Activision Blizzard will roll out Overwatch 2 in less than a month. You wouldn't know this based on the lack of marketing effort from the publisher. Worse still is that the upcoming sequel tends to make headlines for all of the wrong reasons.
Case in point, Blizzard got people talking about Overwatch 2 last month after the company asked if they're willing to pay for more expensive skins. It's worth noting that Overwatch 2 will ditch loot boxes in favor of battle passes, which is a similar approach that Diablo 4 is taking.
Even though fans are happy knowing that Blizzard is removing the video game equivalent of legal gambling from Overwatch, it appears that the company just can't stop digging itself a hole.
Most recently, Blizzard VP, Jon Spector, revealed how it costs to unlock Overwatch 2 heroes, and it's not good.
Specifically, Blizzard's statement about unlocking heroes in the Competitive Overwatch subreddit implies that premium battle pass users will get access to the new heroes and free users will have to grind for them.
Addressing some incomplete info posted early about our Overwatch 2 Battle Pass – we'll be sharing all details ahead of launch, but want to confirm that new Overwatch 2 heroes will be available on the free track of the Battle Pass.
— Jon Spector (@Spex_J) September 8, 2022
This hasn't gone well with fans. Overwatch made all heroes available to play for free, which will effectively level the playing field for everyone. Now, the sequel is hiding all of its new heroes behind a paywall, which is not a good idea. Much like in the first game, its sequel will revolve around counter-picks. It becomes a lot harder to go against an opponent when you can't play a direct counter due to a lack of access to a particular hero.
If you think about it, what Overwatch 2 wants to do isn't different from what other shooters such as Apex Legends have done for years. If anything, Overwatch 2 players should feel great that there's a path to earn each character without paying for anything. But, you can't blame hardcore Overwatch fans for protesting against something that is easily a change for the worse.
Keep in mind that industry norms don't necessarily equal fair practice.
It will be interesting to see how well the Overwatch 2 launch will go next month. Blizzard might have billed it as a sequel but it feels more like a massive overhaul patch disguised as a follow-up. It basically revamps Overwatch to make way for new maps, heroes, and modes, as well as a delayed PvE mode.
It remains to be seen if all of these improvements can make Overwatch catch up with its contemporaries. However, Blizzard should know better than to upset the few remaining fans that Overwatch still has. If Overwatch 2 will hide new heroes by making people grind for them (and pay if you have a premium Battle Pass), it's hard not to question their line of thinking.
Speaking of Overwatch, Microsoft Gaming CEO, Phil Spencer, promised that the shooter will join the Game Pass along with Diablo and Activision's marquee shooter, Call of Duty.
