The Overwatch Nintendo Switch launch event that was scheduled to take place tomorrow at the Nintendo New York store has been canceled. No specific reason has been given, but we can hazard as a guess as to why this console debut for Blizzard's first-person shooter was called off a little more than a day before it was supposed to happen.
Overwatch was officially announced for the Nintendo Switch earlier in September of this year. This shooter had been on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 pretty much since the beginning (along with, of course, the PC), but 2017's debut of the Nintendo Switch sparked hopes and rumors that a port would be coming to Nintendo's hybrid handheld console. Now it's all set to arrive
Overwatch Nintendo Switch Launch Cancelled 38 Hours Before the Big Day
Previously, an Overwatch Nintendo Switch launch event was scheduled to take place on Wednesday, October 16, 2019, from 4:30 PM–7:00 PM at the Nintendo New York Store in Rockefeller plaza. That event has now been canceled.
"Please be aware that the previously announced Overwatch launch event scheduled for Wednesday, 10/16 at NintendoNYC has been cancelled by Blizzard," read a tweet from the store's official account. "We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause."
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the responses to the tweet point out what is patently obvious to anyone who has been following recent events related to the company: the launch may have been canceled due to the Hearthstone Hong Kong fiasco where a professional player at an Asian tournament received a 12 month ban and a forfeiture of his winnings for stating a pro-Hong Kong slogan in a post-match interview. The casters also had future opportunities to work at Blizzard events terminated. Blizzard has since walked back the punishment for both the player and the two casters to a six-month ban, with the former's winnings to eventually be paid out.
No reason for the event's cancelation was provided, other than the fact that the Nintendo New York store says that Blizzard made the decision. While the furor over the Blizzard Hong Kong controversy has died down a bit in the last few days, protestors may very well decide to show up anyway.
Why do you think Blizzard Entertainment canceled the Overwatch Nintendo Switch launch event at the Nintendo New York store? Do you think protestors will show up even though the event has been called off? Let us know in the comments below!
