Is Overwatch 2 $60? No – Here‘s Why It‘s Free Now

The short answer is: No, Overwatch 2 is completely free-to-play. When Blizzard‘s hit team-based shooter transitioned from the original 2016 Overwatch to the October 2022 Overwatch 2 release, they shifted to a free-to-play model rather than charging $60 upfront.

As someone who put over 300 hours into the first game, this shift to "F2P" (free-to-play) stood out as a bold new direction. For longtime fans like myself, the pricing change raised some questions. Why did they get rid of the upfront cost? How will they make money now? And what happens for those of us who already bought Overwatch 1?

Why Overwatch 2 Went Free-to-Play

Let‘s break down Blizzard‘s pricing shift strategy. Upon its launch in 2016, the original Overwatch game cost the standard $60 for console editions and $40 for PC. According to Blizzard‘s Q3 2021 financial results, Overwatch brought in $1.7 billion in net bookings over 5 years. That‘s over 25 million copies sold!

So why go free now? Speaking to the Washington Post, Overwatch commercial leader Jon Spector explained:

"We really wanted to remove as many barriers and friction to getting into Overwatch as possible…We imagine tons of people who‘ve never played Overwatch before trying Overwatch 2 as their first Overwatch experience. That‘s incredibly exciting for us. We want that community to be massive."

In other words, the goal is growth. And the numbers show it‘s working – Overwatch 2 drew over 25 million players in its first 10 days, beating the original‘s total lifetime players.

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Meanwhile on the money side, ActiBlizz is betting it can increase revenue by transitioning from a single $60/$40 transaction to ongoing microtransactions. Only time will tell how this pans out long-term, but the early population spike is a good sign.

Comparing Monetization: Overwatch vs. Overwatch 2

Now that both games are out in the wild, let‘s compare their approaches to making money post-launch:

Overwatch maintained a large player base for over half a decade without needing to chase the "games as a service" model. Loot boxes allowed invested players to unlock cosmetics randomly over time instead.

But free games require more incentive to keep spending. Enter Overwatch 2‘s new Battle Pass structure…

Overwatch 2‘s Battle Pass & Shop Explained

Since the core gameplay is now 100% free, optional cosmetics make up Overwatch 2‘s monetization. There are two main ways players can spend money:

The Battle Pass

• Costs 1000 "Overwatch Coins", roughly equivalent to $10 real dollars
• Each 9-week "season" brings new heroes, maps, modes and 100 tiers of unlockable cosmetics
• Free players get access to some rewards each season by playing
• Paying for the Premium pass unlocks over 80 exclusive cosmetic items per season

The Shop

• Rotating stock of individual skins, emotes, highlight intros for purchase
• Prices range from 500-1900 coins apiece
• Currency can be bought in various real money packs
• Shop-exclusive skins not available through Battle Pass

This dual structure allows Blizzard to incentivize both recurring seasonal spending and impulse buys. Will these systems prove more profitable than a single full game purchase? Only their accountants can say.

But now, let‘s move on from bytes to bullets…how does going free-to-play impact actual Overwatch gameplay?

The Gameplay Benefits of Free Overwatch

If I wasn‘t clear enough already – Overwatch 2‘s core 5v5 competitive multiplayer action is 100% free. New players can jump into quick matches, ranked competition, training modes and practice everything that made the original so popular without spending a dime.

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And when it comes to heroes (like glorious German engineer Brigitte), maps and planned moden like story missions, new gameplay content will all be free for everyone rather than paid DLC packs. Monetization only applies to optional looks.

In my opinion, this is fantastic for new players hesitant about a $40-$60 entry barrier. Veterans can keep flexing their skills while fresh facespopulate matches. Twice the fanbase, twice the fun!

Now on to rewards for existing Overwatch fans…

Rewards for Original Overwatch Players

What about those of us who already bought the original Overwatch prior to this whole free-to-play shift? Do we get anything special for making Blizzard money back in the day? Indeed we do!

Players who owned Overwatch prior to June 23, 2022 received the Overwatch 2 Founder‘s Pack for free. This digital thank-you pack includes:

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Sure, it‘s no $60 refund. But as someone rocking the Founder‘s Doomfist skin myself, I‘ll take what I can get! It reflects our OG dedication through 2016 lows and 2019 highs. Almost makes me glad I uninstalled Fortnite for this instead…almost.

Whether you‘re a card-carrying founder or wide-eyed newbie, Overwatch 2 invites all warriors to benefit from its updated gameplay and expanded universe free of charge. The roster churns on as values change and new blood arrives – such is the cycle of life and video game sequels both.

Now headshot some n00bs for me, would ya? Cheers!