Overwatch 2: monetization controversy, but what do Apex and Valorant do?

Overwatch 2

Overwatch 2 doesn't have a moment of respite. The long-awaited sequel to Activision Blizzard's first-person shooter has angered many of its fans because of its monetization system. Like almost all free-to-play shooters, Overwatch 2 will also have a battle pass, which is a system of cosmetic rewards spread over 100 levels that are unlocked simply by playing. In common with his colleagues he will also have the fact that there will be two tracks (tracks in Italian) one free and one premium.

The paid route will be much richer in cosmetics than the free one and will have as a final reward the first mythic skin for the game (even rarer than the epic or legendary ones): Cyber ​​Demon Genji. So far, so good. Fans made themselves heard when the unlocking system for the new characters, the heart and soul of every hero shooter, was made official. In Overwatch 2, those who purchase the battle pass premium will immediately have access to the new hero of that season (2 will be released a year), everyone else will be able to unlock him "at level 55 (of 80) of the free track" said the vice president of Blizzard John Spector.

One thing, however, not everyone liked and has sparked controversy over the monetization of Overwatch, but what are Apex and Valorant doing?

The reason for the Wrath of Fans

Customizations have always been at the heart of Overwatch's progression The first Overwatch came out with a promise Blizzard failed to deliver: pay a full price live game upon release and receive all new ones content for free. A separate discussion should be made for cosmetics that were locked behind a controversial loot box system. After less than three years, this system proved to be too expensive and too unprofitable for the development studio itself.

Initially 2 new heroes were to come out a year and so it was for 2017 and 2018. Then the sequel was announced and the contents practically stopped being published. When confirmation arrived that Overwatch 2 would be free-to-play, most fans expected that nothing would change - only a battle pass was to arrive that you could choose not to purchase. But that's not how the hero shooter industry works; Overwatch's great opponents both in the F2P and premium world prove it.

How Apex Legends, Valorant and Rainbow Six Siege work

Each new Apex Legends Legend can be unlocked with either money real that with a lot of in-game currency Take for example the king of free-to-play hero shooters: Apex Legends. When a new Legend comes out it is almost impossible to get it for free at launch. Unlocking new characters in Respawn Entertainment's battle royale, in fact, requires either the use of a premium currency (which costs real money) or a disproportionate amount of a free currency, obtainable by leveling up. Upon release, a new legend costs 750 Apex Coins, which can be purchased in the shop, or 12 thousand legend tokens, the equivalent of 20 levels. Only players who dedicate several hours each week to the game have a chance to get the new legends for free at launch.

In Valorant, the tactical shooter from Riot Games, however, it is impossible to get the new Agents for free at launch. . In addition to buying them for the equivalent of 10 euros, the only way to get a new Agent is to complete a dedicated mini battle pass (free) which takes 20 to 30 games to complete. If each game of Valorant lasts on average between 25 and 40 minutes, it means playing at least an hour a day for 10 days before you can have the new playable character in your hands.

In Valorant it is impossible to get the new agents for free on day one Finally, there is Rainbow Six: Siege which, in addition to not being free to play (the game costs a minimum of 15 euros), adopts a system similar to that of Apex for unlocking new operators. There is a premium currency you can buy them with right away and a free currency you can get by playing. An American analyst recently calculated that buying the basic version (which includes 20 of the more than 60 operators available) would take a new player 10 years of daily and weekly bounties to unlock the rest of the cast without shelling out a penny.

Does Overwatch 2 have more than honest monetization?

Some of the characters from Overwatch 2 If the appeal of a genre lies in its characters, it's only natural that its monetization focuses on the most valuable asset it has: the heroes. Overwatch 2 is no different from the competition in terms of accessibility of new content, quite the opposite. All the games mentioned have a battle pass for each season sold separately by the new Agent / Operator. In Overwatch 2, the new heroes will instead be included in the free battle pass. In addition, as most competitors do, the new heroes will be excluded from the competitive mode for the two weeks following launch. It is, therefore, a formula widely used in the sector and, although not perfect, on paper no worse than that of competitors who are not under this crossfire of controversy.

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