What you need to know
- Since launch, fans of Overwatch 2 have been critical of how much the game's cosmetics cost under its new Battle Pass and microtransaction shop system.
- Legendary skins cost a full 1,900 Overwatch Coins ($19), and other items like emotes and highlight intros are far from cheap, too.
- Players can only earn 60 Overwatch Coins a week through gameplay, which makes trying to acquire anything outside of the seasonal Battle Pass incredibly difficult.
- One fan calculated that to obtain every cosmetic from the first Overwatch, new Overwatch 2 players would have to spend over $10,000, highlighting just how expensive the shop prices are.
Some will argue that this is the price of Overwatch being free-to-play now, but it's clear that Blizzard has failed to strike a balance that fans are happy with. Even though I think Overwatch 2's new monetization system is conceptually healthier and more player-friendly than the old RNG loot box model, it feels significantly worse right now because the monetary barrier in front of skins and other items feels insurmountable.
Moving forward, Blizzard is either going to have to lower the price of cosmetics or increase the rate at which players can earn Overwatch Coins through gameplay (perhaps both changes are needed). Hopefully the developer is open to making some tweaks, because as its exists right now, the new system simply feels way too greedy and unrewarding to engage with.
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.
