Blizzard Says 'Overwatch' Could Be Getting A TV Series And This Needs To Happen

Given the success of Overwatch, and how it's captivated Blizzard fans old and new, it isn't too surprising that a TV or film adaptation might be on the cards. Film and TV adaptations of video games are becoming increasingly common: Silent Hill and Resident Evil both became film franchises in their own right, while on the TV front Skylander's: Academy has just launched on Netflix, and we've even seen an anime series based off the video game series Danganronpa.

Oh, and let's not forget the rather well done Warcraft movie that was released earlier this year.

How Did Talk of An Overwatch TV Show Begin?

Although there isn't a single player campaign or story mode in game, Overwatch has released a number of widely praised shorts to showcase the story behind our favorite heroes. Much of the attachment to Overwatch's characters come from the out of game shorts rather than the game itself—I've absolutely fallen in love with Winston due to his lore (and of course the fact he's an ape).

In an interview with Newsbeat, co-president of Activision Blizzard Stacey Sher stated that Blizzard Entertainment has given the idea of an Overwatch TV or film adaptation some thought, but they want to carefully look at it before moving forward.

He also said it's important to take the time to see what is best for each franchise, whether that's a movie, TV show, or just online episodic content like we've seen in Overwatch previously.

"Taking their time" is sort of what Blizzard does. They've built the reputation of their studio on polish and complete products, and we wouldn't expect them to rush into an Overwatch series considering the 12+ years it took from World of Warcraft's release to the movie adaptation.

The Overwatch TV Show Needs to Happen

Despite the fact that Blizzard has released episodic shorts, there's still a lot missing from the universe as far as lore and emotional attachment to characters. Who's Talon, and why are they the bad guys? Why is Gabriel Reyes (Reaper) so angry and what did Mercy to do him? Where did this Doomfist guy come from? There are some answers hidden in the comics and shorts, but there's still much to be explored.

There are even bigger questions about the timeline of events. It's clear that the world went through a very Watchmen-esque moratorium on heroes, but what exactly prompted it, and why did it happen? What is happening now that Winston has re-established the Overwatch team? These questions, and many more, are all things that could be easily explored in a longer format TV series; and it could potentially bring even more life to the game to its passionate fanbase.

Of course, Blizzcon 2016 is this weekend, which means we could be seeing several big announcements in the near future such as Diablo 4, a new Overwatch map or hero (Sombra please), news about World of Warcraft: Legion content, another Hearthstone expansion, or even news about new game franchises.

While Stacey Sher's comments about Overwatch specifically seemed a bit off the cuff, we can always be hopeful that Blizzard will give more information about an Overwatch series at Blizzcon.

Source: BBC News Beat (via GameRant)