Overwatch 2 Battle Pass Divided the Players After All
Seasons, battle passes, new content discussed by Blizzard, stirring up discussion among gamers.
Source: Ubisoft official website.
Blizzard Entertainment has shared details about the seasons (and microtransactions) in Overwatch 2. The developer published an extensive post discussing the season pass and the game's planned development. The game's official website also posted an infographic that summarizes the most important information about the sequel to Overwatch.
Overwatch 2 and its first seasons at a glance.Source: Blizzard Entertainment.
End of lootboxes, but not microtransactions
Overwatch 2 will be a free-to-play game with optional microtransactions. The foundation of the game's business model will be the so-called Overwatch Coins. Credits from the first game will be retained and can be used to purchase cosmetic items for 32 heroes known from the first game or basic "cosmetics" for three new heroes.
According to the announcements, Overwatch 2 will not offer lootboxes. Instead, we will spend virtual coins (or credits) on specific cosmetic items, bonuses to earned experience and premium season passes. Currency will be available for purchase with money, but also for weekly challenges.
Battle Pass
Just like in other free-to-play games, the second Overwatch will offer two season passes. The first will be available free of charge at the beginning of each season and will enable us to earn rewards within more than 80 levels. This will give access to new emotes, skins, cards, poses, etc., but also to new heroes.
Debuting heroes will be unlocked after reaching the 55th level of progression in a given season. Unless we decide to purchase a premium pass. In that case, we will get immediate access to the characters, but also a chance to win additional rewards.
Among the premium bonuses will be mythical skins, supposed to be even better than legendary skins. The first of these will be given to Genji, who - as you can see in the graphic below - will transform into a Cyber Demon, in keeping with the cyberpunk theme of the debut season of Overwatch 2.
Cyber Demon Genji will be one of the prizes to be won as part of the premium battle pass.Source: Blizzard Entertainment.
In addition, after conquering all the basic levels of the pass, players will be able to take on more difficult challenges to earn prestige titles unique to each season.
Heroes for free
For the release of OW2 three new characters will be coming to the game, but only one of them will be available to unlock as part of the Battle Pass. We are talking about the recently revealed Kiriko, who will be joined by two more heroes. Sojourn and Junker Queen will be automatically unlocked when you log into Overwatch 2.
It is worth mentioning that also the third heroine will be obtainable without playing the season pass. Kiriko will be immediately available to all owners of the first Overwatch - provided they log into the game and pick up their Founder's Pack before the end of the second season.
Blizzard also announced that the new heroes will not be immediately available in competitive mode. The company wants to wait two weeks before allowing Kiriko to be debut in "serious" games. This is to give players time to master the character, and developers time for possible balance adjustments.
Balance every season and fewer "hard counters."
Speaking of which, Blizzard wants to significantly change the balance of gameplay. We already know about the abandonment of six-player teams in favor of teams of five players, but that's not all.
The developer also wants to move away from the pattern of "countering" one character by another. Characters will still have their strengths and weaknesses, but "matchups" will no longer be as one-sided as in the first Overwatch to force players to change heroes.
In addition, at the beginning of each season we will receive a sizable package of changes to keep the gameplay fresh. The developers will also not shy away from mid-season modifications, if needed.
Game development and storyline
Each season will bring with it not only new heroes. Overwatch 2 will also be enhanced with new maps (alternating heroes every season, except for the first and second), gameplay modes, etc.
This will be complemented by the aforementioned balance tweaks and cosmetic items. In addition, 2023 will bring the first fragments of the new story, which will be explored through the PvE storyline events.
Gamers don't trust Blizzard
Blizzard devoted a lot of text to explaining its motivations. Apparently, in vain, because a sizable number of Internet users have reservations about the developers' ideas (vide Reddit).
Heroes in battle pass has angered fans
The idea of unlocking heroes as part of the battle pass caused the biggest reaction. As mentioned, new heroes will be a reward for reaching the 55th level of battle pass, out of more than 80 levels available. Players are convinced that this will make it practically impossible to get Kiriko and her successors without playing very actively - or spending money on a premium pass.
Perhaps players would have taken the news more calmly if not for the issue of virtual currency. Typically, premium battle passes reward players with more credits than they need to spend on them. In other words, you only need to buy one paid pass to afford the next one.
Of course, this always requires active play, but credits can also be earned in challenges. However, premium pass in OW2 doesn't seem to include virtual currency for now, and the weekly challenges are supposed to enable us to earn a maximum of 540 Overwatch coins. The paid battle pass is expected to cost 1,000 coins.
Overwatch 2 = Star Wars: Battlefront II?
The method of unlocking seasonal heroes has also raised concerns about the game's balance. Players immediately associated it with the system used in the release of Star Wars: Battlefront II, and which gained Electronic Arts' game sizable infamy.
Yes in that game heroes were locked in lootboxes, but Internet users believe that the effect achieved in OW 2 will be the same - most people will not have access to the new heroes, which will make it harder for them to compete. Especially if Blizzard follows in the footsteps of other developers and the seasonal heroes are initially too powerful (vide the second version of Android 21 in Dragon Ball FighterZ) to entice players to buy quickly.
Of course - as some Internet users write - there is nothing to pass judgment on the new seasonal system before the game's debut in early access, which will take place on October 4. Only after that launch will we find out how it will work in practice - and whether Blizzard will make any changes (for better or worse).
