and Kiriko as Himiko Toga. There's no denying that each of the designs looks fantastic and each of the character combinations work better than one might expect, but one can't help but be wary about the precedent the event sets for the future.

It's difficult to not see 's introduction of anime-inspired skins as a response to which has been doing the same thing for years and has earned plenty of praise for it. Many players no doubt want the opportunity to enjoy the experience as their favorite character but the event seems like an odd mix with a game that is already known for its distinct characters and artfully-designed cosmetics. The community largely agrees that instead of spending money on licensing other franchises, more high-quality original skins would be better appreciated.

There's also the fact that the event, much like the crossover, feels like an attempt to squeeze more money out of the player base. While Blizzard has yet to reveal how much the new skins will cost, the previous collaboration boasted exorbitant prices that drew substantial ire from the community. Whether or not the developer has learned from its previous mistakes remains to be seen but given 's popularity, the event will likely be a success regardless.

Marvel Rivals is in its