Diablo 4’s Next Crossover Goes In A Much Different, “Lighter” Direction
Diablo 4’s next crossover collaboration will be with Blizzard’s own Overwatch, bringing the looks of iconic heroes like Reinhardt, Mercy, Kiriko, and others to the dark-fantasy ARPG.
The collab will come as part of Diablo 4’s upcoming Season 14, Death Awakening, and will mostly be a “shop-focused collab,” according to Diablo 4’s design director for live services Dan Tanguay. There will, however, be a free reliquary where players can unlock two Overwatch-themed weapon cosmetics, a mount trophy, player emblems, and the game’s first earnable armor dye at no cost.
As for the Overwatch appearances players will be able to buy from Diablo 4’s in-game shop, a teaser image for the collab shows armor sets inspired by Genji, Reaper, Brigitte, Mercy, Moira, Reinhardt, Kirkio, and Roadhog. Two pets, Kiriko’s spirit fox and a Pachimari, also appear in the image.
A crossover between the optimistic, near-future sci-fi setting of Overwatch and the bloody, demon-ravaged world of Sanctuary doesn’t exactly sound like a perfect pairing given the wildly different tone of the two universes (though there are plenty of Diablo skins to be found in Overwatch) already. Previous crossovers have included Berserk, Blizzard’s own Warcraft and StarCraft, as well as Doom: The Dark Ages.
Blizzard is aware that Overwatch isn’t as snug a fit as something like Berserk. Tanguay said the Diablo team looked to only adapt certain aspects of Overwatch for the collab, including both the darker and lighter corners of the hero-shooter’s universe it thought would fit best.
However, the Overwatch crossover also marks a shift in how Blizzard is approaching Diablo 4 collabs going forward. Blizzard previously stated collabs in Diablo 4 would be with universes that meshed well with its grim fantasy setting, but now that the game has entered its third year of live service, that is starting to change, Tanguay said.
“As we continue to evolve as a live-service game, we are going to look to broaden up the tone of our collabs a bit more,” Tanguay said. “I don’t think we’re ever going to be at a point where suddenly Diablo 4 is lighthearted and cheery as a base game … But there should be opportunities for us to bring in some lighter things on occasion as the game gets more mature.”
Diablo 4 Season 14 and its Overwatch collab launches June 30, and will bring controversial changes to Mythic items alongside adjustments to War Plans, a new Lair Boss, and a solo-self-found mode.







