Blizzard Entertainment is launching a new music festival for Overwatch 2, but it will only be available to players in China. The “Neon Pulse Music Festival” event starts on Wednesday, September 24. It will feature a “Rhythmwatch” mini-game and a special “festival pass” for participants. Both the rhythm game and the pass will be restricted to the Chinese market. However, a set of five hero skins from the event will be accessible to players worldwide. These skins, which have a neon pulse theme, will be available in the in-game shop, likely as bundles.
Many dedicated fans around the world are disappointed they cannot participate in the rhythm game or access the pass-specific content. The developer has not explained the choice to limit the event. This is a significant point in Overwatch 2’s content strategy, which has recently included several large collaborations, such as with K-pop group LE SSERAFIM, Capcom’s Street Fighter 6, and Persona 5’s Phantom Thieves. The return of the LE SSERAFIM collaboration earlier this year, along with other partnerships, shows Blizzard’s ongoing effort to integrate different external properties into the game.
The Neon Pulse event occurs midway through Overwatch 2’s eighteenth season, which continues to offer various content for players. The ongoing Persona 5 collaboration will end on September 29. Additionally, the game’s “Anniversary 2025” event, which will bring back a classic game mode and weekly challenges, runs until October 13. As the current season nears its conclusion, players will soon look forward to the game’s nineteenth season, starting on October 14.
While the exact content of the shop bundles with the hero skins is still unclear, players hope some smaller cosmetics from the festival pass will be included. This new event format, with its split content release, sets a standard for future region-specific content. As the game evolves, its developers will need to manage player expectations across different markets.
