Overwatch 2 reduces skin prices for legacy cosmetics, but there's a catch

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What you need to know

Since Overwatch 2's launch, players have voiced their dislike of the game's high cosmetic prices and low maximum weekly currency earnings, making it difficult to acquire unlocks.
To address this feedback, Blizzard has reduced the price of all baseline non-event cosmetics from the original Overwatch down to what they originally were.
The catch, though, is that you can only take advantage of these new prices if you're buying items with Legacy Credits. New players that don't have access to this currency will still have to pay the expensive Overwatch Coin-based price for items.

Since Overwatch 2 released early last month, many players have voiced serious concerns about the game's monetization following its move to free-to-play. While the new system that gives fans the opportunity to earn Overwatch Coins that they can use to buy cosmetics from the in-game store is conceptually healthier than Overwatch's original RNG loot box model was, its implementation has proven unpopular thus far due to high cosmetic prices and low maximum weekly currency earnings.

Frustratingly, the higher prices for skins and other items apply to older unlocks from the original Overwatch as well as new Overwatch 2 ones, meaning that it's significantly more difficult for veterans and new players alike to acquire legacy cosmetics. In fact, players did the math, realizing that buying all of Overwatch's legacy items would cost over $10,000 — highlighting just how expensive everything is under the new system.

In response to this feedback, developer Blizzard has reduced the price of cosmetics from the original game down to what they originally were before Overwatch 2 launched. This means that Legendary skins now cost 1,000 currency instead of 1,900, while Epic skins are just 250 instead of 1,000. Other unlocks from the original Overwatch like emotes, highlight intros, victory poses, and voice lines are now more affordable as well. Notably, this change only affects "standard" items, and as such, prices for event-related cosmetics have remained the same.

The catch, though, is that these new prices only apply whenever you're buying something with Legacy Credits — a currency that you'll only have if you had Overwatch Credits (Overwatch's original currency) attached to your account when Overwatch transitioned to Overwatch 2. There's currently no way to get more Legacy Credits on your account if you've already merged your Overwatch accounts together, so this adjustment only benefits veteran players. New Overwatch 2 players are, unfortunately, stuck with the same expensive Overwatch Coin-based prices.

Overall, it's great to see Blizzard budge a bit on Overwatch 2's store prices, although the fact that the change doesn't help new players out will no doubt irk many. Many veteran players likely already own the items that got a Legacy Credit price reduction, anyway, making the overall impact of the improvement feel pretty minor. Still, it's a step in the right direction for sure, and hopefully the developers have plans to make further player-friendly adjustments.

Overwatch 2 is available now on Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch. It's arguably one of the best Xbox shooters available, and since it's free-to-play, it doesn't cost anything to check it out. Alternatively, players can purchase the Overwatch 2: Watchpoint Pack that provides access to Season 1's Premium Battle Pass, 2,000 Overwatch Coins, and a bundle of unique Legendary skins.

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Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he's been an avid fan since childhood. He's been writing for Team WC since the summer of 2017, and you'll find him doing news, editorials, reviews, and general coverage on everything gaming, Xbox, and Windows PC. His favorite game of all time is probably NieR: Automata, though Elden Ring, Fallout: New Vegas, and Team Fortress 2 are in the running, too. When he's not writing or gaming, there's a good chance he's either watching an interesting new movie or TV show or actually going outside for once. Follow him on X (Twitter).