GameStop is reportedly asking its employees to destroy copies of the originalOverwatchgame in light of the sequel’s digital-only, free-to-play launch. The originalOverwatchlaunched in 2016, and now, six years later, Blizzard has replaced it withOverwatch 2. Unlike most game sequel launches,Overwatch 2completely overwrites theOverwatch 1client, meaning that as ofOW2’s launch, the original game has ceased to exist.
Overwatch 2is a free-to-play game, and as such, is digital-only. The originalOverwatchwas a premium boxed product. Even thoughOverwatch 1is six years old at this point, retailers still carry copies of the game, especially video game retailer GameStop, since it sells used copies of older titles.
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Now it seems GameStop is destroying its remaining copies ofOverwatch 1, at least in the case of some stores. TikTok user and GameStop employee ksihinata has uploaded a video of GameStop’s orders to destroy copies of the game for PS4 and Xbox One. Curiously, theNintendo Switch version ofOverwatchisn’t mentioned in the document, possibly because it was merely a box and didn’t actually include a game cartridge. It’s also unclear if this is a company-wide mandate or if only some GameStop stores will be destroying their remaining stock ofOverwatch 1now that the sequel is readily available to download.
Destroying copies of games is generally frowned upon, but theOverwatch 1disc no longer serves a purpose beyond those that simply want to collect it. As previously mentioned,Overwatch 2has overwritten theOverwatch 1file, so the disc is essentially useless at this point. Those that want a copy of the game as a keepsake may want to contact their local GameStop to see if they can get one before they’re destroyed, as the company has been known to give away these games or sell them at such a low price that they are practically free.
Something similar happened recently with physical copies ofBabylon’s Fall.Babylon’s Fall, for the uninitiated, is a live service game from PlatinumGames that completely failed to find an audience. Platinum continued to supportBabylon’s Fallwith updates for a few months after launch, but it and publisher Square Enix have since cut their losses. TheBabylon’s Fallservers will be shut down in February 2023, and so GameStop started removing it from its stores. There were those who were able to get physical copies of the game for free in the wake of this announcement.
While theOverwatch 1disc doesn’t function anymore, it may still have some sentimental value for players who preferred the original game.Overwatch 2makes significant changes to the coreOverwatchexperience, dropping the number of heroes per team from six to five, revamping the monetization model, and more, so while it’s been accused of being more like a glorified update than proper sequel, it’s still quite different from the original.
Overwatchwas available for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
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