There has been a lot of commotion and complaining about Overwatch 2’s in-game store prices and its lack of free loot boxes. It’s much harder in the recently released shooter sequel to earn credits and unlock new outfits for free compared to the first game. And a new example of just how pricey Overwatch 2 is was discovered by a fan who bought a gun charm from Blizzard in real life at half the cost of its digital, in-game counterpart.
To say Overwatch 2 has had a rough launch would be both accurate and an understatement. The free-to-play hero shooter from Blizzard rolled out across PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X/S, Switch, and PC on October 4. Almost immediately after launch, it ran into server issues caused by DDoS attacks. Other issues include a cell phone requirement, problems with inviting friends to your group, extended downtimes, characters like Bastion being removed, and more. It’s not been a great first month for the shooter, that’s for sure. And on top of all this mess, players have been upset by Blizzard’s changes to how the economy and cosmetics work in Overwatch 2, with many criticising the aforementioned lack of free loot boxes, high prices on cosmetic items, and the amount of grinding it takes to unlock new outfits for those unwilling to fork over money for credits.
Most recently, a player posted on the game’s main subreddit that they were able to buy a real-life Pachimari keychain charm from Blizzard for $US5 ($9). That same charm in the actual game costs 700 credits, and because of how credits are sold in Overwatch 2, it will cost you at least $US10 ($AU18) to get enough credits to buy it. Yes, it costs at least twice as much as its real-life counterpart.
Even if we ignore the whole “this charm is cheaper in the flesh world” component of this story, it’s still wild. I’m honestly baffled that Blizzard is actually charging 700 credits for a single in-game gun charm. For $US10 or less, I can get entire skin packs in Fortnite or buy full games on Steam. And if you want to buy a full-character skin in Overwatch 2, be prepared to shell out $US15 ($AU27) or more. For around the same price, you can buy an actual Overwatch skin: aka a Halloween costume in real life. All of these prices are just bonkers.
Still, at least the game is fun. And for all you Bastion mains out there, I’ve got good news: A few days ago, the murder machine himself returned to the game after being MIA for nearly two weeks due to a nasty glitch. Bastion is still fun to play, even if you can’t afford a new skin for him and his cute bird.
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