Fans who want to unlock the newest heroes for Overwatch 2 on October 4 have to put in some work. According to a tweet from Overwatch’s marketing director Jon Spector, new Overwatch 2 characters will be limited behind battle pass progression and made available on the Battle Pass’s free track.
Contrary to Overwatch’s tradition, which calls for all heroes to be fully playable right away, this does not happen.
The change is not altogether unexpected
Given the switch from premium to free-to-play, encouraging players to purchase the expensive Battle Pass will boost Blizzard’s revenue. It also serves to deter accusations that the game is pay-to-win.
This indicates that all players should continue to have free access to all heroes. Growing your roster and entering the fray as the newest character takes some work.
What this initiative will actually look like is still up in the air. A seasonal Battle Pass might include new characters early on, and it wouldn’t take many games to obtain them. Or they may be restricted to the final free Tier, which would require much effort or money to acquire.
Watchpoint Pack in Overwatch 2
The Watchpoint Pack in Overwatch 2 is a buyable content package that offers buyers a variety of perks. It includes skins, in-game currency, and access to the season 1 premium battle pass, according to Spector’s tweet.
According to the description on the Competitive Overwatch subreddit, Kiriko, the newest hero from Overwatch 2, is available to premium battle pass holders.
Unlike Apex or Valorant, players in Overwatch can switch heroes’ midmatch and frequently do so to pick characters that counter the heroes and composition of the enemy. Fans brought this up on the other side of the argument.
Houston Outlaws player Dante Cruz responded to Spector’s tweet by noting that while he acknowledges that such a feature is typical in free-to-play games, “you’re just at a huge disadvantage if you don’t play them” because new heroes dominate the higher stages of competitive Overwatch.
Cruz and others have legitimate worries about the competitive viability of the game, but they only make up a small portion of the player community. People will target Torbjörn, Wrecking Ball, and Symmetra in quick play games, careless of people in the Platinum to Grandmaster rankings.
It’s not yet official
Blizzard hasn’t officially confirmed or denied how new heroes will function in Overwatch 2. As long as Spector’s tweets are active, it appears to be at least a subtle assurance. The battle pass-related hero unlocks will exist. Phil Spencer, the CEO of Microsoft Gaming states that the Overwatch series is in addition to Xbox Game Pass if the Microsoft-Activision purchase goes through.
On October 4, 2022, Overwatch 2 will be available for PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. The Watchpoint Pack is available on the Battle.net store, allowing users access to the Overwatch 2 beta.
What do you think of Blizzard’s changes to Overwatch 2’s Heroes?
Is this a change that will negatively affect the game as a whole? Please share your thoughts and opinions with us in the comment section below.
