Blizzard Explains Why Overwatch 2 and G.I. Joe Are a Perfect Fit

The latest collaboration for Blizzard’s free-to-play hero shooter Overwatch 2 sees it crossing over with the long-running G.I. Joe franchise. New skins for Genji, Doomfist, Freja, Widowmaker, and Reaper will see them transform into G.I. Joe characters Snake Eyes, Destro, Scarlett, Baroness, and Cobra Commander, respectively.

Game Rant recently spoke with Overwatch 2‘s art director Dion Rogers and product management director Aimee Dennett about the collab, detailing how the process ended up going pretty smoothly. They also touched on some of the similarities between the two franchises.

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The Overwatch 2 x G.I. Joe Collaboration Was a Smooth One

Depending on the IPs in question, not every video game collaboration works out as planned. Sometimes the owners of the crossover IP have a very different artistic vision to that of the developer. However, this wasn’t the case with Hasbro, as Blizzard had already worked with them on the prior Overwatch 2 x Transformers collaboration. ”There weren’t any growing pains in terms of, who do we talk to for this or that? It was more like a family reunion of like, oh my gosh, we get to work with you again!” Dennett explained. The internal collaboration process between the Overwatch 2 team also went extremely smoothly. She continued,

”Sometimes the internal collaboration phase takes a really long time. It can take weeks, and lots of ideations. This one was probably the quickest we’ve ever had though! Quite literally, Dion sent me a PDF. Then we were like, oh, this is a no-brainer. Let’s do it!”

Parallels Between Overwatch 2 and G.I. Joe

While on the surface the two IPs may look different, digging a little deeper reveals plenty of similarities. Both feature a diverse range of characters who band together to fight evil, and both have a very specific aesthetic. G.I. Joe usually has a more retro feel to it, which, when paired with the more modern, stylish look of Overwatch 2, can create a unique visual style. Rogers explained,

”Both G.I. Joe and Overwatch share some parallels. It’s some fun, colorful characters with opposing ideas, and they have cool weapons! Overwatch has cool weapons. There’s a lot of actual interest and overlap between the two worlds, and the optimistic vibe of Overwatch. Also, G.I. Joe always has some sort of moral to the story, so it just feels like the two match really well.”

These parallels meant that certain decisions, like turning Genji into Snake Eyes or Freja into Scarlett, were extremely easy. Eagle-eyed G.I. Joe fans will also spot plenty of Easter eggs hidden in the collaboration. ”If you look at Doomfist, he has the MARS logo on his gauntlet. That’s a reference to the military organization he runs that basically makes all the weapons and stuff for COBRA.” Rogers explained, ”In this day and age, fans go crazy for that sort of stuff!”