Blizzard interested in Overwatch 2 having Fortnite-esque crossovers

Speaking to Game Informer, Blizzard vice president Jon Spector discussed the possibility of Overwatch 2 incorporating crossovers with different franchises. It'd be an incentive for players to spend money that Overwatch 1 notably lacked, and while nothing concrete is on the table, Spector admitted a desire in making it happen. 

"We've seen some really fun examples out there of games working with other brands or other games. [...] As we look at the Overwatch 2 space, those are things that we're interested in exploring," said Spector. 

Brand crossovers serve as an easy way to potentially bring in new revenue via fans of those franchises who may have otherwise shown no interest in a particular game. The ridiculousness of such crossovers often spread like wildfire on social media also doesn't hurt.

Crossovers between franchises have become popular in recent years, with titles such as Fortnite, PUBG, and Sea of Thieves all getting in on the action. It's Epic's game that draws the most attention for these, such as recent crossovers with Dragon Ball Z and Naruto. 

Collaborations such as those are what Spector wants for Overwatch 2, rather than tie-in ads. "If and when we do that, one of our key values is to do it in a way that feels like a great fit for the Overwatch franchise."

In the past, Overwatch has kept its crossovers in-house; D.Va's lore involves being a pro-Starcraft II player, and several Overwatch characters are playable in Heroes of the Storm. However, the hero shooter has yet to really cross paths with properties outside of the studio. 

While Fortnite's approach to brands is more of toybox-like structure with narrative elements, Overwatch exists in its own world, and with its own lore and rules. Making future crossovers feel like part of the game's world, and getting players to care, would mark the first bit of good news that Overwatch 2 has had in some time.