Overwatch agents are slowly preparing for the return of hostilities as we now enter the final stretch before the release of Overwatch 2. After several more or less convincing betas, Blizzard's teams are putting the finishing touches on the game in order to offer the best possible experience on October 4. As a reminder, the FPS is moving to a free-to-play format inspired by service-based games such as Fortnite or Fall Guys. Lootboxes are disappearing to make way for a Battle Pass as well as a rotating store that will become the new bread and butter of the title.
While this new system promises more clarity and to let players buy the skins of their choice, it seems that this major change is not all good. With just a few weeks to go before the game's release, new details are starting to leak out and it's not looking good for players. The Battle Pass rewards have surfaced, and they didn't fail to surprise Overwatch regulars...
The world will always need heroes (but not for everyone)
Players are furious, and not for just any reason. The few leaks that have just come out indicate that from now on, access to the game's new heroes will be via the Battle Pass. While the game has always offered its characters to all players upon release, this change is probably the most significant and controversial. In order to avoid more anger, Overwatch business manager and vice president Jon Spector was quick to clarify the situation on Twitter:
While this announcement attempts to reassure players, there is still some doubt. What happens if players don't play enough to unlock the characters? The teams have already answered that the characters will also be made available in subsequent Battle Passes, but that still means playing again and again.
The leak also reveals that a new supporting hero named Kiriko will be offered to premium pass holders. Since characters are often unbalanced when they are released (with the Junker Queen as proof during the beta), this might implement some inequalities. We'll have to wait until October 4 to see this in game. In the meantime, you can merge your Overwatch accounts to find all your cosmetics in one account at the release of Overwatch 2.
