Season 10 of Overwatch 2 is fast approaching. In addition to the arrival of a new character to the roster, it will bring a small number of changes. We were able to speak with Aaron Keller, director of the game, to take stock of the confirmed new features.
A year and a half and nine seasons later, Overwatch 2 continues to transform. Free-to-play has had its ups and downs during its almost two years of existence. Stormy launch, cancellation of the story mode in favor of missions that have disappeared from the landscape or even more recently significant changes which devalue certain roles… everything is not always rosy in the life of a service game. The teams, now reduced in number since the wave of layoffs which affected the Activision-Blizzard studios, are not discouraged however. Stone by stone, season by season, Overwatch 2 is taking shape thanks to community feedback. Aaron Keller re-insists in the latest developer diary. The game is developed for and with the players, and season 10 scheduled for this April should be the perfect example of this.
Overwatch 2 heroes unlocked for free at launch
The move to free-to-play of the license was not to everyone’s taste, old players and newbies alike. Blizzard has been busy fixing things since launch, but one complaint still persisted to this day: the locking of new characters. We’ve seen new faces since the release of Overwatch 2. Kiriko, Vital and more recently Mauga, there are six new recruits who have joined the roster. It will expand from season 10 with the 40th hero and first non-binary of the series: Venture. Currently, each new character is locked into the Battle Pass, both free and paid, with the possibility of playing them without having to reach the necessary rank if you check out. All that will be a thing of the past in season 10.
Each new hero, as well as those implemented since the release of Overwatch 2, will be unlocked automatically at the launch of the next season, for all game modes. In other words Venture will be available to everyone from its launch, without skipping at the checkout or lift a finger. Newcomers will still need to unlock the game’s new stars as they learn the ropes, but once they’ve unlocked all of the base characters, the new faces will be directly accessible to them.
“ We really think this is what’s best for the players and the game. When you’re developing these kinds of games, it can quickly become complicated. Putting any type of gameplay behind a paywall can turn into a competitive advantage for players. We tried as much as possible to neutralize this with the free Battle Pass and the challenges to unlock heroes, but everything we tried wasn’t as effective as we would have hoped. After a year and a half, we had enough data to see that the game could work without blocking the heroes behind the Battle Pass. We really think this is the best thing to do for all our players », added Aaaron Keller during an interview to which we were invited. The game director also temporizes the expectations of the most faithful. No compensation will be offered to players who have already unlocked all the new heroes in the past.
A new store for legendary skins
This season 10 of Overwatch 2 will also introduce changes to legendary outfits. Always reserved for paid Battle Pass members each season, players will now have more control over what they want to unlock and how. Basically, if you’re not interested in certain variations or colors of the featured outfit, then you can focus on another hero’s outfit instead. How ? Via the brand new Mythic store, which will bring together the ultimate skins from seasons 1 to 7. Current and future mythical skins will be integrated into the said store two months after their initial availability. Ultimately, it’s the entire way skins are unlocked that will change.
Not all players are as excited for every hero who gets a legendary skin. With this new system, they will be able to unlock those that interest them. They will earn a new currency which is obtained by progressing in the paid Battle Pass, and they will obtain enough mythical prisms to unlock an outfit in the store. This could be one from the current season, or from a previous one. This way, we give them more choices. The base Mythic skin includes several upgrades, so you can just unlock the base outfit, and save prisms for the other variants.
Keller specifies that each Battle Pass will only give enough prisms for a single outfit, but it will obviously be possible to purchase this new currency with real money. More information will be provided closer to the launch of Season 10.
Free rewards for all Overwatch 2 players
We reassure those who like not to spend a single cent on their free-to-play, Blizzard has obviously heard your requests. The free Battle Pass (as well as the paid one) will also undergo some changes. No more weekly challenges to earn OW coins, they will be integrated directly into the battle pass from season 10 and there will be even more. Between 540 and 600 coins can be obtained by completing the Battle Pass each season. This is more than enough to buy several lines of dialogue to spam your team. Challenges should be more flexible to suit your playstyle and will offer experience towards the Battle Pass rather than coins. The Overwatch 2 teams are formal, they listen to all players without distinction, those who are ready to checkout like the others.
“The system we implemented works as well as we would have liked, especially for players who do not purchase the Battle Pass. Many of them don’t earn enough coins, and some don’t even earn any at all. We think that this new system will be a more accessible way to earn coins, and therefore to have fun, explained Aaron Keller. “We are committed to making Overwatch 2 as fair, fun, and competitive as possible,” Blizzard says in its press release.
A new game mode and updated maps
In the long term, the American firm now wants a regular rhythm by regularly introducing new mechanics or making changes to those implemented, shaking up the meta or “introducing new rewards”. This vision will come to fruition in particular with a new game mode, Clash, presented during Blizzcon 2023. Players will be able to try it for a limited time during season 10, with only one map available: the beloved Hanaoka. This map will be one among many others which will be entitled to a small facelift since the Colosseum will be improved from season 11.
Some names requested by the community are also under study such as Dorado, Circuit Royale, La Havae and Numbani. However, the teams want to find a good balance between refreshing existing maps and bringing new ones to spice up the game modes that need it. In fact, season 11 will introduce a new map for Push mode: Runasapi, a city in Peru which will allow you to learn more about Illari. A very nice program on paper, we just have to see if it will resonate with the community.
And you, what do you think of these upcoming changes in Overwatch 2?