Blizzard Entertainment has revealed how Overwatch 2 heroes can be unlocked for free and what the game’s Season 1 Battle Pass entails. Earlier this month, fans expressed their disappointment when they learned that Overwatch 2 heroes won’t be available to everyone day-one unless players fork out money (or the equivalent in-game currency) for the Premium Battle Pass. Blizzard assuaged concerns by stating that there will be a free track for those who are up for a bit of a grind. How much of a grind? We now have an idea.
How to unlock Overwatch 2 heroes for free
There are two main ways to play new characters without forking out money:
- Play up to Tier 55 on the free track of the Battle Pass.
- Complete weekly challenges to earn Overwatch Coins. The Premium Battle Pass costs 1,000 Overwatch Coins.
While it may be disappointing to some that they won’t be able to play new heroes right away, this model is understandable considering Overwatch 2 will be free-to-play.
Season 1 Battle Pass will have the following unlockables spread across 20 tiers:
- Newest support hero, Kiriko (for new players who won’t have her already)
- 2 Epic Skins
- 1 Weapon Charm
- 2 Souvenirs
- 1 Highlight Intro
- 14 additional items (emotes, victory poses, name cards, sprays, player icons, etc.)
- Prestige Tier Titles (8 earnable titles available only after completing the entire pass)
The Premium Battle Pass will contain all the freebies as well as the following:
- Immediate access to Kiriko
- 20% XP Battle Pass Boost
- 1 Mythic Skin
- 5 Legendary Skins and 1 Epic Skin
- 3 Play of the Game Intros
- 4 Weapon Charms
- 3 Emotes
- 3 Souvenirs
- 6 Poses
- 6 Name Cards
- 30+ additional cosmetic rewards
- 60 additional tiers (for a total of 20)
The rate of Battle Pass progression can only be accurately determined once the game releases. According to Blizzard, daily and weekly challenges will offer “significant” XP, and so will linking up with a friend (20 percent XP boost on match XP).
For more details, head over to Blizzard’s official website.
