Though the launch of Overwatch 2 was huge by any metric, its players have begun to feel increasingly frustrated by its progression and monetization system, with the recent complaints being centered around the game's weekly challenges. For its sequel, Blizzard Entertainment chose to eschew the loot box system of Overwatch in favor of direct purchases and a battle pass, which – while perfectly fine on paper – were implemented in a way that felt punishing compared to what came before.
The original Overwatch awarded players with loot boxes simply for playing the game. Logging in during a seasonal event, gaining a level, or playing the Arcade mode were just a few examples of how they could be earned, and though players could purchase loot boxes for real currency, their sheer abundance made it very redundant to do so. Any duplicate items earned through a loot box would get converted into credits, which players could use to purchase the specific item they wanted at a very generous exchange rate.
By contrast, this system in Overwatch 2 is gone – replaced by Overwatch Coins. The only way to earn these at a consistent rate is by completing the Weekly Challenges, with the maximum amount of coins a player could earn per week locked at 60. Considering that a legendary skin costs 1900 Overwatch Coins, people would need to play at least 32 weeks worth of weekly challenges to patiently save up enough coins – as opposed to just buying the skin outright for $19. Compared to the original Overwatch, the monetization and progression in Overwatch 2 feels like a drought, especially when the Weekly Challenges are so aggressively bland, and remain the same eleven challenges week-in and week-out.
So is anyone else already tired of grinding the same exact 11 weekly challenges over and over again? Half of the time I'm forced playing as "All-roles" just to complete them :/ I expected much more variety in missions honestly... from overwatch2
This was pointed out by Camper1995 on the official Overwatch subreddit, and this frustration seems to resonate with the community's overall dislike of what Overwatch 2 is turning out to be. While the game has done a tremendous job in improving upon its predecessor's combat and moment-to-moment gameplay, the systems built around it make the game feel soulless and tiresome. As things stand, Weekly Challenges represent a lazy way to keep players logged into the game as much as possible, and the rewards they offer aren't worth the trouble – yet are so intrinsically tied to the game's progression after Overwatch 2 removed the leveling system.
The new monetization has been met with such overwhelming negativity that some Overwatch players are even clamoring for the return of loot boxes. Even popular Twitch streamer Asmongold believes that Overwatch 2 would be better off with loot boxes than without, provided they remained solely obtainable through gameplay. Ultimately, with Blizzard choosing to shut down the original Overwatch servers, the path forward seems simple: implementing some variety in the Weekly Challenges of Overwatch 2 will go a long way to soothing the current divide between the community and the game.
Overwatch 2 is now available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.