Blizzard is now offering Kiriko’s Halloween Witch skin available standalone inOverwatch 2. The decision has, unsurprisingly, led to controversy amongOverwatch 2players that purchased the Witch Kiriko bundle previously. Controversy has surroundedOverwatch 2’s monetization since the free-to-play game launched on October 4. A month later and Blizzard hasn’t publicly addressedOverwatch 2player frustration, contributing to the ongoing controversy.
The controversy surrounding Kiriko’s Witch skin is rooted in broader issues withOverwatch 2’s shop. The issues start withOverwatch 2premium skin pricing, which asks for 2,600 Overwatch Coins for new skin bundles while only offering the currency in increments of 500-coin purchases minimum. That means spending at least $30 for 3,000 coins for a 2,600 coin purchase. Further, there are allegations that advertising a 2,600-coin purchase as discounted from 3,700 coins despite never actually being offered at that full price is manipulative and illegal in some countries.
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Blizzard has seemingly responded to those criticisms and in doing so prompted more. The Kiriko Witch skin is now available standalone for a price of 1,900 Overwatch Coins, though it’s only purchasable from Kiriko’s Hero menu and not within theOverwatch 2shop. The controversy stems fromOverwatch 2players who felt like they were forced to pay 2,600 coins for the Kiriko Witch skin bundle, believing that the skin wouldn’t be made available standalone.
If that wasn’t enough, the situation is inflamed by disappointment inBlizzard’sOverwatch 2Halloween event. There are no skin rewards available forOverwatch 2players to earn through gameplay for Halloween. All the new Halloween skins that Blizzard released are premium offerings, other than a Reaper skin given out to all players for dealing with the game’s server issues at launch.
The layers of frustration have created anegative atmosphere surroundingOverwatch 2, despite Blizzard’s updated multiplayer shooter’s gameplay being very well-received. It just goes to show that free-to-play game monetization can be just as important as gameplay. And that a lack of communication with players can exacerbate issues that may otherwise be resolved amicably.
Blizzard has not publicly commented onOverwatch 2’s monetization at this point in time. ABlizzard surveysent out this past week toOverwatch 2players sought feedback on the game’s battle pass and store, which is perhaps indicative of upcoming changes.Overwatch 2players probably shouldn’t expect anything, however. And given the sudden standalone release of the Witch Kiriko skin, pricing changes would be unlikely to lead to refunds or rewards for prior purchases anyway. Perhaps the best course of action is to continue sharing feedback with Blizzard and remain patient.
Overwatch 2is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
