Overwatch 2’s new heroes won’t be free
When Overwatch 2 launches on October 4th, fans might have to get on the grind wheel to unlock the newest heroes. A tweet from Jon Spector, Overwatch’s commercial lead, indicates new heroes will be gated behind battle pass progression, saying that “new Overwatch 2 heroes will be available on the free track of the Battle Pass.”
Spector’s tweet appears to reference a description of Overwatch 2’s Watchpoint Pack, a purchasable content bundle that grants buyers all kinds of goodies, including skins, in-game currency, and access to the season 1 premium battle pass.
The description, posted on the Competitive Overwatch subreddit, states that premium battle pass users get access to Overwatch 2’s newest hero Kiriko. (In a one-two punch of unintentional information leaks, the latest support hero was teased in earlier Overwatch 2 promos, but details were never confirmed before her name leaked not only here but also by accident from a streamer.)
The Watchpoint Pack’s description was later changed, removing the reference to Kiriko and how she could be obtained through the premium battle pass. Though the sentence is gone, Spector’s tweet seems to confirm that new heroes will indeed be locked behind battle pass progression — but on the free track and not the paid one.
Since Overwatch’s launch in 2016, new heroes were free and immediately available. As sequels are wont to do, Overwatch 2 is implementing a lot of changes to the game — specifically, switching from a boxed retail model to a free-to-play model. As Spector’s tweet circulated, fans pointed out that gating heroes behind battle pass progression is a standard feature for other free-to-play games like Apex Legends and Valorant.
Post a Comment