Overwatch 2 devs confirm removal of loot boxes in upcoming sequel

With the launch of Overwatch 2, Blizzard is officially set to pivot away from the existing loot box system, devs have confirmed. In its place, players will be able to access new content through a Battle Pass system along with an in-game store.

Over the past six years, players have only been able to access new content in the original Overwatch through RNG-based loot boxes. Whether it’s a unique emote, a fresh spray, or an exclusive skin tied to a limited-time event, luck had to be on your side in order to claim it.

When the highly anticipated follow-up finally launches in early access this October, dedicated players can breathe a sigh of relief knowing loot boxes will be a thing of the past.

Gone is the randomized system, devs confirmed during the Overwatch 2 reveal, with two alternate methods entering the mix at launch instead.

With Overwatch 2 confirmed to be launching as a free-to-play title, Blizzard has now announced a similarly major shift in its content-delivery model. Rather than relying on its existing loot boxes, new Battle Passes and an in-game store will be replacing them.

“Along with the free-to-play-change, we’re doing away with loot boxes entirely,” Lead Hero Designer Geoff Goodman announced during the latest dev livestream.

Through this pivot, players will soon have “more control” over how “they interact with the game and how they acquire new content,” he explained.

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From voice lines and profile icons to all-new Mythic skins, players will no longer have to cross their fingers and hope to land on their desired item. Rather, each piece of content will either be mapped out in a given season’s Battle Pass, or purchasable à la carte through the in-game shop.

Just how individual items will be priced, or how much each Battle Pass will run you, all remains to be seen at this point in time. Though in the long run, avoiding duplicates through specific purchases is sure to help reduce costs across the board.

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We’ll be sure to keep you posted with any further intel on these new microtransaction models as further details emerge closer to launch.