While players are excited to learned more about Overwatch 2 at BlizzConline, some recent comments from Genji’s voice actor have sparked discussions about the state of the game. In a recent interview, Space commented that he has heard nothing about the sequel. While this initially sparks some confusion in the interviewer talking with Space, Genji’s voice actor doubles down, saying that he has recorded nothing for Blizzard’s follow-up to the beloved hero shooter.
Overwatch 2 fans quickly ran with this news, as quite a bit of insight can be gained by reading into Space’s comments. While there are a few big possibilities for this lack of recording, all the potential outcomes are negative. As such, it would be reasonable to expect some bad news about the Genji character, or more likely, the state of Overwatch 2 as a whole. While nothing is confirmed and this could all just be part of an actor's attempt at playing coy regarding a big project, Space’s comments certainly seem genuine — and here is what they could mean for the state of Overwatch 2.
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One possibility would be that Genji’s role in Overwatch 2’s story is rather small, meaning that Blizzard may not feel the need to contact Space until shortly before release. After all, if Genji is only seen during a few story scenes, rushing to get the actor in the studio would not make sense. That said, Genji fans should not worry about the character’s story role being lessened, as previous footage makes this seems like an unlikely scenario.
Genji’s role in the Overwatch 2 Zero Hour reveal trailer a large one, as he rescues the popular tank hero Winston from certain death in one of the most intents moments of the trailer. Beyond this cinematic appearance, Blizzard has already shown off the hero’s new abilities and confirmed his role as one of the PvE mode’s playable characters. As such, it makes little sense for the character to have a small role in the game when it finally arrives. While it is not out of the realm of possibility that Genji may only have a few voice lines, giving him a deep set of upgradeable skills implies that he will be usable in a big chunk of the story.
The other Genji-related bad news to consider would be that Gaku Space has quietly been replaced with a new voice actor. While Space joked about such a scenario in the same interview where he said he has not yet recorded anything for Overwatch 2, there is a possibility that this may have happened. After all, games like Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War recasting Frank Woods without notice is proof that such a thing can happen. However, with how beloved Space and the rest of Overwatch’s voice cast is, a change in actors also seems like an unlikely scenario.
The real reason to be concerned with this Overwatch 2 news has less to do with Genji and more to do with the game itself. With Blizzard still hiring for the sequel and several rumors suggesting that the game’s development is moving slowly, this Genji news seems to be adding fuel to the fire of an Overwatch 2 delay. If Overwatch 2 really is far from its release, it would make sense that Genji’s dialogue has not yet been recorded — as Blizzard may not have reached that phase of development yet.
For now, all fans can do is wait for an official update as to when the game will release, though fans may want to lower their expectations for getting that news at BlizzConline. With previous Overwatch 2 rumors accompanying this Genji news, it could be awhile before Blizzard is willing to discuss its plans for a release date. While the game will surely come eventually, it may be awhile before it does — and with the alternative being a small role for Genji or the replacement of a fan favorite voice actor, an Overwatch 2 delay may just be the better option.
Overwatch 2 is currently in development for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch.