In a new blog post from Overwatch 2’s Executive Producer Jared Neuss, it has been revealed that developer Blizzard has plans to improve the game’s rewards and progression systems in both the near and far future. Fans will no doubt be happy to hear this, as players have widely criticized Overwatch 2’s new free-to-play model since launch due to the hero shooter’s high shop prices, low amounts of weekly earnable currency, and overall lack of play-focused rewards.
Specifically, Neuss says that in the short term, Blizzard will make sure that starting in Overwatch 2 Season 2, each in-game event will feature a free earnable event skin alongside the usual cosmetics that players need to spend Overwatch Coins to acquire. Additionally, the developers will continue offering Twitch Drops, giving fans the opportunity to obtain unlocks by watching Overwatch 2 streamers. Season 2 is slated to begin on December 6, 2022, so we expect that players will be able to earn a free skin from this year’s Winter Wonderland event that’s expected to arrive at the same time.
In the long term, the developers are looking to make improvements to Overwatch 2’s Battle Pass system, add additional gameplay challenges, and introduce “more exciting play-focused progression systems for you all to dig into.” Neuss stated that some of these changes will be talked about soon, but others may not be discussed for awhile as Blizzard needs time to finalize and “lock-in” its plans.
We don’t know anything specific about the future yet, but we anticipate that the developers are aiming to make the Battle Pass more rewarding, weekly challenges less frustrating, and the game overall more about earning rewards rather than buying them. Overall, it’s great to see that Blizzard is listening to fan feedback and has plans to improve Overwatch 2’s progression systems.
Overwatch 2 is available now on Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch. It’s arguably one of the best Xbox shooters available, and since it’s free-to-play, it doesn’t cost anything to check it out. Alternatively, players can purchase the Overwatch 2: Watchpoint Pack that provides access to Season 1’s Premium Battle Pass, 2,000 Overwatch Coins, and a bundle of unique Legendary skins.
