As a live service title,Overwatch 2lives and dies by its regular content updates, with seasonal events, collaborations, major updates, and more being the main way that the game attempts to appeal to fans and keep things somewhat fresh. Since the franchise’s launch in 2016,Overwatchhas developed a predictable formula of seasonal content, with major events centered around holidays like Halloween, Christmas, and Lunar New Year giving way to some of the game’s most anticipated yearly events.
Overwatch 2’s Approach to April Fool’s Day Content Sets a Great Standard for Hero Shooters
April Fool’s Day content has been a staple ofOverwatch 2for quite some time now, being one of the key ways that the title has distinguished itself from the annual content of its predecessor. Every April, fans can now expect to see a two-week event that offers a wacky spin on the usual gameplay ofOverwatch 2.The event makes unmissable in-game cosmetic and statistical changes that completely re-write how certain heroes play.
For example,2025’s April Fool’s Day event forOverwatch 2was officially called “Totally Normalwatch,” offering a standalone playlist that saw every hero have significant balance changes, as well as googly eyes and unique Ultimate Ability dialogue lines. This playlist ran from April 1 to April 15, offering some of the most high-octane gameplay thatOverwatch 2can muster. Every year further cements April Fool’s Day as a time of celebration for the franchise.
This kind of playlist works so well within the context ofOverwatch 2due to just how detailed the kits and balance stats of each hero are, creating a near-endless variety of fun changes that can be made to suit the rambunctiousness of April Fool’s Day. Of course,Overwatch 2is in a constant battle to keep its head above water within the massively saturated industry of hero shooters. The Blizzard game’s direct competitors could take a page out ofOW2’s book to make similar tongue-in-cheek wide-spanning changes of their own.
Marvel Rivalsburst onto the scene in late 2024 with a concurrent player count peak of almost 650,000 on Steam, posing a real threat to the previous leaders of the hero shooter genre.
Marvel Rivals Has Already Laid the Groundwork For More Expansive Future April Fool’s Day Content
Marvel Rivalscurrently stands as the largest threatto older, established hero shooter franchises, with the title recently dipping its toes into the concept of April Fool’s Day content with its viral dancing Venom emote. While these thematically outlandish free rewards are great, it seems clear thatRivalscould offer the same kind of limited-time playlist with massively altered balance changes asOW2, emulating the success and attention thatOverwatch 2’s April Fool’s Day content often receives.
Other games likeValorantandApex Legendsdo feature more comprehensive April Fool’s Day events, yet there still seems to be room for these IPs to grow in terms of things like synonymous cosmetic changes for their events, offering a more direct level of comparison and competition between the biggest hitters of the genre. While massively successful, the hero shooter genre is often filled with hyper-competitiveness that can get in the way of entertainment. More widespread and comprehensive April Fool’s Day celebrations across the genre would be a great way to simmer this, even if only for a while.
