Summary
- Blizzard is bringing back loot boxes in Overwatch 2 starting with Season 15.
- In Season 16, hero bans will be introduced in Competitive Play, with map voting coming at a later date.
- A Comp mode for 6v6 is also on the way.
Blizzard has revealed some major changes coming to Overwatch 2 in Season 15, 16, and beyond, including the return of loot boxes and the introduction of hero bans. Overwatch 2 is currently facing its stiffest competition yet in Marvel Rivals, and while the new hero shooter on the block has proven to be wildly popular, Blizzard isn’t going down swinging. On the contrary, Blizzard is preparing some massive changes to Overwatch 2 that look to not only bring back lapsed players, but convince newcomers to give the game a shot as well.
To reveal all of this information to fans, Blizzard hosted its first-ever Overwatch 2 Spotlight event, which gave fans the rundown on major new updates on the way for the hero shooter. Quality-of-life and fan-requested changes are being made, like players getting exclusive weapon charms if they hit Plat or above in Comp starting with Season 16 and rank icons coming back to hero portraits.
Related
Overwatch 2 Season 15 Making Big Change to Comp
Blizzard confirms that it is making a big change to Overwatch 2’s Competitive Play mode with the arrival of Season 15.
One of the most notable changes to Overwatch 2 is the return of loot boxes, starting with Season 16. Loot boxes were a key component of the first Overwatch, but they were removed with the introduction of Overwatch 2, which shifted to an in-game store. Overwatch 2‘s monetization has been highly controversial, and so the return of loot boxes, which let players unlock cosmetics for free, will no doubt be appreciated by the community. This time around, loot boxes will be earned through the free track of the Overwatch 2 battle pass and as rewards for completing weekly challenges in the game.
Overwatch 2 is Making Big Changes This Year
Another massive Overwatch 2 change won’t come until Season 16. In that season, Blizzard will finally be introducing Overwatch 2 hero bans in Competitive Play, giving players the chance to block annoying heroes from matches. Overwatch 2 will also be adding a map voting feature, though that won’t come until some point after Season 16.
In the more immediate future, Overwatch 2 is bringing 6v6 back for an Open Queue Competitive Play mode mid-Season 15, with teams limited to two tanks total. Fans can also look forward to Overwatch Classic returning to the GOATs meta, as well as the return of various seasonal events like Lunar New Year, April Fools, Summer Games, Halloween, and more. Time will tell if these efforts see Overwatch return to its former glory, but these are certainly changes that will be appreciated by longtime fans of the hero shooter.
- Released
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October 4, 2022
- ESRB
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