Fans of Overwatch 2 have assembled across social media to both express their discontent for current affairs regarding the prices of cosmetic items, and to offer suggestions to the game's developers on how these issues could be overcome to make the game more consumer-friendly. Though Overwatch 2 has faced a fair share of criticism due to a list of flaws that have pursued the game since it's launch in October, the persisting issues relating to the availability and pricing of cosmetic items remain to be some of the biggest peeves for most fans.
It's no secret that Overwatch 2, unlike its predecessor, is completely free-to-play for anyone on any platform. Though this has allowed Overwatch 2's player count to reach an all-time high, this doesn't change the fact that the game falls prey to many of the same shortcomings that are commonly seen in other free-to-play games as a result. More specifically, it is the accessibility and pricing of cosmetics that seems to be one of the greatest complaints among the community at the present time. Whereas the original game allowed players to earn free loot boxes by leveling up, this mechanic was removed altogether in the sequel in favor of a new shop section which allows players to purchase from a rotating selection of skins and bundles, with an available premium battle pass to boot.
Fans on sites such as Reddit, Twitter, YouTube, and beyond have been making their disappointment clear since the game first released over the high prices of cosmetics now, and the inability to reliably acquire them for free. While it's unfortunately common to find little more than loud, nonconstructive anger on online forums, many helpful players have opted to create their own ideas of how the game and its systems might be improved. One player named -ShyLuna- on Reddit offered their own adjustments, which prompted the idea of raising the Overwatch Coin rewards from weekly challenges and possibly even introducing a mechanic which would allow players to trade with each other.
Currently, the completion of weekly challenges provides the only method of acquiring Overwatch Coins for free, but the rewarded amounts are so little that Overwatch 2 players calculated that it would take over 33 weeks to unlock just a single Legendary skin if they relied solely on weekly challenge rewards.
Of course, many different players are suggesting many different solutions to the monetization issue. Lots of players are uncomfortable with the prospect of a trade mechanic being added, as such a feature is feared to encourage account stealing and fraud. Still, many players believe that Overwatch 2 will need to adapt its prices if player interest is to be retained. Blizzard continues to provide patches throughout Season 1, but whether it'll listen to player feedback regarding cosmetic availability is yet to be seen.
Overwatch 2 is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.