Rebel

Things Overwatch doesn't teach you (that you usually learn the hard way). 🧵

I got to ask Aaron Keller about Mama Hong during #blizzcon. This was part of the latest @OmnicWeekly podcast!

10 Years of Overwatch - holy moly. I have gained so much from this game - fun, friendship, community, creativity, and a career! Overwatch has had a massive influence on my life and I just wanted to share a few reflections. I remember back in 2016, I didn’t want to pre-order the game because I thought it might be a flop 🙃. But I succumbed to the early hype on day one and haven’t really put it down since. It was the first competitive FPS that I enjoyed, and while I was never incredible at the mechanics, I really loved how success was often gained through teamwork. I was hooked from my first look at the Overwatch League and fully embraced the emotional ride of being a Philly Fusion fan. A big highlight for me was attending the 2019 Grand Finals in Philadelphia. It was absolutely insane to see so many Overwatch fans fill a huge arena. I'm a little sad the league never fully realized its original vision, but coming off 3 days of co-streaming the OWCS Champions Clash… OW Esports is in a great place. During the isolation of COVID, I found a competitive and social outlet through amateur online leagues which truly unlocked a deeper enjoyment of the game and pushed me to try out streaming. I believe to this day that the best experience you can have in Overwatch is being part of a regular team. There’s nothing like hopping on with your crew, running plays, the ongoing banter, and competing together. I highly recommend finding and joining a league! When I moved back to Australia from the USA, I was a creative person working in a very non-creative career, and content creation became my outlet. In 2022, I started streaming my Overwatch games and fell in love with it immediately. I loved trying to improve my skills at gaming and streaming and chatting with others about our shared interests. The Oceanic (OCE) region of Overwatch creators is incredibly vibrant and unique. Because of our unsociable time zones and geographic isolation, we’ve always had to make our own opportunities. I've participated in, and led countless events, tournaments, meet-ups and more with a stellar group of creators and hope for many more in the future. I’ve made so many life-long friends from this group and I am so grateful that it remains active and eager to keep things interesting for our region. On a personal note, Overwatch has been the catalyst for my content and community. I really hit my stride with socials doing deep dives into pop culture references in the game, then building quizzes and sharing my unique brand of silly. Some big highlights for me have been putting on fun panels at PAX Australia, being regularly featured on the BattleNet launcher in ANZ and soon to be attending BlizzCon for the first time as a creator! Ten years on, I’m still bad at Overwatch, but I’m just as obsessed now as I was on day one. I’m so thrilled about the current state of the game, and what is coming in the future. Thank you Blizzard and Team 4 for making something so very special for so many of us. 🧡POG