Summary
Loot boxes in the originalOverwatchwere controversial at the time, as they were in most games that used them. However, the battle pass system introduced inOverwatch 2proved to be so unpopular that it had fans missing the old form of monetisation.
Now, as it looks likeBlizzardis trying to claw back players fromMarvel Rivals, awhole bunch of changes and new features are being added to Overwatch 2. This includesthe return of loot boxes in Season 15, and game director Aaron Keller insists that the team will be generous with them in their debut season.
Overwatch 2 Director Gives Us More Details On Loot Boxes In Season 15
Aaron Keller says the team will give many away for free, and have measures in place to prevent dupes
As reported byDexerto, this comes from an interview with Overwatch streamer Emongg.
“The first season we’re giving away a ton,” says Keller. “Not every season will be this way, but it’s gonna be through challenges, through events, through Twitch drops, there’s a Discord program that’s gonna have loot boxes with it. It’s well over 100 free loot boxes if you’re playing the game for Season 15.”
There were some other reveals too. Keller adds that there’s “dupe protection” this time around, so items will reroll if you get one that you’ve already got. You can also choose to open them all at once if you don’t want to sit through a bunch of opening animations. Keller jokes that we’ll “need” the open all button for Season 15, given how many will be up for grabs.
Of course, there are pros and cons to this dupe protection. Having it be guaranteed that you get new stuff will go down well with some, but it might mean we’re more likely to end up with the less desired loot, like sprays or common skins for heroes we don’t use. At the very least, the old dupe system meant that if we got an item we already owned, we’d be given currency instead, which could then go towards a skin we actually wanted.
It remains to be seen how the community responds to the return of loot boxes. They will come back to Overwatch when Season 15 kicks off on February 18.The new hero, Freja, will also become available this season.
