The 12th season of Overwatch 2 named “New Frontiers” has caused significant controversy in the gaming community because there are no Egyptian-themed skins for heroes connected with Egypt.
The new season, which is heavily influenced by the history and mythology of Egypt, will start on August 20th. The season introduces a new map called “Throne of Anubis” and a Mythic “Anubis Reaper” skin.
However, among other references to Egyptian culture, it turns out that none of the key characters like Ana, Pharah, Ramattra or Zenyatta got any skin associated with their cultural background which made many players disappointed.
The fans were especially hoping for these heroes to receive some culturally relevant skins since the season has such a strong Egyptian theme. There will be a new skin and Mythic weapon for Ana, one of the most important Egyptian characters in the game, but they are based on Japanese mythology, not Egyptian. Pharah, another character with roots Egyptian roots, will only get one new skin available through the in-game shop. Meanwhile, Ramattra and Zenyatta didn’t receive any new Egyptian-themed cosmetics at all – this decision seems strange to many players.
Overwatch 2 community voices discontent over skin choices
On social media sites like Reddit and Twitter, people are voicing their complaints about these heroes not having Egyptian skins. They appeared disappointed by Blizzard, who could have taken the opportunity to recognize and celebrate different cultures within the game through its characters’ appearances. Among other things that were criticized was leaving out Ramattra, originally designed after pharaohs, which makes it even stranger why he does not appear in any season-related content.
With every hero receiving at least two Epic or Legendary skins per year since launch (except Orisa), many fans now wonder what direction Blizzard may take with future content updates if they don’t include them in a season focused around Egypt.
While some have noted that Zenyatta received new skins during recent events, the anger lies mostly with Season 12’s timing and theme. Players feel like this could’ve been the perfect moment to introduce culturally resonant skins for these heroes but didn’t do so, which they argue shows a lack of creativity on Blizzard’s part.
As the release date for the New Frontiers draws near, players are still discussing why there are no Egyptian skins in Overwatch 2 and whether or not Blizzard will address this issue in future updates.
