gaming
Are Fortnite-style branded collaborations the key to Overwatch 2’s future success?
It’s been a rough month for the launch of Overwatch 2. In the first few days of its release, Blizzard’s long-awaited sequel to the 2016 team-based shooter was plagued with connection issues, leaving millions of players unable to enter matches. While many of the problems relating to server issues have now been addressed, Blizzard now has another challenge on its hands: making enough sales from microtransactions to support the franchise’s move to a free-to-play model.
So far, that’s been pretty difficult. Overwatch 2’s recent Halloween event, Halloween Terror, introduced a variety of themed character and weapon skins into the game for the ‘discounted’ price of 2000 Overwatch Coins each, roughly the equivalent of $20. A legendary skin for the character Kiriko was available for 2600 Overwatch Coins, a discount on the original price of 3700 Overwatch Coins. As you might imagine, this is already causing upset amongst some players, especially as this year’s Halloween update removed the option to earn unlockable skins simply by progressing through the game.
Evidently, some players aren’t willing to spend over $20 for an alternative outfit for their character. However, we do know that players are more than happy to spend roughly the same price in other free-to-play games such as Fortnite to unlock characters from popular franchises, whether that’s Goku from Dragon Ball Z or Marvel’s Spider-Man. This is something that Jon Spector, Overwatch’s commercial leader and vice president at Blizzard, seems well aware of, according to a recent interview with GameInformer.
In the interview, Spector announced that while he isn’t a Fortnite player, he thinks it’s ‘super cool’ and ‘awesome’ to see branded collaborations such as Naruto appear in Fortnite.
“As we look at the Overwatch 2 space, those are things that we’re interested in exploring,” he says.
So, with Overwatch 2’s current monetisation strategies leaving a lot to be desired, could we see a shift towards branded collaborations as a core monetisation strategy rather than the traditional legendary and epic skins? Dropping the price of skins and embracing Fortnite-style collaborations would make a lot of commercial sense for Overwatch 2, especially as the company still seems torn on its pricing, according to a recent survey sent out to select players.
We know that Fortnite’s collaborations with the likes of Marvel, NFL, Nike and Ferrari have been hugely successful for Epic, largely due to the amount of revenue they generate from the sale of cosmetic items such as skins, emotes, banners and emoticons. As an example, the game’s collaboration with NFL resulted in 3.3 million NFL-themed skins being sold for $15 each in November and December 2018, according to leaked court documents from the Apple v Epic case. That’s nearly $50 million in revenue.
The big question now is how easily Overwatch 2 can replicate Fornite’s primary business model, and how well-suited these collaborations are for the Overwatch brand.
One of the biggest challenges facing Overwatch 2 is the fact it’s a hero-based shooter, with each hero boasting their own unique set of skills, traits and playstyles. As is often the case with team-based shooters, players often find themselves favouring specific heroes, whether that’s offensive heroes or defensive heroes that suit their preferred styles of playing.
This means Overwatch 2 will have to think carefully about how it rolls out branded collaborations. As an example, will a Marvel collaboration introduce special themed skins for every single hero in the game, or will it introduce a new limited-time character into the game? The introduction of any new character will have to be calculated carefully, so it doesn’t negatively impact the balance of existing characters.
It’s more likely that Overwatch 2 will introduce themed skins rather than new characters such as those seen in Dragon Ball Z. Depending on the popularity of the IP that Overwatch 2 pursues, I suspect players will be more susceptible to investing $15 or $20 into a skin that turns their favourite Overwatch hero into an alternative version of their favourite anime, film, TV or comic book characters, whether that’s Spider-Man, Darth Vader or one of The Transformers.
The hero-based mechanics of Overwatch 2 could also mean skins are only available for specific characters. While this might cause backlash amongst some fans at first, it could also open up alternative revenue streams. As an example, the style and appearance of the tank hero Reinhardt lends itself well to a Transformers skin. Players that don’t typically choose Reinhardt but are huge Transformers fans may be tempted to purchase a Transformers skin for him and start using him more. In turn, this could lead to a knock-on effect for players who go on to purchase Reinhardt’s wider cosmetic items.
There’s no denying that Overwatch 2 is a great game; the reviews have been overwhelmingly positive. If Overwatch 2 continues to struggle with monetisation models, branded collaborations like those in Fortnite might be the answer to its future success. But taking an established franchise that previously carried a full-price retail tag and moving it over to a free-to-play model is no easy task.
Key considerations when choosing your target IP
If you’re a game developer looking to emulate Fornite’s IP success, there are a few things you need to consider before bringing IP into your game.
- Don’t pick a target IP just because it’s a really popular brand or character. Look at your game and your players and ask yourself if it’s something that will resonate with them. For example, a clever partnership between The Walking Dead and State of Survival brought 20 million new players to the game. So a good understanding of your player demographics is a must. Be prepared to prove this to the license holders, too, as they’ll be just as interested to know if there’s any audience overlap.
- It may sound simple, but make sure you do your homework. Different IP rights holders can have very different priorities and strict requirements for usage. Bigger properties, especially ones that are popular with children, can be especially stringent as its in the holders interests to carefully limit their use. So, it’s up to developers to demonstrate their ability to comply with them. Being prepared can give you a huge advantage, and help clear some of the initial screening phases and get in front of the right decision-makers.
- There are more ways to integrate IP into your game than ever. So think carefully about your main goals, as simpler in-game items, like cosmetics and skins, are often much easier to negotiate with rights holders due to less complicated terms, plus, lighter development and creative costs can make them much quicker to roll out. FIFA 23 recently brought Apple TV’s Ted Lasso as well as Marvel cards to Ultimate Team, with these simple, smart deals opening the door for more collaborations in future.
A chaotic jungle journey with big, bad foes and insane riches.
Welcome to the jungle, where Shoot Happens! Face your opponent, take aim, and fire your way to riches.
ELA Games unveils its boldest title to date, a combination of decision-making and narrative progression where every shot counts.
In Shoot Happens, you’re not just a player. You’re the main character who has to fend off waves of increasingly dangerous (and valuable) monsters. Armed with 3 shots per round, you’ll need precision and calm nerves to take down the reward and add it to your Winpot. Hit the target for riches. Miss… and it’s back to the beginning.
The Choice Is Yours
Each round is in the hands of the player. Do you cash out now? Or keep slashing through the jungle for bigger and better rewards? Decision-making, timing, and a whole load of guts go a long way.
Expect the Unexpected
Random projectile bonuses can appear in any round, boosting your rewards massively. And just when you thought your journey through the treacherous jungle was over, the final boss appears. While the other monsters may have been a piece of cake, he doesn’t stay down. Each time you defeat him, he respawns for juicier and recurring payouts. Keep going as long as you can handle it, and you might walk out as the top dog of the jungle.
Marharyta Yerina, ELA Games’ Managing Director, commented on the game’s release, “With Shoot Happens, the team ventured outside of conventional game formats, and we wanted to give players a super engaging experience where they’re in control. This title is a bold approach to game design in this industry, as we’re empowering players with choice and enriching the gameplay experience with strong visuals, narratives, and plenty of replayability.”
Play how you want. The Winpot is yours
Shoot Happens is the perfect blend of fast-paced action, bold decision-making, and interactive gameplay. Whether you’re a cautious player or a complete daredevil, the game is an enticing experience for all.
How deep into the jungle are you willing to go?
The post Take Aim at Mega Wins: ELA Games Unleashes Chaos With New Shooter Game “Shoot Happens” appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
The Evolution Championship Series (known as Evo) concluded its flagship event in Las Vegas presented by Chipotle tonight, crowning 16 champions while celebrating the Fighting Game Community and its culture with the biggest and most immersive three-day festival of the year. Representing the largest and longest-running fighting game tournaments on Earth, Evo welcomed tens of thousands over the weekend with millions of fans who tuned in globally.
Next up, Evo will make its European debut at the Palais des Expos in Nice, France, on October 10-12, 2025, which will become the largest fighting game festival in EU history. Registration is still open at https://evo.gg/events/2025-france. Evo also announced it will return to Japan on May 1-3, 2026 and Las Vegas on June 26-28, 2026 along with the second annual Evo Awards in 2026 with more details to be unveiled later this year. Evo Singapore is now scheduled for early 2027.
“We feel strongly about the future of Evo after Japan became the largest in-person tournament in the history of the country earlier this year and now Las Vegas as our most immersive event ever,” said Stuart Saw, CEO for RTS, who co-owns and manages Evo along with Sony Interactive Entertainment. “Our team is focused on delivering unforgettable experiences for our diverse and passionate fighting game community, and we can’t wait to reveal our evolution in France.”
Evo Las Vegas packed a punch for everyone over the weekend, anchored by competitors from 60+ countries across the eight Arena Finals and eight Extended Lineup Finals. The Evo Arena on Sunday sold out, hosting 10,000 fans who enjoyed the newly redesigned space with larger screens to not miss a punch. On Saturday, SonicFox won their eighth Evo championship, only second all-time to fighting game legend Justin Wong’s nine Evo victories. Arslan Ash won his sixth Evo championship tonight in dramatic fashion along with his third consecutive Evo Las Vegas title and second-straight TEKKEN 8 championship. MenaRD became the first Street Fighter 6 champion to win Evo Japan and Evo Las Vegas in the same year and now owns three Evo titles.
Fans were also treated to the opportunity to play unreleased major gaming titles for the first time, including Quarter Up’s (Skybound Entertainment) Invincible VS and Arc System Works’ Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls along with new characters in Street Fighter 6, 2XKO and Fatal Fury: City of Wolves.
“Las Vegas is Evo’s flagship event, so we worked meticulously to refine and improve it this year with curated experiences that celebrate competitive fighting games,” said Rick Thiher, General Manager of Evo. “Every year what I love most about Evo is seeing the first timers explore, while at the same time, welcoming back generations of fans who grew up with the community.”
Major publishers surprised fans tonight during the Arena Finals with new announcements for Invincible VS, Guilty Gear -Strive-, Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, Virtua Fighter, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, TEKKEN 8, UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II Sys:Celes, and Street Fighter 6.
ARENA FINALS CHAMPIONS
Street Fighter 6 – Capcom
Dominican Saul Leonardo “MenaRD” Mena II stormed through the bracket for his third Evo title after sweeping “Kakeru” from Japan in the Winners Final and the Grand Final in a rematch of Evo Japan from last year.
TEKKEN 8 – Bandai Namco Entertainment
In a 2024 rematch, Pakistan’s Arslan “Arslan Ash” Ash became a six-time Evo champion after defeating fellow countryman Atif “ATIF” Butt in a thrilling 3-1 Grand Final Reset battle. ATIF swept Arslan Ash in the Grand Final 3-0 before falling in the reset. This marked the third-straight year Arslan Ash has won in Evo Las Vegas.
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves – SNK’s
Japanese competitor from Osaka, Goichi “GO1” Kishida faced off against Lin “ET” Chiahung of Taiwan three times in a thrilling competition as Kishida scored a victory, 3-2, in the Grand Final Reset. GO1 became the first Evo champion of Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves.
Guilty Gear -Strive- – Arc System Works
American Kyle “Kshuewhatdamoo” Shumate from Dublin, Ohio., took home the title in his first-ever Evo by knocking off fellow American Nathan “RedDitto” Chen of Monterey Park, Calif., 3-0. “Kshuewhatdamoo” dropped his match in the Grand Final, 3-0, before sweeping his opponent in the Grand Final Reset.
Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising – Cygames
American Matthieu “Kojicoco” Fardet who currently lives in Japan, defeated Matthew “Zane” Wanders from Trabuco Canyon, Calif., in a Grand Final Reset victory, 3-1, showcasing an incredible run from the Losers bracket. In 2024, Kojicoco finished in third place, marking the second consecutive year with a top three finish at Evo in Las Vegas.
MARVEL vs. CAPCOM 2 – Capcom
American Ken “Khaos” Villalobos from Los Angeles, Calif., knocked off fellow American Andy “Vigga” Nguyen from Seattle, Wash., for his first Evo championship in another thrilling contest, 3-2.
Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes – Arc System Works
American Jaden “Defiant” E., from Jacksonville, Fla., who finished fourth in Evo 2024, took home the title after defeating fellow Florida native from Palm Bay, Izayah “BigBlack” Davis, 3-2. Defiant came from the Losers bracket and knocked off “BigBlack” in the Grand Final and then again in the Grand Final Reset to become a first time Evo champion.
Mortal Kombat 1 – Warner Bros. Games
American Dominique “SonicFox” McLean from Seattle, Wash., made Evo history winning their eighth overall Evo title, moving second overall to Justin Wong. They pulled out a thriller 3-2 over Nicolás “NicoLas” Martínez from Chile in a rematch from 2024.
EXTENDED LINEUP CHAMPIONS
The King of Fighters XV – SNK
Taiwan’s Lin “ET” Chiahung found redemption tonight after losing the Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves Grand Final earlier in the day to capture his third Evo championship after beating Kofero “Layec” Honesto of Mexico, 3-1. ET is considered to be one of the best The King of Fighters players of all time.
BlazBlue: Central Fiction – Arc System Works
American Ryane “XCaliburBladez” Jimenez from New York defeated “J-Anson” from Japan in the Grand Final, 3-2, to take the BlazBlue: Central Fiction title back to the Big Apple.
Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O – SEGA
Fellow Japanese competitors faced off as the top seed “Akani Shiwapo” defeated “Itabashi Zangief” 3-1 in the Grand Final.
Killer Instinct – Xbox Game Studios
Roman “Roman22s” Gilbert from Phoenix, Ariz., made an astonishing comeback from the Losers bracket by winning six-straight games over the defending champion Anthony “DaaChronicle” Garcia from Kerman, Calif. This was Gilbert’s first-career Evo title in his fourth Evo appearance.
Rivals of Aether II – offbrand games & Aether Studios
American Justin “Plup” McGrath from Orlando, Fla., knocked off countrymate Nick “Stango” Stanton of Philadelphia, Pa., 3-1. It was a dominating performance throughout the tournament from McGrath, who only dropped a single game earning his first Evo championship.
Samurai Shodown – SNK
Brad “Scrub Saibot” Hanasyk, from Edmonton, Canada, defeated “Watanabe Shachou” from Japan in a Grand Final Reset in a winner-take-all game five. This is Scrub Saibot’s first Evo championship and solidified his position as the top Samurai Shodown player in the world.
Capcom vs. SNK 2 – Capcom
Ryo “BAS” Yoshida from Japan won his third Evo championship winning 2-0 over American John “ChoiBoi” Choi from San Jose, Calif., a 2025 Evo Hall of Fame inductee during the Evo Awards in February and who has competed in every Evo.
Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 – Arc System Works
American TJ “Vogue” Huckabee from Lake Forest, Calif., won his first Evo championship 3-2 defeating American Bennett “KTP” Gerlach from Nashville, Tenn., who competed in his first Evo.
Evo produced its most immersive festival yet to unite the fighting game community. Major brands connected with fans at Evo including Chipotle (headlined with the foiled-wrapped Burrito Bus welcoming fans all weekend with free rides to a nearby Chipotle location to satisfy their cravings), AT&T, PlayStation, Qiddiya Gaming, Nacon, Zenni, Red Bull, White Claw Zero Proof, Under Armour, Voodoo Ranger IPA, and Grand Archive TCG.
The Evo Arcade Controller Museum truly came into its own this year with a history of fighting game controllers by PlayStation that channeled the life and soul of the arcade era. The museum also featured an exhibit recreating Evo Moment #37, and its Icons Art Exhibition with guest artists including Shinkiro and jbstyle honoring characters that transcend the experiences found within the games themselves.
At the center of the festival, the Evo Arcade offered fans the opportunity to play for free 300+ classic cabinet games spanning nearly the half of a football field and anchored by the Voodoo Ranger IPA Pop-Up Bar.
The expanded Evo Showcase featured new announcements, collaborations with publishers, and legends including six-time Evo champion Arslan Ash and Japanese influencer Betty facing off against nine-time Evo champion Justin Wong.
Other notable interactive experiences during Evo included the Artist Alley to purchase curated fighting game art at Evo, the Cosplay Contest with Steff Von Schweetz from Las Vegas, Nev., capturing the crown as Cagliostro from the Granblue Fantasy universe and winning an all-expense trip to a future Evo event globally, the BYOC (Bring Your Own Console) community-led area for fighting games, and the new Indie Dev Gallery featuring 14 up-and-coming fighting game publishers for fans to explore.
The post Evo Looks Forward to France and the Return of Evo Awards appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Dodo, the newest player in the iGaming space, officially launches as a dedicated network built entirely around the fast-rising crash and instant games. Created to meet rising player demand, it offers top game reviews, trusted casino listings, and free demo play—all in one place.
Dodo answers a clear market need: a centralized destination designed specifically for crash gaming enthusiasts. Dodo network spans 8 specialized verticals: CrashDodo, WheelDodo, CoinflipDodo, DiceDodo, HiloDodo, LimboDodo, MinesDodo, and PlinkoDodo—each dedicated to a specific instant game format.
“We created Dodo because it was time for a site that treats crash games as a category of their own — not a subgenre or a passing trend. With the format’s rise in popularity, players need a dedicated space where they can explore, compare, and play,” said Ethan Thompson, content lead at Dodo.
Dodo also reflects a wider trend—the growing intersection of crash mechanics and crypto gambling. As localisation and hybrid formats expand, Dodo steps in as a natural platform for discovery, guidance and connection between players and operators.
Dodo’s Key Features:
• Curated crash and instant game selections with a free play option
• Game reviews, expert tips, and easy-to-follow player guides
• Trusted casino listings tailored for crash games fans
• Designed with crypto players in mind, offers crypto-related insights.
The post Meet Dodo: The New Home for Crash Gaming Fans appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Take Aim at Mega Wins: ELA Games Unleashes Chaos With New Shooter Game “Shoot Happens”
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