Jeff Kaplan, game director of Overwatch, clearly stated recently that they did one thing in the video game that is very important to them - to challenge stereotypes. Later however, he said that their motivations are not political. To some observers, this is a contradiction of sorts.
Overwatch Wants To Be Inclusive
The game director gave these statements in a recent Overwatch event in New York. He said they their aim is inclusivity and open-mindedness and that they did not design the game to be political. Some attendees of the event say that inclusivity is already a political value and pressed Kaplan to elaborate on his statements.
Kaplan explained that the only people they want to exclude from the game are those who exclude other people. He added that they don't want to make a strong stance and put people out and shouldn't be discriminated against because of who they are. That's why, Kaplan explained, anyone can be a hero in Overwatch.
But Concepts From The Game Were Used By Others Politically
However, the game director is aware that concepts from Overwatch were used by some people to express and promote their political opinions and values. He mentioned that in the last U.S. presidential elections, Donald Trump was portrayed in a billboard ad playing an Overwatch character who is notorious for attracting those who are not team players.
New Dance Emotes And New Game Mode Are Coming
In another non-politically inclined development, it appears that Overwatch is adding a number of dance emotes to the game in time for its Anniversary update. The game's Facebook page in Brazil showed off some of these dance emotes. It seems it involves the likes of Zenyatta, Symmetra and Sombra.
There are also rumors that there will be a new Gladiator vs. Challenger mode that will be introduced in the upcoming Overwatch Anniversary update. Apparently, some gamers have discovered references to this still undisclosed mode. The Anniversary event of Overwatch is scheduled from May 23 to June 12.
