Is Overwatch One other Sufferer Of The Mysterious Persona 5 Curse?

After a messy three years, February 2026 marks the top of Overwatch 2, which is ready to title itself as merely “Overwatch” transferring ahead.

Whereas some are gearing up for an thrilling revamp of some of the seminal hero shooters on the market, others have been fast to notice that Blizzard’s beloved title appears to be yet one more recreation claimed by the notorious Persona 5 curse, after a high-profile crossover occasion.

In case you missed it: In September 2025, Blizzard dropped a collab with Persona 5, giving six heroes skins within the type of the JRPG’s primary characters, the Phantom Thieves. Now, solely six months later, the Overwatch devs have introduced a significant replace that’s set to deliver a clear slate for the title. Kicking off the brand new “Reign of Talon” season, Blizzard shared a shocking new cinematic that includes the brand new playable character Vendetta squaring off towards long-time villain Doomfist. Recreation Director Aaron Keller would additionally lay out the sport’s 2026 roadmap, revealing a wealth of recent heroes and different additions.

This replace has introduced loads of optimism again to the sport, drawing each new and outdated gamers to dive again into capturing factors in Lijian Tower. Earlier in February 2026, GameRant reported that Overwatch had reached an all-time participant depend peak, overtaking Battlefield 6 and Name of Obligation on Steam. Nonetheless, with the revamp successfully deleting Overwatch 2 (difficult Esport that it’s), followers say the sport has technically fulfilled the Persona 5 curse, including yet one more live-service title to its record of victims.

There aren’t many gaming superstitions on the market. Nonetheless, the so-called Persona 5 curse has claimed so many victims at this level that it is virtually too onerous to disregard.

That is an unlucky development followers have noticed the place, after a recreation companions with the Persona 5 IP ultimately, it’ll abruptly shut down or enter an “Finish of Service” interval inside a couple of years.

Star Ocean Amamnesis can be the primary sufferer of the curse. The gacha recreation introduced a collab with the JRPG on October 19, 2019, and shut down in June 2021. Sword Artwork On-line: Reminiscence Defrag, as we reported on the time, then partnered with Persona 5 on February 17, 2020. It will meet the same destiny a couple of months later, shuttering servers on August 30, 2021. One other gacha recreation, Dragalia Misplaced, introduced its collaboration with Persona 5 on January 31, 2021, and shut down for good in November 2022. Nier Reincarnation and Persona 5 would share a crossover on September 9, 2022, and the previous would shut down on April 30, 2024.

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With this string of live-service titles abruptly shutting down solely a short while after their in-game occasions, Persona 5 followers would begin to state in jest that the franchise was tainted.

Now, not all live-service video games which have had a Persona 5 collaboration have shut down. Granblue Fantasy continues to be going robust eight years after its in-game occasion, so the curse would not all the time have a 100 per cent success price. To not point out Atlus’ very personal live-service recreation, Persona 5: The Phantom X, which launched solely final 12 months and continues to be going pretty robust.

Nonetheless, with a variety of examples to level to, the gaming group has rallied round this supposed superstition.

Why are Individuals Saying Overwatch 2 Acquired Hit by the Persona 5 Curse?

Whereas Overwatch is right here to remain, dropping the “2” from its identify has led social media to interpret the rebranding as a type of “loss of life.”

As famous, In September 2025, Overwatch marked its seventh branded collaboration so far. The discharge would see heroes Mercy, D.Va, Lifeweaver, Genji and the just lately launched Wuyang obtain skins within the type of the long-lasting Phantom Thieves. The heroes would additionally obtain new “play of the sport” animations and emotes that resembled the Phantom Thieves’ “all-out” assaults, which, for a fan of each franchises, had been a deal with to see.

Admittedly, the collab was very spectacular and as soon as once more showcased the Overwatch workforce’s stellar pores and skin design, tempting some to wish to drop $69 to choose up all the bundle.

It is also vital to notice right here that the curse would not relate to the extent of high quality of the occasion and even the sport, actually.As a substitute, it is extra a illustration of the continued difficulties live-service video games have with sustaining a gentle move of monetization to justify protecting them going.

There’s additionally a schadenfreude component to this meme. Given the adverse reception the Overwatch franchise obtained when it dropped its notorious “Overwatch 2” replace in 2022, avid gamers have been lower than enthused with the route Blizzard has taken the sport.

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Overwatch 2 introduced with it a number of maps and pores and skin modifications, controversial UI overhauls, reworks of beloved characters and most infamously, an all-new monetization system which eliminated loot containers in favor of its battle cross. The replace would additionally make 5v5 its staple mode, in an effort to shake up the sport and do away with its notorious GOATS meta.

One other vital slice of content material teased was the extremely anticipated PvE story mode, which was set to push the Overwatch story ahead past its cinematics and hero releases.

Nonetheless, two years after Overwatch 2’s launch, the mode would formally be cancelled within the lead-up to Microsoft’s acquisition of Blizzard.

Followers celebrating the revamp of Overwatch 2 and the success of the Persona 5 curse right here is extra a widespread cheer that Blizzard has listened to its followers and is actively transforming a few of its extra unpopular design selections in favor of a greater participant expertise.

What Does the Persona 5 Curse Imply for Overwatch?

In fact, that is all very deeply unserious.

As proven by the latest inflow of gamers on the information of the revamp, it is clear there’s loads of life left within the franchise to maintain it going for years to come back. In saying that, the Persona 5 curse does make for an fascinating bookend to Overwatch 2’s general legacy, which has been steeped in controversy and adverse participant suggestions all through its whole life cycle.

This is hoping that the brand new revamp can proper the ship and, if Blizzard chooses to do one other Persona collab to spherical off the remaining Phantom Thieves, it would not fall sufferer once more to the curse a 12 months later. It is acquired to maintain forward of the likes of Marvel Rivals, in spite of everything.

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Overwatch (Previously Overwatch 2)

Launched

August 10, 2023

ESRB

Teen / Violence, Blood, Delicate Language, Use of Tobacco, Customers Work together, In-Recreation Purchases (Consists of Random Objects)

Developer(s)

Blizzard

Writer(s)

Blizzard