Overwatch community concerned after second writer quits

Another of Overwatch’s most influential writers, Alyssa Wong, has resigned from her role at Blizzard Entertainment just a few months after the game’s lead writer, Michael Chu, quit after 20 years with the company. 

Wong is best known for being considered the likely successor to Chu’s lead within the Overwatch content team and for crafting Baptiste’s lore with her short story, “What You Left Behind.” While she was never technically raised to lead writer, fans grew fond of her style and have grown increasingly concerned now that she has left the company after just two years.

 

Chu’s departure came as a surprise to the fanbase, as the prominent narrator worked on Blizzard titles like Diablo 3 and World of Warcraft before becoming the lead writer for Overwatch and OW2. Upon resigning, he credited the game for being “an opportunity to bring a more inclusive vision of earth to life: a future worth fighting for.”

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At the time of his departure, many turned to Wong as an expected source of consistency in the lore’s development. Popular sentiment suggested that her and Chu were on similar wavelengths when it came to the game’s inclusiveness, the depth of its heroes, and said characters’ intertwining storylines. While none of this can be quantified, it was undoubtedly a common feeling among fans and paves the way for concern now that she too has resigned.

 

Like all games with large fanbases, the pace of Overwatch’s lore has been a major point of scrutiny from vocal minorities who contrastingly wish for more lore and then for higher quality in story elements. Although Chu’s detractors followed his departure by continuing on to criticize Wong and the team in random instances, the overriding feeling on social media platforms like Reddit and Twitter is that the game’s players are sad to see her go.

While cooler heads may reassure their peers that the situation at Blizzard is likely complicated or that there is a strong chance the writing cycle for OW and the sequel’s lore is practically complete, that hasn’t stopped others from being concerned about the game’s future.

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On the plus side, Wong doesn’t appear to have left on bad terms and seems to be legitimately excited about what’s coming in OW2. It’s sad to see her go, but fans can be encouraged by that enthusiasm and hopefully trust that the title remains in good hands.