It’s a collaboration that no one saw coming, but somehow an Overwatch 2 tie-in with One Punch Man makes perfect sense. The highly-popular anime will make its way into Blizzard Entertainment’s hero shooter when Season 3 kicks off tomorrow (7 or 8 March, depending on your time zone), and end its run on 6 April.
The crossover event brings new cosmetics inspired by One Punch Man into the game, the first of which is a Doomfist skin themed after the anime’s protagonist, Saitama. Fans can also expect other new skins and a custom loading screen, though details are still mostly under wraps for now.
“Together we’ve created a collection of cosmetics from the beloved anime, including Saitama skin for Doomfist,” Blizzard wrote in a blog post. “We’ll reveal each item before they drop on March 7, with one being a Legendary skin that’s earnable via themed challenges.”
This marks the Overwatch franchise’s second major external skin collaboration, with the first being a Lego-themed Bastion skin back in 2019. Considering the wealth of anime references that are already in the game, including a Moira Neon Genesis Evangelion spray and a Baptiste Dragon Ball Z spray, the theme does come across as fitting, especially with Doomfist’s cosmetic makeover. 100 pushups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10-kilometre run? Saitama’s workout regime is nothing but a piece of cake for the punch-happy hero.
The Overwatch 2 and One Punch Man collaboration is arriving as part of the Season 3 content slate, which will feature a new map, a Valentine’s Day-themed event with an online dating simulator, an Asian mythology theme, and more. The new season is launching on 7 or 8 March depending on region, while the release of One Punch Man’s third season has yet to be set.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Edwin Teo
