Overwatch 2’s arrival was initially marked with a lot of problems. One of them had to do with how new heroes were unlocked. Moreover, the battle progression simply didn’t make sense to a lot of players, both new and old.
Fortunately, the new season brings in a plethora of changes that hold the potential for how players enjoy the game. The battle pass progression now works differently, and there’s a new upcoming hero that has been teased by the devs.
Progression is going to work a little differently in Overwatch 2 going forward
Remember how you had to grind all the way through the battle pass before you could get a new hero? The only real way of unlocking a new character was to pour in hours of playtime and wait until it became free for all players, or purchase the premium version of the pass to earn them.
Starting with Season 10, this will no longer be the case. Instead, old and new heroes are going to become available to players at the time of launch, something that was anyway part of the game before Overwatch 2 became a thing.
There’s also a new hero coming to the game; Venture is going to make its debut as an adventure-seeking, ground-breaking (quite literally) personality. Even the in-game store is going to see some changes, with Mythics being available for direct purchase.
Is this the impact of Helldivers 2?
Not long ago, I discussed the nuances of Helldivers 2 that made it the best live-service game in recent times. A deeper glance at the game’s core gameplay loop tells you how Arrowhead Game Studios has consistently maintained a standard for the game to thrive in its identity, without spoiling its nature or narrative through a live-service model.
Looking at the game’s success, it’s not surprising to see other co-op shooters and multiplayer games in general find better ways of working their live-service model out. In the case of Overwatch 2, it feels like the devs are finally making the game feel more rewarding to those who aren’t spending the biggest buck for certain things in the game.
This isn’t just limited to obtaining cosmetics or unlocking older items though. Making the game’s core gameplay aspect (how heroes are unlocked) more accessible for players creates an environment that welcomes players in, instead of scaring them away from a monetization system with false promises.
Even though Overwatch 2 has a long way to go before it even reaches the state of popularity as its predecessor, Season 10 surely feels like a welcoming change.
What are your thoughts on the new seasonal changes? Do you think this is a good thing for the game’s future? Let us know in the comments below.
