Players aren’t happy about the ‘Overwatch 2’ monetisation

Overwatch 2 will feature monetisation in the form of character skins and a battle pass and players aren’t happy.

It was previously announced that the upcoming sequel to the 2016 first-person shooter will include the first form of monetisation, something that was never present in Overwatch, but Blizzard has finally revealed the details of what players will be able to spend their real-world money on.

Despite being a free-to-play game, Overwatch 2 will feature a battle pass that will cost 1,000 Overwatch coins. This is equivalent to $10 (£9), but it doesn’t look like the pass will allow players to earn back the in-game currency by completing it – something that other shooters do.

The game will also include an assortment of character skins that are optional, while the first game made them unlockable through loot boxes either earned or purchased on the in-game store. In Overwatch 2’s case, it looks like players will be spending a lot more money on a single skin than the battle pass is worth.

For example, Junker Queen’s Legendary skin costs 2,000 Overwatch Coins which is around $20 (£18) and a screenshot indicates that it’s also discounted by 31 per cent, meaning it will cost more.

Players have taken to the Overwatch subreddit to discuss the prices with one user saying in a top thread, “Guess I won’t be getting most of these skins unfortunately,” while another stated, “Yeah, sorry, I love Overwatch but I’m not spending 20 freaking dollars on a skin.” (via GamesRadar).

Blizzard hasn’t commented on the egregious prices of the Overwatch 2 shop at this time, but it looks like when the game launches in early access on October 4  some skins and bundles will be discounted for a short time.

In other news, Blizzard Entertainment has announced that it will hold an Overwatch 2 tournament for members of the LGBTQ+ community later this month. Registration is now available for the Challengers Cup and will be open to any underrepresented genders, including women.