Overwatch 2will be making a controversial change to how players unlock new heroes, as they will now be featured on the free track of the Battle Pass.Overwatch 2, like the originalOverwatchbefore it, will be adding new heroes to keep things fresh. WhenOverwatch 2launches in early access on October 4, fans of Blizzard’s hero-shooter can expect three new heroes to join the roster: Damage hero Sojourn, Tank hero Junker Queen, and a new Support hero who has yet to be revealed in an official capacity.
Recently,information on theOverwatch 2Battle Pass leaked online, revealing that new heroes will have to be unlocked through Battle Pass progression. Some fans were worried that this meant they would have to buy the premium Battle Pass to unlock newOverwatch 2heroes, but then Jon Spector of Blizzard took to Twitter to clear some things up. According to Spector, it’s true that newOverwatch 2heroes will have to be unlocked through the Battle Pass, but they will be available as part of the free track, not the premium Battle Pass.
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Outside ofHalo Infinite, the vast majority of games that utilize a Battle Pass system make it so the Battle Passes and their associated content are only available for a limited time. If players fail to complete a Battle Pass during the season they’re available, they’re locked out of that content forever. Understandably, this had someOverwatchfans worried that they would potentially miss out on unlocking some of thenewOverwatch 2heroesif they aren’t playing the game at the time their Battle Pass launches. Spector responded to one Twitter user who asked about that, saying, “We will have free paths to get new heroes in future seasons too.” This seems to suggest that new heroes will regularly be available to unlock regardless if one misses their initial Battle Pass, but it’s vague enough that some fans still think that they will potentially miss out on unlocking new heroes if they’re not playing the game all the time.
More information on theOverwatch 2Battle Passwill be shared in the weeks ahead, and with the game’s launch less than a month away, fans should expect more information on that front sooner rather than later. It’s possible that this will wind up being a non-issue and fans will never be locked out of getting the new heroes, but there are still those concerned about making players unlock new heroes at all.
Since the originalOverwatchlaunched in 2016, players have been given new heroes completely free and right away. This ensured that everyone always had access to the same pool ofOverwatchheroes, making the games fair. This is especially important forOverwatchCompetitive Play, as some players having access to more heroes than others could potentially give that team an unfair advantage. It’s possibleOverwatch 2will somehow avoid this pitfall, but it’s unclear how. Fans will want to wait for official information on the Battle Pass and new characters before getting too upset.
Overwatch 2launches in early access on October 4 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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