I think we can all agree that, given the state of the world and our current shelter-in-place, COVID-19 reality, April Fool’s Day just isn’t a good idea in 2020. Everyone is stressed out, stuck inside, and owes way too much money to Tom Nook and the last thing anyone wants is to see an April 1 prank that goes too far over the line or tries to be tasteless in light of a very serious emergency. Well, leave it to Blizzard to give the people what they need at their most dire hour, as their April Fool’s Day prank involves Overwatch and piles upon piles of googly eyes!
The wobbly, ocular prank appeared yesterday across all live servers with no warning and no way to remove. No word from Blizzard on how long the googly eyes will bless all our lives, but it feels safe to say that this is an April Fools prank that nobody could possibly get mad about. The eyes appear on all skins as well, so if you’re looking to add a bit of excitement to those Overwatch League skins then this is your lucky day.
Many may not know that Blizzard has a somewhat prolific streak when it comes to introducing April Fools Day pranks into their games. So much so that the publisher keeps a mostly-complete archive of their gags, pranks, and in-game events. Past hijinks include dance battles, dating services inside World of Warcraft, fake classes in Diablo III, pixelated demakes, and Burgercraft, a fake Tycoon-style game about orcs slinging cheap patties.
It’s good to know that even in times that feel as dark and isolated as these that Blizzard still musters up the strength to make their own IPs look downright silly, all for the enjoyment of us all. Be sure to play Overwatch this week to experience the wobbly excitement, as it is hard to tell when the googly eyes will go away for good.
