Overwatch 2 players realize that it will take a significantly long amount of time to get all of Kiriko's skins and other cosmetics in the game without spending real money. Overwatch 2 is finally available to the masses, but the hero-shooter's launch has not been a smooth one. Technical issues, server disconnects, long queue times, progression problems, and more have plagued Overwatch 2 in the days after launch, though Blizzard is working to fix things.
Overwatch 2's technical problems will be fixed in the coming days, and many have already been addressed. There are still some issues with Overwatch 2 players not having their OW1 cosmetics, but hopefully fans don't have to wait too much longer for that problem to be solved. Unfortunately, there are other problems in the game beyond a technical standpoint, with many voicing their concern over Overwatch 2's monetization model.
An example of this can be find on Reddit in a post by user Autumn_hi. Autumn_hi did the math and pointed that it would take Overwatch 2 players a whopping five years to purchase all the currently-available skins, emotes, sprays, etc. for new Support hero Kiriko if they didn't spend real money. This is because Overwatch 2 players can only get about 60 Overwatch Coins per week by completing all the available weekly challenges.
At the time of this writing, the total cost to purchase all the Kiriko unlocks in Overwatch 2 is 15,600 coins. If players don't want to spend five years saving up the coins, they can alternatively buy Overwatch Coins from the in-game shop. $99.99 will get players 11,600 coins right now thanks to a 16% bonus that's applied to it. $19.99 will get players 2,200 Overwatch Coins, so basically players will need to spend around $140 to buy all the Kiriko cosmetics through microtransactions.
Of course, Overwatch 2 is a free-to-play game, and it needs to generate money somehow. However, there are those who feel that weekly challenge rewards are simply inefficient, especially Overwatch 1 players who are used to getting skins and other cosmetics for free. In the original Overwatch, nearly all the cosmetic items could be earned by opening loot boxes, and while loot boxes could be purchased with real money, they were also given away for free whenever players leveled up or completed certain tasks in-game.
Other games have adjusted their monetization models in response to fan backlash, and it's possible that Blizzard will do the same with Overwatch 2 at some point, but it's also possible that it will stick to its guns. For now, though, fans will have to live with the game's microtransactions as they are now, and keep in mind that it is unlikely they will get all the skins for their favorite Overwatch 2 hero without breaking the bank.
Overwatch 2 is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.