A decision by Blizzard on Overwatch 2 has been leaked and has been angering fans for days: new heroes in Overwatch should no longer be free for everyone and immediately available, but should be subject to certain conditions: fans of the game are up in arms. Some are already demanding their money back.
What is the principle they are breaking? The then head of Overwatch, Jeff Kaplan, said in a 2015 video (via youtube):
We have decided the best way to [neue Helden und Maps] add is to bring them into the game as free content and not as DLC.
Jeff Kaplan
That’s how it’s been in Overwatch for years: when a new hero comes along, players can instantly play and use them. Everyone was equal and had access to the same heroes.
Because Overwatch uses a kind of “rock-paper-scissors” system and players can change their heroes in the middle of a match, this was an important point that set Overwatch apart from other players:
If you just couldn’t rip as a nimble Tracer, maybe switch to Widowmaker and try it from a distance, or swing the hammer as Reinhardt.
But to keep everything fair, everyone needed access to all available heroes: Otherwise you might have played rock-paper-scissors and without scissors.
Overwatch 2 Trailer Release Date Reveal
New heroes are no longer available to everyone – players must earn or purchase them
How is this principle broken now? In Overwatch 2, players should “earn” new heroes first: This was made known by a Blizzard error: for a short time last week you could catch a glimpse of a $40 package that spoke of a Battle Pass and exclusive skins.
In the post was the sentence: “Anyone who owns the Premium Battle Pass gets automatic access to the new hero Kiriko.”
Conversely, this means that if you don’t have the pass, you obviously don’t have access to the new hero either. This is a breach of principle.
Overwatch 2 changes the way you get new heroes – “If you do that, I won’t touch OW2”
Here’s how Blizzard reacted: A key Overwatch employee, Jon Spector, clarified:
This is what the model looks like: Overwatch apparently plans to bring a BattlePass, with 2 different “lanes”:
Players are demanding their money back
How is this discussed? In the Overwatch community, the new development is viewed extremely critically. Memes are teeming with players expressing their protest:
There is a post on reddit where children ask Tracer if they can become heroes like them. But Tracer replies, “Er, no – you’re too poor for that.”
A user posts an Overwatch selection screen with locked heroes that have to be unlocked first:
Another user posts a picture: “Sorry bro, can’t switch from Lucio, I’m broke and in debt”.
Some of the biggest posts on reddit right now include posts about games claiming back their Overwatch spend. That would be possible before the release, explains a user (via reddit).
Overwatch still has an “old” business model that is now changing
Why is this topic so annoying for many? The PC Gamer site explains: Overwatch came from a time before the new business models that we know from games like Apex Legends or Valorant took hold. With Overwatch, all content was freely accessible, only cosmetics could optionally be purchased via loot boxes.
And the game remained unchanged in monetization for 6 years: you bought the game and you had access to everything: that was the deal Blizzard made with players.
Overwatch 2 preparation just isn’t going well for Blizzard:
Now Blizzard break with this principle. With Overwatch, it’s possible to switch heroes mid-game to respond to a situation – if you’re missing heroes, you obviously see that as a big problem.
It also fits in addition to the “Blizzard gets greedy” narrative that many have had in mind since Diablo Immortal at the latest when looking at new actions from Blizzard.
Anyway, Overwatch 2 has already brought some disadvantages for Blizzard:
Overwatch 2 was a lousy idea from Blizzard and killed a successful game for them