Overwatch 2 players horrified by loss of Busan's iconic cow jiggle

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Overwatch 2 "totally unplayable" with nerfed cow jiggle, players say

Overwatch 2
(Image credit: Blizzard)

Overwatch 2 does have the Busan map, but it does not have the same jiggle physics for the map's iconic cow, so what's the point of anything really? 

TikTok user naraka.k.k spotlighted this grave omission in a recent short demonstrating the gap between the cow's physics in the original Overwatch compared to Overwatch 2. As any Overwatch historian worth their salt will tell you, the Busan cow could move with the best of 'em back in the day. Shooting, meleeing, or otherwise jostling the inflated mascot would cause it to shake and shimmy with undeniable rhythm, and it would truly dance in the hands of skilled puppeteers.

Jump to Overwatch 2 and what do we have? A rubber bovine utterly devoid of style and bounce, its sad form buckling and deforming unnaturally at the slightest provocation. It does not shimmy and it cannot shake; it is a wretched specter that serves only to remind players of what was lost in the cold name of science. It's a bit of a letdown, is what I'm getting at. 

Because I'm a professional, I forced my coworker Alyssa – whose Overwatch 2 review you should definitely read – to play a custom match on Busan during busy work hours to verify the cow's jiggliness. She confirmed that the cow doesn't always look as distorted as it does in Naraka's clip (your mileage may vary depending on your platform), but her findings were nevertheless grim: "Jiggle nerf." 

Naraka's video was quickly picked up by the Overwatch subreddit, where it drew quite the somber crowd. "Totally unplayable," writes ILCaponchi. "They've taken everything from me," laments RedJester44. "My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined," says Grouchtables50, fittingly grouchy. "Uninstalling right f*ckin now," Gdlachance82 said, presumably typing with teary eyes. 

It's a great loss for us all. At least Overwatch cow enthusiasts can commiserate with lore scholars seeing as how Overwatch mythos also took quite the reductive hit in the jump to the sequel. 

With Overwatch 2 boosting competitive ranks after players "ranked too low," perhaps Blizzard can boost the Busan cow's spirit next. 

Austin Wood
Austin Wood
Senior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.