Overwatch 2’s battle pass will include free and premium tracks, letting players unlock cosmetics and heroes through gameplay or through purchases. Blizzard Entertainment explains how the free-to-play monetization of Overwatch 2 will work when it launches in October.
When Overwatch 2 launches in October, the game will be free-to-play. Blizzard Entertainment plans to support the hero shooter’s continued development with multiple types of in-game purchases, including a paid, premium-tier battle pass and the ability to purchase an in-game currency that players can spend on items like character skins and new heroes. It’s a shift away from the random-chance loot boxes of the original Overwatch, and a substantial change to how new heroes will be rolled out in Overwatch 2.
On Thursday, Blizzard provided a closer look at how Overwatch 2’s battle pass system will work, what it will offer players, and why the company believes it delivers “a tremendous amount of value” for those who pay into the system.
Overwatch 2 will feature a seasonal model, with each season lasting about nine weeks. There will be a different theme for each season — season 1’s is “cyberpunk” — and a series of unlockable cosmetics matching that theme that players can earn through the battle pass. The battle pass will offer two tracks: a paid premium track with dozens of digital goodies, and a free track with fewer ones. The premium battle pass will cost $10 (or 1,000 Overwatch Coins, a currency that can be earned by playing the game or purchased directly with real money) per season, and will include 80-plus tiers of unlockables.
Players who purchase the premium battle pass in season 1 will earn Overwatch 2’s new hero Kiriko immediately. People who opt to play for free will unlock Kiriko at level 55 of the battle pass. Future seasons and battle passes with new heroes will also unlock at level 55, Blizzard says. (Players who own the original Overwatch will have instant access to new heroes Sojourn, Junker Queen, and Kiriko through Blizzard’s free Founder’s Pack.)
The free track of the battle pass includes the following unlockable free rewards in Overwatch 2 season 1:
The premium paid track includes much more:
The short answer? By playing the game. As in the original Overwatch, players will earn XP as they play and complete games of Overwatch 2, thus leveling up tiers of the battle pass.
The longer answer is a bit more complicated. Overwatch 2 will offer daily and weekly challenges that players can complete to earn XP toward the battle pass and earn Overwatch Coins that can be spent in an in-game shop. There will be six daily challenges to choose from; each is worth 3,000 XP, with a maximum of 9,000 XP available to earn — i.
