The cost of one highlight intro for Hanzo inOverwatch 2is angering players. A hero highlight intro that was previously in the originalOverwatchfeels overpriced inOverwatch 2and fans are not pleased.
The transition to a free-to-play model forOverwatch 2was always expected to be a bit of an adjustment for players. While the loot box mechanic was too random for players looking to grind out levels for a specific item, it did seem like it was more rewarding. The eventual transition to giving credits for duplicates in loot boxes allowed players to bank their credits and pay out for items they wanted in the future. WithOverwatch 2now making those credits essentially worthless, players are back to grinding levels or perusing the store looking for the items they want to buy. Unfortunately, those prices seem to be a little too steep for players' liking.
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Redditor Whatshouldiputhere0 has found that one highlight intro for Hanzo costs $7US in real-world currency. The “Target Practice” highlight intro, which was inOverwatch 1, is priced at 700Overwatchcredits. With the in-game shop price at $5 for 500 credits and $10 for 1000, they’ve estimated the cost of the highlight intro at somewhere in the middle. $7 for a highlight intro, which was in the previous game, strikes fans as a grossly over-aggressive monetization method put in the game by Blizzard. The price ofstandalone skins and bundles inOverwatch 2also feels unbalanced.
Even asOverwatch 2has its new currency that can be earned through daily and weekly challenges, it’s a slow process and is a fraction of what items cost in the game. So players that don’t have the time unable to grind out their daily challenges forOverwatchcredits are forced to open their wallets or go without. It’s understandable that a free-to-play game must find creative ways to make money, but the pricing must feel fair to the players. As it stands with many ofOverwatch 2’s shop items, the prices as they are right now, do not meet that mark.
The monetization of single items was not expected to be this bad, but the warning signs were there.Blizzard’s item prices were heavily scrutinizedafter the release ofDiablo Immortalbut that level of aggressive monetization felt like the standard for a free-to-play mobile game. Even thoughOverwatch 2is free-to-play, the game being this aggressively monetized feels like an overreach in comparison to other free-to-play live-service titles that are on PC and consoles. Perhaps the shock of the price that Blizzard has set for this game will take more time for players to adjust to.
Overwatch 2is now available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
