Overwatch 2 fans aren’t entirely happy with the game’s rewards and cosmetics, especially considering their high cost. And Blizzard isn’t satisfied, either.
During a lengthy blog post, new Overwatch 2 executive producer Jared Neuss revealed that Blizzard is planning some big changes to how its season passes will work.
“In Season 2, we’ve changed up our rewards a bit so that each event has a skin you can earn by playing, in addition to the other cosmetic rewards we already offer,” he explained. Notably, the game’s recent Halloween Terror event rewarded little beyond voice lines, some titles, and XP.
“We’re also going to continue our Twitch drops programs so that you can earn skins and in-game goodies by supporting your favorite creators,” he added. “While we’re working on the long-term plans, we want upcoming seasons to feel more rewarding than Season 1.”
Improvements to battle pass rewards will go a long way, especially if this includes additional free skins… but there’s more to do in the long term.
Thankfully, Blizzard is planning to up the ante when it comes to Season 3.
“For Season 3 and beyond, we’re looking at a mix of Battle Pass changes, more interesting Challenges to pursue, and more exciting play-focused progression systems for you all to dig into. We’ll be able to talk about some of these changes soon, but other changes may take more time to lock-in.”
Quite what this means for Overwatch 2 remains to be seen, and since the game’s shift to free-to-play, monetization has proven to be a bit of a sticking point. Especially since one particular weapon charm was cheaper to buy in real life than in-game.
However, the company does seem to want to get the right balance.
“We aren’t completely satisfied with how everything feels right now,” he said. “There’s a lot we like about it—knocking out a bunch of daily/weekly challenges or getting something new for a hero you love can feel great! But we also recognize that today’s experience has opportunity for improvement that we need to focus on.”
IGN’s Overwatch 2 review gave it 8/10 and said: “Overwatch 2 breathes new life into what was once the sharpest multiplayer shooter around, before it had its edges severely dulled by Blizzard’s attention shifting away,” adding that “The fundamentals are all set for Overwatch to shine as it once did in the multiplayer shooter scene once again, and the future definitely looks bright with what is set to come over the following months.”
Want to read more about Overwatch 2? Check out its new tank hero, Ramattra as well as how many players Overwatch 2 reached in its first month.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.