What do I get in OW2 if I own OW1?

As a passionate Overwatch 1 player and content creator, this was one of the biggest questions on my mind leading up to the OW2 launch. And I‘m happy to report that existing players do get some nice perks in the switch over to the sequel! While some rewards come automatically, you‘ll need to put in a bit of playtime to unlock others.

Founder‘s Pack

All OW1 players receive the Overwatch 2 Founder‘s Pack for free. This includes:

• 2 Epic Overwatch 2 Skins: Jester Sombra and General Doomfist
• Founder‘s Icon Profile Customization Item
• Immediate access to new heroes Kiriko, Junker Queen and Sojourn upon release

The skins provide a flashy way to show off your OW1 tenure in style. Between these epic cosmetics and the Founder‘s icon, you‘ll stand out from the F2P masses! The hero unlocks are also big — new characters often require extensive gameplay or battle pass progression. Avoiding that early grind is a huge boost.

Original Heroes and Maps

Overwatch 2 grants owners of the original every single launch hero automatically unlocked from the start. Rather than grinding to earn these characters, you‘ll have instant access to all 31 familiar faces. This lets veterans jump straight into playing their favorites like Genji, Hanzo, or Tracer without missing a beat. The new player experience otherwise starts with just 15 heroes accessible in the free track.

And while Overwatch 2 introduces gorgeous new locales like Circuit Royal, Portugal, and Antarctica, the original OW1 roster of maps also returns reimagined. So you can expect fresh graphical overhauls of classics like Hanamura, Rialto, and Temple of Anubis in the map pool updates.

Cosmetics and Currency Carryover

I know I personally spent ages collecting skins, intros, sprays and other cosmetics in Overwatch 1. So I‘m thrilled Blizzard carried over basically all owned cosmetic items to their Overwatch 2 equivalents. I can still flex my rare Pink Mercy Skin earned years ago along with countless other unlocks! They help reflect the time I‘ve already invested.

Plus any unused credits and unopened loot boxes got converted into Overwatch 2 currency based on the original cost. So while new players start from zero, existing ones keep leftover spending power. Between all my converted credits and the Founder‘s Pack skins, I‘ve already unlocked Epic skins for Symmetra and Lucio without spending a dime in OW2.

Ability to Play with Overwatch 2 Players

While Overwatch 1 servers shut down with the sequel‘s launch, the core PVP foundation remains alive. And as an OW1 player, you can party up and play competitive modes right alongside new Overwatch 2 owners. The main difference compared to OW1 comes in the form of graphical enhancements, reworked heroes, and new characters/maps supplementing the original offerings over time.

But since the clients share unified PVP servers now, any old friends sticking with the original can squad up with you even if they haven‘t upgraded. The team confirmed crossplay support across all platforms right from launch too. So don‘t worry about fragmented player bases or queues!

Of course, while you get a good amount of perks for free by owning the original Overwatch, Blizzard does hope the allure of exclusive Overwatch 2 content entices you to spend. Some elements don‘t unlock through prior ownership.

PVE Story Content

The main campaign featuring story missions with co-op PVE gameplay sits behind a paywall even for existing players. These story-focused modes tout things like character progression, unique abilities, and special enemy types — a massive overhaul from OW1‘s traditional PVP foundation.

Whenever the PVE finally releases with story locations like New York, Gothenburg, and Monte Carlo, only paying Overwatch 2 players will get to enjoy it. But since the PVP will still be my main mode of play, I‘m fine waiting for discounts down the line.

Premium Battle Pass Perks

While Overwatch 2‘s free track battle pass grants plenty of skins, sprays, souvenirs and other goodies, the premium version takes it to another level. You‘ll unlock premium legendary character skins, additional currency, and a new mythic skin on completion.

These pricier passes cost 1000 Overwatch Coins, equivalent to $10. As someone who easily got hundreds of hours of entertainment from the original, I‘m happy to invest in the odd battle pass each season supporting continued development. But it is a bit disappointing not all cosmetics unlock through playtime anymore.

The XP boosts and instant hero unlocks provide an edge for buying in early. But ultimately, the legendary cosmetics seem to be the main selling point of premium. I just try reminding myself most of those will appear in the shop eventually anyway.

While the switch over meant saying farewell to the original client, Overwatch 2 grants me plenty of appreciation perks keeping my existing investment intact. All heroes/maps/cosmetics carry forward and core gameplay remains stellar as ever.

The automated unlocks saved me tons of playtime I‘d otherwise spend grinding. And seeing last season‘s top 500 icon has already drawn some "oohs" and "ahhs" from new players unaware what an achievement it was to earn. The rare skins I unlocked years ago now gain a new lease on life as well with the influx of fresh faces.

So at the end of the day, Overwatch 2 winds up being a nice upgrade for veterans like myself even playing 100% free. I simply couldn‘t pass up on the graphical overhaul and new characters knowing my existing collection and stats persisted through the transition.

Sure, some monetization elements sting a little. But receiving the Founder‘s Pack and retaining my progression kept the experience feeling respectful rather than resetting me outright. Hopefully the revenue funds more awesome heroes, maps, modes and cinematics like Overwatch is known for.

And being able to squad up with friends who are just now trying Overwatch thanks to the free-to-play model is a big plus too! After all, the social experience creating bonds and memories is what cemented my passion for Overwatch most of all. So I‘d call the sequel a win for owners of the original so far!