Loot Boxes and Overwatch. Can you name a more divisive duo?
The mechanic has been in Overwatch ever since the game first came out in 2016 and it's had its fair share of not-so-positive reactions. Make no mistake, Overwatch wasn't the first game to use the Loot Boxes. However, the team-based hero shooter helped popularize this feature.
In turn, Overwatch became a lightning rod for controversial takes. Specifically, a common and very valid criticism was that Loot Boxes were synonymous with gambling. Obviously, this didn't sit well with governments and regulatory bodies, which had a field day putting a stop to the use of Loot Boxes in Overwatch as well as the other games that have taken, and continue to take, queues from Blizzard. But, while the authorities never could quite get these companies to stop, it appears that some of them have begun to see the light.
Case in point, Overwatch 2 will not have Loot Boxes. Furthermore, Blizzard is putting an end to Loot Boxes in Overwatch.
Here's what Blizzard had to say in its recent announcement: