Blizzard has announced when loot boxes will be phased out of Overwatch in anticipation of the new Battle Pass system.
The announcement was quietly mentioned in a blog post about the Overwatch Anniversary Remix Volume 3 event. The company confirmed that the loot boxes would “no longer be available for sale” come August 30th.
However, the post notes that you’ll still be able to earn standard loot boxes after the Remix event.
This Anniversary Remix event is Blizzard’s way of “cleaning house” of sorts, allowing players to earn (or buy) cosmetics before Overwatch 2 launches on October 4, 2022. This includes skins and cosmetics from previous Overwatch Challenge events.
Players will also be able to participate in “brawls” and relive certain game types such as past story missions such as Uprising and Storm Rising and past Summer Games modes like Lucioball.
Blizzard formally announced that loot boxes were going away in June, replacing them with a battle pass and in-game store. The company said they wanted to give players “a lot more control over how they interact with the game and acquire new content.”
Loot boxes have long been a controversial subject in the gaming industry. Games such as Overwatch, Call of Duty, and EA Sports franchises have been criticized for their monetization methods. Additionally, there have been links found between loot boxes and gambling.
Fortunately, it seems Blizzard wants to get away from those tactics and stick with a more fair method of dolling out skins and cosmetics (maybe). In fact, Blizzard confirmed that all unopened loot boxes in Overwatch will automatically open before the launch of Overwatch 2.
Overwatch 2 releases this year on October 4th and will completely replace the original Overwatch. Check out the major differences between the original game and the sequel.
David Matthews is a freelance writer specializing in consumer tech and gaming. He also strongly believes that sugar does not go in grits. Follow him on Twitter @packetstealer