Blizzard Entertainment’s Overwatch hasn’t seen the strongest narrative development over the past year or two. While Overwatch 2 makes up for that by having a traditional story campaign on top of multiplayer, it seems lead writer Michael Chu is no longer at the helm. He revealed he’s left Blizzard, having worked there for 20 years.
Chu outlined his experiences at the company in a blog post. “From the battles between the races of Azeroth in Warcraft to the corruption of humanity as pawns of the Eternal Conflict in Diablo, I was lucky enough to tell stories in these amazing universes and help bring them to life. And I have had the great fortune to get to know and interact with the passionate global community that played our games.”
He also spoke about how “meetings, travels, and a desire to embrace the diversity of our world made it clear that there were different stories that needed to be told about places and people not traditionally seen in games.” Overwatch was that opportunity. “Together, we worked, struggled, and shed tears to champion a universe that featured people from across the world, to bring to life the wondrous sights of earth’s past, present, and future, and to empower the contributions of creators and voices who would better represent the breadth of human experience. I believed that a game could show the power of diversity and that one kiss could change the world, if only a little.”
Chu talks about how the game has been a “life-changing experience” and how some players would feel inspired to visit a new place after seeing it in-game or learning a new language thanks to the in-game dialogue. But what’s next for the writer after so much time spent at Blizzard? “Now, as I head out through the Blizzard doors for a last time, I have new dreams: to continue to tell these stories and build worlds that unite people through games. To help create an inclusive world where more people will want to share stories that reflect their own experiences. I hope it’s something we can build together.”
As for Overwatch 2, it’s currently in development for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch. It’s rumored to be releasing in 2020 and despite introducing new PvE missions, skill trees and campaign, it will still have new heroes, maps and modes for multiplayer. The new maps and heroes can be accessed by Overwatch 1 players for free with all of their cosmetics and progression carrying over as well.