Overwatch 2’s new heroes won’t be free

Image: Blizzard Entertainment

Fans will need to get on the grind wheel to get the newest heroes in the game. New heroes will be available on the free track of the Battle Pass, according to the commercial lead of the game.

The watchpoint pack is a purchasable content bundle that gives buyers all kinds of goodies, including skins, in-game currency, and access to the season 1 premium battle pass.

Addressing some incomplete info posted early about our Overwatch 2 Battle Pass – we'll be sharing all details ahead of launch, but want to confirm that new Overwatch 2 heroes will be available on the free track of the Battle Pass.

— Jon Spector (@Spex_J) September 8, 2022

Premium battle pass users have access to the newest hero in the game, Kiriko. The support hero's name was accidentally leaked by a streamer after she was teased in an earlier promo, but details were never confirmed.

The reference to Kiriko was removed from the description of the Watchpoint Pack. New heroes will be locked behind battle pass progression, but on the free track and not the paid one, according to the sentence that has been removed.

New heroes have been free since the launch of the game. Changing from a boxed retail model to a free-to-play model is one of the many changes that will be implemented in the sequel. Fans pointed out that battle pass progression is a standard feature for other free-to-play games.

Fans on the other side of the aisle pointed out that players are free to switch heroes mid match and often do so to pick characters that counter the oppositions heroes. New heroes are more powerful and dominate all levels of play, especially at the highest levels. It is a bit like paper. She was the rock to the paper when she was added. Your team had a poor chance of winning if they didn't have Brigitte. Being unable to play a new hero because you haven't unlocked them presents a disadvantage to competitive players.

Dante "Danteh" Cruz, a player on the Houston Outlaws, commented on the feature, saying that it is common in free-to-play games, with the way new heroes dominate the higher tiers of competition.

understandable for a f2p system but kinda concerning considering how many new heroes have made extremely oppressive metas when paired with the right heroes. brig sigma and jqueen all made extremely oppressive metas where you're just at a huge disadvantage if you don't play them https://t.co/W7VhJvq2BY

— danteh (@danteh) September 8, 2022

Cruz's concerns about competitive viability are valid, but they are just a small portion of the player base. Those in the Platinum to Grandmaster ranks won't be affected by the matches in quick play.

There has been no communication from the company about how new heroes will work in the game. It seems like a confirmation that hero unlocks will be tied to the battle pass is what Spector has said as of late. There will be more information in the weeks leading up to the launch of the game.