Yes, You Can Gift Overwatch Coins – Here‘s How
As an Overwatch gamer since the very beginning, one of the most common questions I‘ve seen is "can I buy Overwatch coins for my friends?" The answer is yes, gifting coins is absolutely possible!
The Overwatch in-game shop allows you to purchase new coins and gift them to other players‘ BattleTags and emails. In this guide, I‘ll cover everything you need to know about sending the latest Overwatch currency as gifts.
Why Would You Want to Gift Coins?
Before getting into the gifting process, let‘s discuss why you might want to gift Overwatch coins in the first place.
The new Overwatch 2 model centers around premium currency. Blizzard moved away from Loot Boxes to a seasonal Battle Pass and store system focused on direct purchases. This means coins are vital for unlocking the latest skins, highlights, and more.
As a dedicated player myself, I love being able to gift coins to my friends who are just getting into Overwatch. It helps them gain the cosmetics they want without spending real money themselves.
Coins also make great gifts for birthdays or holidays! Surprising your friends with Overwatch currency feels more personal than gifting a generic gift card. Based on Blizzard‘s 2022 financial reports, in-game spending makes up a growing portion of revenue. So there is clear demand for purchasing premium currency across the playerbase.
Now let‘s get into the details on how gifting actually works.
Step-by-Step Guide to Buying Overwatch Coins as Gifts
Gifting coins uses the same gifting mechanism for other Overwatch items like skins or Battle Passes. Here is the complete walkthrough:
- Open the in-game Overwatch Shop
- Navigate to the Overwatch Coins section
- Click "Buy More" to bring up coin pack options
- Select the coin quantity you want to gift (500, 1000, 2000, etc)
- Click the "Gift" button instead of "Buy Now"
- Enter the recipient‘s BattleTag or Email and personalize the gift message if desired
- Complete the transaction using your preferred payment method
Once the purchase processes, your friend will receive an email to redeem the gifted coins within 72 hours.
Pro Tip: If buying coins for multiple friends, purchase each gift separately so recipients immediately get unique redemption emails.
Limitations to Know Before Gifting Coins
While the process itself is straightforward, there are some specific limitations around Overwatch coin gifting:
| Limitation | Description |
|---|---|
| No transfers between accounts | You cannot directly send coins already owned to another player. Only newly gifted ones. |
| Gifts are final | Overwatch gifts can not be refunded or canceled once sent |
| Payment method restrictions | Some methods block gifting currency or digital items entirely |
| Unredeemed gifts expire | Gifted coins that aren‘t redeemed within a number of months disappear |
So while buying Overwatch coins as gifts for others is great, make sure both the buyer and recipient understand these constraints.
Why Isn‘t Coin TradingAllowed? Analysis from a Fellow Gamer
As someone who‘s put hundreds of hours into Overwatch across different accounts, I completely understand the desire to trade coins between friends or old accounts. However, Blizzard specifically disallows directly trading currency.
Why is this the case? Based on my experience closely following Overwatch monetization changes, restrictions on coin trading relates to two key business factors:
1. Purchasing power parity: If coins could trade freely, their value could hyper-inflate on 3rd party markets compared to direct purchases in-game. This would disrupt Blizzard‘s carefully structured pricing model and the perceived value of premium currency bundles.
2. Loss of revenue: Allowing unrestricted coin trading means players could simply buy coins once, then trade extensively without additional transactions. This heavily impacts Blizzard‘s in-game spending income.
So in essence, coin trading limitations, despite being unpopular with portions of the playerbase, stem from Blizzard needing to protect the monetization model that supports ongoing Overwatch development and ops.
My take as an engaged player is that the gifting overhaul and shift away from Loot Boxes makes the game far more player-friendly for unlocking skins. A few restrictions around premium currency itself seem like understandable trade-offs to ensure longevity.
But I‘d love to hear other perspectives in comments below! Do you think gifting improvements make up for no coin trading? What‘s your stance as a player invested in Overwatch?
Key Takeaways: Gifting Overwatch Coins
To wrap up this complete guide to gifting Overwatch currency:
Yes – You absolutely can purchase new Overwatch coins as gifts through the in-game shop for friends‘ accounts. This follows the same process as gifting skins or Battle Passes.
Make sure to factor the limitations around gifting and restrictions on coin transfers between understanding accounts. Gifted coins are final with no refunds.
Consider gifting Overwatch coins for birthdays, holidays, or helping new players unlock cosmetics without spending themselves.
Let me know if this helps explain gifting coins, and stay tuned for more Overwatch 2 guides! I want to fully cover must-know strategies and updates as a dedicated player myself.
