Overwatch 2’s launch and inaugural season as a free-to-play sport hasn’t all the time gone to plan. The sport’s creators stated earlier than the sport’s launch they needed its battle pass to really feel like an “overwhelming, apparent worth,” however a lot of the dialog round rewards and cosmetics for Overwatch 2 has been round high-priced skins and underwhelming freebies. That seems to be changing for the sport’s second season, which kicks off in December.
New Overwatch govt producer Jared Neuss stated in a weblog submit Thursday that Blizzard “aren’t fully glad with how all the pieces feels proper now,” in relation to rewards and progression in Overwatch 2.
“There’s quite a bit we like about it — knocking out a bunch of every day/weekly challenges or getting one thing new for a hero you like can really feel nice! However we additionally acknowledge that as we speak’s expertise has alternative for enchancment that we have to deal with,” Neuss stated. “We wish you to really feel more rewarded only for sitting down and taking part in. We wish you to have new accomplishments to chase outdoors of your Aggressive Rank and Battle Pass stage.”
To perform that, Neuss stated, Blizzard is changing Overwatch 2’s rewards construction “so that every occasion has a pores and skin you possibly can earn by taking part in, along with the opposite beauty rewards we already provide.” (Overwatch 2’s first occasion, Halloween Terror 2022, didn’t reward players with a lot past a weapon attraction, some titles, voices traces, and XP.) Twitch drops, the place players watch content material creators streaming Overwatch 2, and get free cosmetics for that viewership, can even proceed, Neuss stated.
“Whereas we’re engaged on the long-term plans, we would like upcoming seasons to really feel more rewarding than Season 1,” he added. More free skins and elevated battle pass rewards will possible go a protracted strategy to assembly that aim.
Neuss additionally hinted at “a mixture of Battle Pass adjustments, more attention-grabbing Challenges to pursue, and more thrilling play-focused progression methods” coming in season 3, which might possible kick off in February 2023. The sport’s weekly challenges specifically have been a degree of competition for players, as a result of that’s how Overwatch 2 doles out its free, in-game forex, Overwatch Cash.
Within the close to time period, it seems like Blizzard can even tweak XP rewards for the battle pass for players who queue in a assist function (or all roles, which winds up being assist) in an try to deal with overly lengthy queue instances for different roles (tank and injury).
Neuss added that Blizzard can be engaged on concepts associated to the assist function to make it “more enjoyable and more rewarding to play.” That features “focused assist hero reworks, sport system updates, and even some role-wide adjustments to enhance assist high quality of life.”
Season 2 of Overwatch 2 begins on Dec. 6. The second season will deliver a brand new hero to the sport, the tank Ramattra, a brand new map, and a brand new battle pass.