Overwatch 2 devs want to make all heroes free to stop competitive advantages
Blizzard EntertainmentThe Overwatch 2 team has revealed plans to make every hero free upon release after receiving backlash about locking them behind seasonal battle passes.
Hero releases in Overwatch 2 have been quite controversial due to players needing to unlock them or outright purchase them, but all that could be changing in the future.
As more heroes get added with complex unique abilities, the game has revolved around counter-picking your opponents – something that isn’t ideal if you don’t have every hero available.
According to Executive Producer Jared Neuss, this is something the team wants to change and revealed as much in an interview with OW2 streamer SVB.
Overwatch 2 team reveals plans to make heroes free at launch
During the Twitch broadcast, Neuss revealed that he believes the team will get to a point where they can release heroes for free and they’re actively working towards that goal.
“I recognize that it’s an issue and it’s something we want to address,” he said. “Part of that also is balancing free-to-play with fairness, so obviously you can earn every hero, you don’t have to buy them, but there is a point of time where a team has an advantage.”
Neuss further admitted that it “doesn’t feel great” for a team to be in a position where they don’t have access to every hero and the other squad has a clear edge.
When pressed, the dev reiterated that making heroes free is a “goal” for the future, but wouldn’t share when players can expect this or how it would be implemented.
There are three heroes set to release in 2024 with the first, a DPS named Venture, is scheduled for Season 10 while a support codenamed Space Ranger is slated to debut in Season 12.
The third, a mysterious tank, is expected to come out in Season 14 if the devs keep the same release pattern where a new character launches every other season.
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