An Overwatch 2 player has pointed out that one of the game’s weapon charms is more expensive than the real-world version of that same charm. This is just one of the latest examples of the frustrations players have had with the game’s monetization in the past month, and it goes to show how little bang one can get for one’s buck in Overwatch 2.
With the move to a free-to-play live-service structure, Overwatch 2 has seen a lot of changes to in-game-purchases in order to accommodate a more consistent stream of content, though much of these changes have not been received well by fans. Since the game’s launch at the start of the month, players have taken issue with aspects of how the game is handling its new battle pass system, as well as the pricing of old Overwatch Halloween skins for the ongoing Wrath of the Bride event, to name a few examples.
Skins aren’t the only items players are finding overpriced in Overwatch 2. In a post on Reddit, user hi_im_redbeard compared the weapon charm based on the unofficial Overwatch mascot Pachimari to a physical keychain version that they bought. As the image they shared shows, the real-life charm only costs $5 on the Blizzard store, while the in-game version costs 700 Overwatch Coins, equivalent to $7.
$2 might not seem like that big of a price increase, especially considering it’s only $7. The problem here, however, is that players can’t simply pay that price to get the charm, since the cheapest Overwatch Coin bundle with at least 700 Coins is the $10 bundle with 1,000 Coins. So even if the real-life charm’s price was increased to match its virtual counterpart, it would still be cheaper by $3.
While Overwatch 2 has seen its fair share of other problems throughout its debut month, ranging from various bugs to multiple DDoS attacks, the changes made to monetization may be among the most problematic with how ingrained they are into the game currently. Controversy has surrounded decisions like charging 1,900 Coins for Legendary skins while only letting players earn 60 in-game credits per week through gameplay, or offering a paltry selection of free battle pass rewards, that leave the impression that Activision and Blizzard are aggressively putting the game’s most desirable content behind paywalls that players can’t reasonably get around through any other means. It also doesn't help that Overwatch 2's shop pricing tactics might actually be illegal in some countries.
It’s understandable that these purchases are here at all –an ongoing free-to-play game has to maintain a consistent flow of revenue somehow– but changes need to be made in order to make them more appealing to players. Those could be things like increasing the number of credits earned through weekly challenges or ways to earn credits, or just simply lowering the price of cosmetics a little. At any rate, it’s clear that Overwatch 2’s in-game purchases aren’t in an ideal state when players are wanting Blizzard to bring back loot boxes.
Overwatch 2 is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.