In the closing hours of the Overwatch servers, many players came together to bring a peaceful end to their final matches. With Overwatch 1 officially dead as of today, many players decided to log on one final time and celebrate the passing of a game that they loved in unique ways.
The advent of its sequel sees Blizzard officially shutting down the servers for Overwatch, and although players' data is moving on along to the free to play Overwatch 2 along with players themselves, there was still a great deal of sadness over the end of the first game. It was in that sadness that many players found solidarity.
Some players finished this game about constant, endless combat with something even more bizarre: peace. Some players on Reddit posted images of the two teams sitting together, either taking a quiet moment together or waiting for the match and the servers to end. As Overwatch opened players' lootboxes, players opened up to each other, with some declaring that their final match "ended in a draw," a perpetual state of peace for the heroes who fought so hard.
These snapshots are some of the most harmonious moments found at the end of this era, with another contender for that title being a video of the end of Overwatch in real time. Of course, these were not the only ways that players celebrated their final moments. Many posted videos of their final, glorious plays, compilations of moments, or even collages of toxicity directed at them and their characters, all with a smile. It was an outpouring of memories made over the last six years, and the stories shared were many and heartfelt.
There was also fan art in evidence, with one artist drawing Zenyatta every day for 200 days in anticipation of Overwatch 2's release. Another drawing sees D.Va passing her headset off to her new design in Overwatch 2, capturing the bittersweet moment of the first game's passing.
Perhaps some of the strangest but most profound moments in Overwatch's final hours were the more comedic ones, such as Moira driving in a van or Widowmaker striking the player so hard their server vanishes. Already fans are accusing Overwatch 2 of reusing assets, and apprehension is high for what Overwatch 2 may bring, but it's clear that there is still a deep love for the game and hope for its future. Only time will tell if that hope is well-founded.
Overwatch was available for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.