A portion of the Overwatch 2 community has slammed the Pride Month event, with some calling it "underwhelming" and saying they didn't even notice it had begun. Following the cancelation of Overwatch 2's PvE campaign mode, Blizzard took serious backlash from the community, with some players even going so far as to lose their games intentionally to protest Blizzard's decision. Unfortunately, the developers haven't yet taken measures to prevent these protesters from ruining other players' games.
This is not the first time Overwatch 2 has faced harsh criticism from players. The monetization practices adopted in the game have long been debated, with some players claiming that it is nearly impossible to unlock hero skins by completing weekly challenges. The Overwatch 2 community also urged Blizzard to impose an increased penalty for those who leave early, suggesting they should have their own queue where they are matched against each other.
RELATED: Overwatch 2 Reveals New Cosmetics, Map Changes for Pride Month Event
Overwatch 2's Pride Month event has come with its fair share of controversy, with many players on the game's Reddit page expressing their frustration over the lack of content. They have slammed Blizzard for delivering a "lackluster" event that falls short of the mark for them, claiming that making a few random characters canonically LGBT+ and adding flags and confetti to existing maps shouldn't be classified as an event. The original poster, who goes by maxABC, also said they can't overstate how "underwhelming'' it feels after this event was marketed for quite some time.
A Reddit user who goes by runawaylemon claimed this is the first "event" that doesn't have any challenges that would give battle pass rewards. Another user, KrzysztofDebiloo66, said they had their hopes up for the inclusivity and new customization, but the eventual result was disappointing. Many disgruntled players in the comments criticized the developers for putting little effort into the Pride Month event, which doesn't even include a new loading screen or a welcome message.
To protect players, Blizzard has banned the Overwatch 2 Pride Month event in some countries with strict LGBT+ laws. Overwatch 2has also confirmed that the event will remain "opt-in," allowing players to choose whether to participate or not. It remains to be seen if Blizzard will bring more content as part of the event to satisfy some of the community. Players can get their icons and name cards to reflect their queer identities until the game's first-ever Pride event ends on June 30.
Overwatch 2 also released a short story that unveiled the sexual identities of Pharah and Baptiste, confirming Baptiste as a lesbian and Pharah as bisexual. The story also hinted at the identities of some other heroes. ​​​​​​​
Overwatch 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
MORE: Overwatch 2: How to Invite Friends