The Overwatch 2 release date is fast approaching, and although we’ve had a few blog posts and even some betas to sink our teeth into, there are still a few unanswered questions. One of the biggest was about how new Overwatch 2 heroes would be unlocked, and after a fair few hours of confusion following a Blizzard slip-up, we finally have a concrete answer.
On September 7, Blizzard accidentally announced the identity of a new Overwatch 2 hero called Kiriko which will seemingly be available at launch. The hero’s name was revealed in a product description for the Watchpoint Pack, a bundle of in-game goodies including access to the premium track for the first season’s Overwatch 2 battle pass, but this description has since been edited.
While this in itself was interesting, fans were also drawn to how you were able to unlock Kiriko. In the original description, Blizzard said: “As a Season One Premium Battle Pass owner you will automatically receive access to Overwatch’s latest hero Kiriko!”
This sparked some concern and confusion as to whether players would essentially have to pay to unlock new heroes if they were only obtainable via the premium track of a seasonal battle pass.
However, Blizzard has now provided some clarification, confirming that new Overwatch 2 heroes will be free to unlock for everyone.
“Addressing some incomplete infor posted early about our Overwatch 2 Battle Pass,” says Jon Spector, VP at Blizzard and commercial lead for Overwatch. “We’ll be sharing all details ahead of launch, but want to confirm that new Overwatch 2 heroes will be available on the free track of the Battle Pass.”
This seems to line up to how Call of Duty currently dishes out seasonal weapons in its battle passes, with two weapons being available at various tiers within the free track of Warzone and Vanguard’s shared battle pass.
Spector also gives further clarification when asked what happens if you fail to unlock that season’s hero by grinding to the appropriate tier of the battle pass.
“We will have free paths to get new heroes in future seasons too,” he states.
Again, Overwatch 2 may go down the same route as Call of Duty for this. Currently, seasonal weapons can be unlocked after that season has ended by completing certain in-game challenges.