Overwatch 2 devs tease reward changes coming in Season 3 to give players more control

Brad Norton
Overwatch 2 Genji Mythic skin

Reward system changes have seemingly been locked in for Overwatch 2 Season 3 as devs have teased more player agency in the near future.

When Overwatch 2 replaced the original hero shooter in October, 2022, it introduced an entirely different rewards system. Rather than having players open loot boxes to unlock the latest cosmetic items, it instead promoted a new in-game story with its own virtual currency.

On top of this premium route, the sequel also implemented seasonal rewards through a season pass system. However, when grinding through either the free or premium track, every reward is set in stone. Regardless of what items you’d prefer, or what order you’d like to unlock them in, everyone is stuck on the exact same path.

Moving forward, it appears Blizzard is looking to adjust this reward system, starting with a fresh change in Season 3, according to Executive Producer Jared Neuss.

Having heard recent criticism of the new approach loud and clear, Neuss and the team at Blizzard is looking to make key changes in the coming weeks.

“We have some updates coming in S3 that we’ll be talking about soon to help address the lack of choice in rewards,” he said on Twitter. While specifics weren’t made clear, as Neuss wanted to “keep it vague for now,” it’s clear we can expect a shakeup to the current reward system.

One such way could be for Overwatch 2 to follow Call of Duty, also under the Activision Blizzard umbrella. In both Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2, the shared Battle Pass allows players to forge their own path toward their most desired items. Want a specific skin right away? You can advance in that direction first. Want a new weapon charm first? Simply progress the pass in that direction. The choice is ultimately down to the player.

Warzone 2 Battle Pass
Overwatch 2 devs could adopt an identical approach to the Battle Pass seen in Modern Warfare 2 & Warzone 2.

Overwatch 2 could implement a similar approach, or perhaps innovate with something completely different. We’ll just have to wait and see what the devs have in store for the upcoming Season 3 update, currently scheduled for February 7.

About The Author

Brad Norton is the Australian Managing Editor at Dexerto. He graduated from Swinburne University with a Bachelor’s degree in journalism and has been working full-time in the field for the past six years at the likes of Gamurs Group and now Dexerto. He loves all things single-player gaming (with Uncharted a personal favorite) but has a history on the competitive side having previously run Oceanic esports org Mindfreak. You can contact Brad at brad.norton@dexerto.com