Overwatch 2 Free to Play : Overwatch 2 going to be Free| New Seasonal Model

Overwatch 2 releases October 4th and will usher in a new era for the game. The changes we’re making will support our goals to deliver more content to the game, more regularly, all while helping more players than ever before experience the Overwatch universe.

Moving to free-to-play for Overwatch 2, together with enabling cross-platform with cross-progression, means anyone can access the game and join their friends, for free, which we are incredibly excited about. At the same time, we know this is a big transition that involves many changes.

One of our goals is to make sure our game provides plenty of entertainment, fun, and expression, no matter how much you spend—even if you choose to spend nothing at all. When Overwatch 2 launches, we’ll be delivering more in one drop than we’ve delivered since the original game launched in 2016. This includes three new heroes, which will all be available immediately to returning Overwatch players who log in during Season One or Season Two.

New Seasonal Model

Overwatch 2 is shifting to a seasonal model where we plan to deliver new content to the game every nine weeks.

Each season will feature a lot to explore—new experiences and ways to play—and will typically bring either a new hero or a new map, alternating each season. Each season will have a new Battle Pass, every one with a unique theme and up to 80+ unlockable tiers of cosmetics. We also plan on using the start of each season to make most of our hero balance changes so that everything always feels fresh and distinct.

With this new seasonal model, Loot Boxes are going away in Overwatch 2, and our new in-game shop will allow you to purchase exactly what you want with our new virtual currency, Overwatch Coins– what you see is exactly what you’re going to get. The shop will offer featured cosmetic items every week for all players, and in Season One, many of these cosmetics will follow a cyberpunk theme. Future seasons will have different themes for our cosmetics.

Additionally, the shop will feature a ‘Just for You’ section with personalized offers based on what you prefer to play and equip in-game, as well as rotating bundles. This is our chance to feature different items regularly and to celebrate special occasions and moments. In our first few seasons, the ‘Just for You’ shop and rotating bundles will feature items from the original Overwatch to allow players to catch up if they need.

The Battle Pass is free for everyone, and you can choose to upgrade to the premium Battle Pass in the shop to unlock the premium rewards – let’s dive into how that will all work.

Introducing the Season One Battle Pass

We’ll use specific examples from our Season One Battle Pass to explain how Battle Passes will work.

Our goal is to make the game feel fair, enjoyable, and rewarding whether you choose to spend money on the Premium Battle Pass or not. Our team has worked hard to carefully craft not only the cosmetics you expect, but brand-new cosmetic types for the Overwatch universe like name cards, charms, and souvenirs, and some of these rewards will be available to everyone through the free track of the Battle Pass. If the season features a new hero, they will be earnable through the free Battle Pass track.

In Season One, everyone who logs in to play will receive Junker Queen and Sojourn automatically, whether they’re new players or returning. Players who own the original Overwatch will also receive Kiriko through their Founder’s Pack, which needs to be redeemed by logging in before the end of Season Two.

Season One’s Battle Pass will feature the following unlockable free rewards in 20 tiers spread throughout the 80+ total tiers:

• Newest support hero, Kiriko (for new players who won’t have her already)
• 2 Epic Skins
• 1 Weapon Charm
• 2 Souvenirs
• 1 Highlight Intro
• 14 additional items (emotes, victory poses, name cards, sprays, player icons, etc.)
• Prestige Tier Titles (8 earnable titles available only after completing the entire pass)

Season One Premium Battle Pass

Each season, we’ll have a Premium Battle Pass Track for players who want to earn even more rewards. The Premium Battle Pass features 60 additional (for a total of 80) tiers to unlock, including our first ever Mythic-tier skin and many other premium cosmetic items. If the season features a new hero, purchasing the Premium Battle Pass will also grant instant access to that hero in addition to a season-long Battle Pass experience boost and additional cosmetic rewards.

Season One’s Premium Track provides instant access to Kiriko for new players, and contains over 60 cosmetics to unlock, including five all-new Legendary skins, one Epic skin, and the all-new Cyber Demon Genji Mythic skin.

In total, Season One’s Premium Battle Pass includes, in addition to all the free rewards above, the following unlockable rewards:

• Immediate access to Kiriko
• 20% XP Battle Pass Boost
• 1 Mythic Skin
• 5 Legendary Skins and 1 Epic Skin
• 3 Play of the Game Intros
• 4 Weapon Charms
• 3 Emotes
• 3 Souvenirs
• 6 Poses
• 6 Name Cards
• 30+ additional cosmetic rewards

The Premium Battle Pass will cost 1000 Overwatch Coins (equivalent of $10 USD) – those coins can be purchased directly or also earned over time by completing weekly challenges. Watchpoint Pack owners  will automatically unlock Season One’s Premium Battle Pass.