How Overwatch 2 epitomizes the very evils of modern day gaming, under the disguise of a free-to-play model

Overwatch 2 is nearing the completion of its first month, with Blizzard Entertainment's latest venture having been a success. Fans got what they wanted, and the hero-shooter has returned, bigger and better than ever. However, not everything has been rosy, as there have been server issues, bugs, and other glitches.

It's hard to imagine a modern-day release without having the issues that the sequel to Overwatch did. Blizzard made an unprecedented error in underestimating how many players would be interested in trying out the game. The second installment, free-to-play, meant many new players ventured onto the battlefield. While these issues are problematic, they're also easier to fix than the larger ones.

When someone looks under the hood, there are some major issues with Overwatch 2 and Blizzard's model. There's always some scope for criticism, but the number of issues at hand increases. Moreover, some of these concerns weren't present in the prequel, and Blizzard shutting it down was the tip of the iceberg.

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Overwatch 2's early promise fades away over the decisions taken by Blizzard

Overwatch 2 was released on October 4 after more than three years in development. Several rounds of delays and shifts with people in charge prolonged the development period. Nevertheless, the sequel finally arrived on all major platforms, following beta tests a few months ago.

There's no shortage of the game's popularity as players have flocked to what's on offer. Many new players have taken up the game due to its free-to-play model. However, the same model seems quite problematic, especially after the decisions that Blizzard Entertainment has made so far.

Many free-to-play titles are often accused of sinking pools of real-life money as players are induced to spend more. Earlier, Overwatch was available at a one-time fee, which also unlocked all the heroes. Since its launch, 11 new heroes were added to the game, but players did not need to spend extra coins to get them.

Overwatch 2 has been released with three new heroes, but more are expected to be added in the future. While that seems fine, the way players access these champions is quite shoddy. Players need to unlock the heroes, which is not easy. Blizzard decided to include them in the battle pass but in a discriminatory fashion.

Anyone who acquires the Premium Pass will instantly acquire new heroes, but free-to-play players need to grind. Essentially, Blizzard has developed a mechanism for gatekeeping new heroes. This might not have been a problem with other games, but that's not the case here.

Overwatch and its sequel have always been about picks, as players have the liberty to choose based on their opponent. It's done in a manner where players try to counter their opponent's pick, but that becomes a problem. In the first game, each player had all the heroes, which meant that players had no restrictions when choosing.

In Overwatch 2, players' hands will be tied based on their heroes. To make matters worse, some may have more heroes even after playing for a short amount of time if they spend real-life cash.

Most importantly, where does the number of heroes stop? While new heroes can be grounded from the pass, players might not be able to do it at all times. This could be an even bigger problem where some might not have a particular hero at all. There's already been considerable controversy surrounding Kiriko and her presence on the Battle Pass. Unless the system changes in the future, it could lead to more problems.

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Where's the PVE!

Overwatch 2's PvE mode has been well-advertised by Blizzard, who has always mentioned it being a core part of the game. Yet, the feature hasn't arrived with the release and won't be available anytime soon.

According to Blizzard, the PvE mode will arrive in 2023 as seasonal content. This sounds very different from the earlier pitch made by the publishers. Moreover, the game has had plenty of time in development, so not releasing all the promised features at launch should be inexcusable. Yet, this has now become an industry trend.

On the face of it, Overwatch 2 is a free-to-play title that offers the same experience to all players at no additional cost. Some of the changes like 5v5 is something that is welcomed by players. Yet, the overall mechanics, coupled with sub-optimal development, take away its shine. Blizzard seems to have learned no lessons from the disappointments of Diablo Immortal.