With “Overwatch 2” looming on the horizon indefinitely, there are several details that have yet to be revealed or verified. Many of the returning characters are known, and we’ve seen glimpses of some newcomers, but there are still some unknowns about the sequel to one of Activision Blizzard’s most popular multiplayer games.
One such unknown was how players in the upcoming (possibly free-to-play) team shooter would be able to unlock new playable characters. Blizzard VP Job Specter took to Twitter to try to clear up some of the confusion by explaining the new approach to character unlocking, though the news caused quite a stir.
The fact that additional heroes beyond the initial roster must be unlocked at all is a departure from the original “Overwatch,” as newcomers in the first game were always available to everyone right away. They would be there, ready to use, as soon as the character addition update went live and was downloaded. Apparently, this is not the case in “Overwatch 2.”
You unlock new characters by what now?
According to Specter, “new Overwatch 2 heroes will be available on the Battle Pass’s free track.” This means that “Overwatch 2” will not only require players to perform various in-game actions or meet certain criteria to access these new characters, but they will also be tied to players’ seasonal Battle Pass progression.
Many players are understandably concerned because this means that the only way to unlock any new playable characters for free is to “grind” for them during a limited promotional window. That is, if they do not complete the necessary steps to unlock the new character, they will not be able to use them.
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In response to one such concerned comment, Spector stated that future Battle Pass seasons will include free paths to unlock previously unlocked characters. It’s unclear whether those paths will be available and consistent from season to season, if unfinished progress will be reset with the start of each new season, or if some seasons will not offer free character unlock paths.
