Overwatch 2: New Heroes Won’t Be Free, Competitive Community Shows Concern

When Overwatch 2 launches in early October, fans of the competitive game may be uncomfortable with an important element of Blizzard’s approach.

A tweet from Overwatch commercial leader Jon Spector indicated that the new heroes will be tethered to the battle pass, which could disadvantage players.

Spector’s post appears to refer to Overwatch 2’s Watchpoint Pack, a paid content pack that gives consumers various items such as skins, in-game currency, and access to the Season 1 Battle Pass.

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

The description, posted on the Overwatch Competitive Community subreddit, states that Battle Pass users will have access to the new hero Kiriko. The Watchpoint Pack description was then modified to remove the character reference and how she could be unlocked.

However, Spector’s information appears to confirm that the new heroes will be stuck with the Battle Pass, having to obtain it and then unlock it as you progress.

Since its launch in 2016, Overwatch’s new heroes have been free to play and available immediately upon release. The sequel aims to implement a significant change by adopting the free-to-play model adopted in titles like Apex Legends and Valorants, which put new heroes in the battle pass.

However, fans point out that unlike Apex Legends or Valorant, Overwatch allows you to swap heroes mid-match, giving a dose of strategy and allowing the player to choose a character that will work well against the enemy team.

It is also worth remembering that the new Overwatch heroes are usually stronger than those already present in the game. Not being able to use the latest character because you haven’t unlocked it yet will be a disadvantage for competitive players, in addition to requiring the purchase of the battle pass.

Overwatch Houston Outlaws league team player Dante “Danteh” Cruz said he understands the game’s decision, stressing that this is a common measure in free-to-play games, with new heroes dominating the competition, but stressed how it will put others at a disadvantage.

understandable for a f2p system but kinda considering how many new heroes have made extremely oppressive goals when paired with the right heroes. brig sigma and jqueen all made extremely oppressive goals where you’re just at a huge disadvantage if you don’t play them https://t.co/W7VhJvq2BY

— danteh (@danteh) September 8, 2022

So far, Blizzard has not commented on the information or community complaints.

Overwatch 2 will be released in October 4th for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.