If you have any Overwatch loot boxes that are still unopened or you want to buy new ones, you should know that the sale of these loot boxes are soon ending ahead of Overwatch 2's release.
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Windows Central reports that Activision Blizzard is halting the sale of original Overwatch loot boxes by August 30th. And any unopened boxes will be automatically opened shortly before OW2 comes out. This decision is part of ActiBlizz' plan to completely replace the first game with the free-to-play sequel, which will opt in for a battle pass business model instead.
But despite the sale of Overwatch loot boxes stopping, it doesn't stop players from earning the boxes, though. You'd still get them after the Anniversary Remix Vol. 3 event concludes, but only for a "short period of time." Blizzard also hasn't revealed a date or window when this one would end.
Either way, OW2's battle pass system will be offering players "the power to shape their own experiences" (via Kotaku). In simpler terms, you can just buy the items you want directly via the Battle Pass and the in-game shop, which would be taking in-game credits you can buy with real-world money. Overwatch 2 is a free-to-play game after all, and it has to earn money somehow - which is why the Battle Pass fits the bill.
Overwatch loot boxes might not have been as egregious as their counterparts in other games, but they're still part of a gaming industry trope that not a lot of players loved. The controversy around them became so bad that it even reached world courts, with so many people accusing them of being not too different from gambling.
Perhaps the absolute worst examples of this practice were done by a single company: Electronic Arts. Star Wars Battlefront 2's loot box system, for instance, was so notorious that describing it here in one paragraph is hard enough. But Googling it will give you a ton of information about just how bad things were.
Overwatch 2 is scheduled to launch on October 4th for all major platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, and Nintendo Switch.
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How Does Overwatch 2's Battle Pass Work?
So Overwatch loot boxes will be no more, as they will be replaced by a Battle Pass. But how does that even work?
The simplest explanation is as follows. According to The Loadout, the Battle Pass will include 100 tiers of content covering all of the characters in the game. The content ranges from skins to emblems, weapon charms, emotes, victory poses, and voice lines for all characters. There are also rumors that there could be XP boosts, which aren't as bad as they seem as Overwatch's XP system isn't pay-to-win.
There's a Free version of the Battle Pass that will give out a limited amount of content. But if you want access to literally everything, then going for the paid, Premium Battle Pass is your option. Activision Blizzard hasn't provided a price for now, though it could be safe to assume that it will cost at least $10.
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