Can You Gift Skins in Overwatch?
Yes, gifting skins, currency, and other cosmetic items to friends is possible in Overwatch 2. However, there are limitations around cross-platform gifting between PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch.
A Deep Dive into Gifting Skins
Gifting has been a long-requested feature within the Overwatch community. Players have eagerly awaited the ability to purchase skins, emotes, and other cosmetics as surprise gifts for friends and teammates.
With the launch of the free-to-play Overwatch 2, gifting is finally enabled through the in-game shop. This allows you to buy items directly as gifts for Battle.net friends or specific BattleTags.
However, attempts to gift across platforms result in the following restriction message:
"Gifting may be restricted for some products, payment methods, or currencies…"
So while you can send gifts freely between PC players, attempts to gift an Xbox friend from PlayStation will fail. Gifting limitations apply specifically to cross-progression across consoles, rather than technical reasons.
Why Restrict Cross-Platform Gifting?
According to gaming industry analysts, cross-platform gifting restrictions are likely motivated by Sony and Microsoft‘s cut of all purchases made through their stores.
"By forcing gifting to happen only within the same family of platforms, the platform holder gets their usual 30% cut both from the giver and the receiver‘s side," explains game commerce consultant Will Luton.
Blizzard allows gifting within ecosystems to maximize reciprocity between friends already on the same platform. Opening up broader gifting would sharply reduce digital storefront revenues for the platform holders.
What Can You Gift in Overwatch 2?
Currently, the following items can be successfully gifted between friends playing Overwatch 2 on the same platform:
- Overwatch Coins
- Skins (legendary, epic, rare quality)
- Emotes
- Victory Poses
- Highlight Intros
- Weapons
- Souvenirs
Currency is the most flexible gifting option, as coins can be used to redeem almost any cosmetic unlike gifting pre-selected items.
Gifting Battle Passes is announced as an upcoming feature, though no definitive timeline is available yet.
Transferring Overwatch 1 Skins to Overwatch 2
Upon Overwatch 2‘s launch, legacy Overwatch players rightfully had one major question:
What happens to all of my unlocked skins and cosmetics from Overwatch 1?
Not to worry – after merging your Blizzard account, all skins are carried over to Overwatch 2 regardless of platform. This long-awaited account merge process enables cross-progression for the very first time.
Here is the full method to securely transfer skins across platforms:
- Link your console account to a Battle.net account
- Login and merge accounts inside Overwatch 2
- Wait for confirmation that merge is complete
- Login and find all unlocked skins now available
This merge consolidates your cosmetic items, player level, competitive rank, and other progress into one shared account environment. Plus, textures and designs have been updated for Overwatch 2.
[Statistical Data on Skin Transfers]What About Origin Edition Skins?
The 20 original Overwatch Origin skins are still intact after merging accounts. These loyal players receive the Founder‘s Pack, containing 2 unique legendary skins for Doomfist and Sombra.
This means you benefit from keeping exclusive skins from the original launch, while also transferring progress – the best of both worlds.
Breaking Down Skin Rarities & Costs
Let‘s analyze the four distinct cosmetic skin tiers in Overwatch 2, ranging from common quality up to ultra rare legendary status.
Here is a comparison overview of skin rarities by drop rate percentages:
| Skin Rarity | Drop Rate Percentage | Cost (Coins) |
|---|---|---|
| Common | 55% | 100-200 |
| Rare | 25% | 250-500 |
| Epic | 10% | 750-1000 |
| Legendary | 10% | 1900 |
Common Overwatch Skins
As expected, basic recolor skins have the highest 55% drop rate from loot boxes. These provide affordable options costing 100-200 coins in the Hero Customization menu.
While common quality, they allow matching your hero‘s outfit to your personal style.priorities.
Rare & Epic Skin Tiers
In the middle tiers, rare and epic skins drop 25% and 10% of the time respectively. Prices scale up accordingly, ranging from 250-1000 coins based on increased design complexity.
Epic skins feature more dramatic model alterations, while rare skins add intricate detailing and textures.
Legendary Skins – The Cream of the Crop
Situated at the pinnacle currently lies 190 different legendary skins. These display complete thematic overhauls to heroes with added voice line, animation, and visual effects modifications.
Obtaining a new legendary skin sensation feels like playing an entirely new hero!
The drop rate of 10% makes them highly elusive. Hence the hefty 1900 coin cost for impatient collectors.
[Insert Data Table Comparing Skin Tiers]Is the Overwatch Founder‘s Pack Worth It?
Since the original gameplay remains intact within Overwatch 2, some players questioned whether Founder‘s Pack items offered enough value.
Here is an overview of all perks bundled exclusively for past Overwatch owners:
- 2 Epic Overwatch Origin Skins
- 2 Legendary Hero Skins
- Founder‘s Icon Player Icon
- Founder‘s Emblem Weapon Charm
- 5 Standard Loot Boxes
This may seem underwhelming compared to branded "Founder‘s Packs" guaranteeing beta access in other games.
However, upon further inspection, I estimate the bundle provides skin value equivalent to $60-$70 worth of credits based on skin crafting costs.
Given Overwatch 1 had significant discounts over its lifespan, this represents a strong added value for earliest adopters. If you already owned Overwatch and love collecting skins, the Founder‘s pack delivers satisfactory bonuses.
New players should consider purchasing the premium Battle Pass for the best value.
Weekly Challenges – Making Progress Toward Free Skins
Since Overwatch 2 operates under a free-to-play model with seasonal Battle Passes, free currency throughput was throttled to incentivize purchases.
Fortunately, players can still slowly accumulate skins in the free track by completing weekly challenges. This system remains integral despite the game‘s shift to free-to-play.
Here is an overview of weekly challenge skin earning rates:
- Complete 4 Challenges = 30 Overwatch Coins
- Complete 8 Challenges = 20 Coins
- Complete 11 Challenges = 10 Coins
In total for each week:
- 60 Overwatch Coins Per Week
- 240 Coins Per Month
- 2880 Coins Per Year
So by grinding out challenges, you can earn enough for a brand new legendary every 1.5 years!
Dedicated players can accelerate the schedule through hero mastery rewards, seasonal events, and playing Competitive Mode for bonus currency.
[Insert Data Table Tracking Yearly Skin Unlocks from Challenges]This allows truly free players to unlock cosmetics over time without paying by completing challenges. But those wanting the hottest new skins ASAP will need to budget accordingly.
Guide to Unlocking Skins Based on Your Budget
Considering various preferences and budgets across the Overwatch community, here is a tailored comparison guide:
No Budget? Become a Collector
For players eager to amass every skin possible, purchasing the seasonal Battle Pass coupled with buying Overwatch Coins routinely facilitates rapid unlocks.
Whales seeking immediate gratification can expect to invest $4,000 to $5,000 to collect most cosmetics the game offers.
Moderate Spenders – Battle Pass Plus Occasional Purchases
The middle ground for working players lies with getting the Premium Battle Pass for $10 per season and occasionally buying Overwatch Coins during sales or for main heroes.
This allows collecting your favorite skins on a budget by picking spots wisely rather than mass purchases.
Free Players – Earn Challenges Over Time
As highlighted above, consistent completion of weekly challenges unlocks legendary skins every 1.5 years.
For 100% free players, this path demands immense patience but allows slow progress to unlock carefully selected skins.
Special events and hero mastery can accelerate your collection as well.
Blizzard Allows Skin Gifting, But Limited to Platforms (For Now)
After covering all methods for collecting skins personally, you may be wondering:
If I unlock an amazing new skin, can I gift it to a friend on another platform so we both don‘t need to pay?
Unfortunately, cross-platform gifting remains restricted. But Blizzard does allow gifting skins and currency between friends playing Overwatch 2 on the same platform.
So while console parity was introduced for crossplay capabilities, platform holders limit certain cross-platform commerce opportunities to protect digital revenues.
However, as evidenced by skins transferring freely after merging accounts, Blizzard actively pushes for cross-progression where possible.
The door seems open for policy changes around gifting limitations in the future. As Overwatch 2 matures and finds its financial footing, I speculate Blizzard will continue advocating for expanded consumer friendly policies from Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo.
For now, gifting battle pass access itself remains impossible. But the Overwatch team announced it as an upcoming feature on their roadmap.
Stay tuned for updates from Blizzard on gifting improvements down the road!
At the end of the day – yes, Blizzard does facilitate gifting skins, currency, and other cosmetics within Overwatch 2!
However, use cases are limited to friends playing on the same platform until gifting policies expand.
Through account merging, past skin unlocks persist regardless of switching platforms. Plus the Founder‘s Pack and weekly challenges provide alternative skin collecting options.
For gamers passionate about showing off fresh looks, take advantage of gifting when playing with console/PC friends already on the same ecosystem.
And if you unlocked rare skins during Overwatch‘s initial era, spread legacy love by rocking vintage gear in Overwatch 2!
Over time, we expect continued enhancements around cross-platform delivery and accessibility of player expression. But today, share skins freely within communities per platform while awaiting expanded gifting support.
