Because most players only play a select few characters, Overwatch 2, according to Blizzard, will restrict access to new heroes.
Just recently, Blizzard revealed that all Overwatch 2 gamers who also possess a copy of the first Overwatch title would receive a free copy of Kiriko, a brand-new (and highly rumoured) ninja character. While that might seem like a reason to rejoice, the controversial, free-to-play sequel’s decision to restrict access to the majority of upcoming characters via a battle pass system has not been warmly received. Leaders at Blizzard outlined their rationale for believing that the new approach will ultimately be deemed to be acceptable in fresh statements made today.
The majority of Overwatch players focus the majority of their playtime on two or fewer characters, according to the research. During a media call, Overwatch VP Jon Spector disclosed to a variety of media. And with 12 or fewer heroes, you may reach 99.9% of play time for the bulk of our users.
According to Blizzard, switching from the original Overwatch paradigm, which distributed each character to every player, to a system that hides new characters behind a battle pass is justifiable because of the following: They probably won’t be missed because the original Overwatch players didn’t play enough different characters.
However, there is some confusion in the messaging. The mainstay of how Blizzard is making money off the new game is still the characters. At a press conference, Overwatch’s general manager Walter Kong said, “Heroes are the single most engaging content that we have in the game… This live game service is something we want to be able to constantly invest in. This is not free, in the eyes of the company.
There will undoubtedly be some initial bonuses available to both new and returning gamers. All season one players will receive free unlocks for the new heroes Sojourn and Junker Queen, and those who have the original Overwatch will also receive free access to the ninja support character Kiriko. However, brand-new players who wish to test Kiriko will either need to spend $10 on the premium battle pass or level up to level 55 on the free one. At least all 32 characters from the initial roster will still be playable.
Kiriko is a healer who can sustain her comrades during a gunfight and deal respectable critical damage; she has been referred to as a “battle healer” for Genji mains. The fact that Blizzard is intentionally attempting to avoid circumstances in which any one character might operate as a “hard counter” to another suggests a significant change in how the company will be building new heroes.
According to Aaron Keller, the game’s director, “We’re attempting to take some of those very hard rock, paper, scissors interactions out of the game, and [replace] them with greater player choice.” Our support heroes have received buffs to increase their survivability.
While broadly speaking it sounds like a good idea to reduce Overwatch’s reliance on counters, securing an ever-increasing chunk of the hero roster behind battle pass tiers, whether free or expensive, feels like a step backward for player choice.
This year’s Overwatch 2 release date is October 4.