Blizzard May Soon Make New Overwatch 2 Heroes Easier to Unlock
Overwatch 2 Executive Producer Jared Neuss assures fans that the team is working on giving new heroes to all players the day a season releases. Since the sequel's launch, unlocking new heroes has been a point of contention among the Overwatch 2 community. While the original Overwatch set the precedent of giving players access to all new heroes for free, the sequel has taken a much different approach. New heroes are still technically available for free, but players must grind their way through that season's battle pass to unlock them. On the other hand, new heroes are immediately available to players who purchase a premium battle pass.
The Current Issue with Unlocking New Heroes
The 2023 Dev Debate feat. Jared Neuss (Executive Producer, Overwatch)
Since Overwatch 2's launch just over a year ago, the sequel has introduced a handful of new characters to the roster, and several more are on the way, such as the damage dealer Venture and the mysterious support hero codenamed Space Ranger. While these new characters are admittedly quite exciting for new players, the content being locked behind paywalls or grind-heavy season passes is one of the reasons Overwatch 2 became Steam's lowest-rated game of all time.
As it stands now, it takes grinding to level 45 in the battle pass to unlock new heroes. Otherwise, they can be purchased for 1000 Overwatch Coins, which equates to $10. Based on the current leveling system, reaching 45 in the battle pass takes a considerable number of matches, meaning it can be weeks before some players unlock a new hero, even if they're checking in for a few matches every day.
Unfortunately, Overwatch 2 has had far more problems than microtransactions and hero paywalls. Overwatch 2 has canceled several PvE features that fans have long been looking forward to. For many, the inclusion of story and hero missions justified the somewhat controversial jump to Overwatch 2.
Efforts to Address the Issue
In a recent interview with the Ground Up! Podcast, Executive Producer of Overwatch 2 Jared Neuss claims that the development team is 'actively working towards' making new heroes available to all players the day a season drops. Neuss stated that the desire to change the ongoing model is so that teams don't have strategic advantages simply because they have access to heroes that the other team does not. This reasoning makes a lot of sense, as players don't want to be punished for not having spent money on the latest character.
'Would I like for every single player to be able to experience a hero the day that a season drops? Yes. Do I think that we will get there? Yes, I do think that we will get there, and we're actively working towards it right now. Can I talk about the details? No, I can't.' - Jared Neuss
Hope for the Future of Overwatch 2
That said, despite a rocky start for Overwatch 2, the game could right a lot of wrongs by making heroes available from day one of a new season. Between that and potential crossovers for Overwatch 2, there are some reasons to be optimistic about the future of the popular hero shooter.
