One player of Blizzard’s popular hero shooter Overwatch 2 came across an unexpected reference to sports icon Muhammad Ali when checking out the sprays available to the game’s cybernetic mercenary, Doomfist. In an effort to provide an exclusive experience for the most skilled wielders of the game’s eclectic assortment of heroes, like Doomfist, the developers of the free-to-play shooter recently announced tentative plans to add a special Overwatch 2 queue for high-ranked players.
Hoping to repeat the overwhelming success of its 2016 predecessor, Overwatch 2 was released for PC and consoles in late 2022. While fans of Blizzard’s unique online shooter were happy to see the franchise return, complaints about gameplay changes and the microtransactions that came along with the move to a free-to-play model soured the experience for some players. Despite these complaints, though, the game has managed to establish a dedicated playerbase in the months since its release. The Blizzard shooter is currently in the midst of a crossover event with one of the most popular franchises in anime, with the Overwatch 2 One-Punch Man event running until April 6.
Reddit user trigonomitrix came across a reference to one of the most iconic photos in sports history when checking out the sprays for Doomfist, sharing a picture of the find on the r/Overwatch subreddit. The spray, appropriately named “The Greatest,” shows Overwatch 2 hero Doomfist striking a triumphant pose over a downed opponent in a manner that mirrors the famous shot of boxer Muhammad Ali towering over a dazed Sonny Liston. Viewing the two pictures side by side, it’s impossible to miss the clever nod to one of the most legendary moments in boxing.
Like trigonomitrix, several Redditors responding to the post had never noticed the spray referencing Ali’s pugilistic prowess and thanked them for highlighting the clever homage. Some comments noted that the tribute to Muhammad Ali’s memorable moment wasn’t the only pop culture reference hidden in Overwatch 2, with several other sprays in the game similarly referencing popular media. Another Redditor pointed out that Doomfist’s voice line “So mean, I make medicine sick” is a reference to a quote from Ali to a journalist ahead of his legendary “Rumble in the Jungle” fight against George Foreman.
Given Doomfist’s powerful punches in Overwatch 2, it seems only fitting for the brawler to have a spray referencing one of the greatest boxers of all time. And with all the media references already hidden away in Blizzard’s popular shooter, it will be interesting to see what homages to pop culture players find in Overwatch 2’s upcoming PvE mode.
Overwatch 2 is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Reddit