‘Overwatch 2’ Loses Loot Boxes, Embraces Battle Pass And Seasonal Updates

Overwatch 2 is making some big changes.

The game is a little confusing as it’s not exactly a sequel but it’s not exactly not a sequel either. Basically, it’s a big update to the original Overwatch that will completely overhaul that game and replace it with this new one. Much will remain the same including the old roster of Heroes but a great deal will change, including a savvy move from 6v6 to 5v5 multiplayer PvP.

The overhauled game will also—finally—ditch its most controversial feature: Loot boxes. Overwatch 2 will replace these with the much less divisive Battle Pass that we’ve seen in games like Warzone and Fortnite and countless others at this point. The Battle Pass will include lots of optional cosmetic content including Hero skins, emotes and so forth.

Naturally, this means that the game will also adopt a seasonal release model. Each new season will come with a bunch of new content including new Heroes, maps, modes and Battle Passes. Here’s a very basic roadmap that details content between launch on October 4th up through 2023:

There will be a beta later this month so players can help test out the new content.

Overwatch 2 lands on PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S on October 4th, 2022 and features cross-play and cross-progression. It will be free-to-play.

PvE content will come the following year. Watch the video below for more on today’s Overwatch 2 reveal.

The move to free-to-play with a Battle Pass instead of loot boxes brings Overwatch 2 in-line with most other major live-service shooters, including Fortnite and Warzone, trading in a questionable gambling-based revenue model mostly associated with mobile gaming for something that’s more fair and transparent.

I’m personally really looking forward to playing this cross-play with my kids and my Call Of Duty squad as a nice alternative to COD. What do you make of Overwatch 2 so far?

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